A1 mini AMS lite Overhead Mount | v1

A1 mini owners! This is the space-saving overhead mount for the AMS lite you've waited for!

Key details

• Printable on the A1 mini. No large printers needed!
   
• No additional tools or parts required for assembly. But superglue is recommended.
   
• Support column matches the mini's original. It's stable and looks like it belongs there!
   
• Is easily color customizable. No painting required! It's a small thing, but custom is cool- right?
   
• Profiles contain many pre-filled plate options. You have the option to print different combinations of parts, based on your preferences, straight from the existing plates in Bambu Slicer.

Why choose this model over others?

Besides the fact that it's stable, is based on Bambu's AMS lite mount for the A1, was reinforced to add strength, and can be printed on the A1 mini with ease, I'm a sucker for symmetry. This mod looks like it should've been there all along. My X1-Carbon spoiled me. The A1 made me jealous. Putting the AMS on top? This is the way.

 

And it looks great, too!

Instructions

Part 1

How to use the provided A1 mini profile:

• If you only own the A1 mini, make sure you download the A1 mini profile, not the one for the X1-Carbon. The X1-Carbon profile is included for users who have the bigger models and want to print more parts on a plate.
   
• The best way to use the included profiles is through Bambu Slicer. It gives you complete control over what you print and with what filament. Plus, you can see all the settings and adjust if you want to tinker.
   
• You can choose your own filaments. Right-click on a model part to Change Filament at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
   
• DON'T CHOOSE DIFFERENT COLORS FOR MULTIPLE PARTS ON PLATES! Those plates are for single color filament prints ONLY. If you don't follow this advice, you will waste a ton of filament on color changes and print time will be tragically looooooooooong.

Profile info:

• All the things are there! Each plate in the profile is labeled and pre-sliced for a single color. 
   
• The A1 mini plates 1 and 2 let you print the entire model in 1 color over 2 print jobs. Some of you will want to print the whole thing in one go with a single filament of your choosing. Plates 1 and 2 are your jam.
   
• To print the Column Foot separately, plate 3 is an alternative version of Plate 2. You can print the rest of the model in a single color by printing Plate 1 and Plate 3 with one filament, then print Plate 4 (Column Foot) in another color. I like it in white because it matches the mini's base. 
   
• Plates 4 through 10 let you print parts in whatever color filament you want! Just change the filament used for that part of the model, re-slice, and print. I'm biased, since I made this for my desktop, but the model looks snazzy with a white Column Foot, a silver silk Column, and the color(s) of your choice for the Braces and Mounts.
   
• Speed and infill settings optimized for strength. Top and wall speeds are set to 80 mm/s for a nice finish and added adhesion. The speed increases print time, but it's worth it. For all but 2 pieces, Sparse Infill Density is set to 15% and the pattern is Rectilinear. It's a good balance between strength and filament used. The Braces are set to 50% and Adaptive Cubic. This provides a great deal of strength for the horizontal section that supports the AMS lite. 
   
• Uses Bambu's support settings for ease of removal. The support settings are the same as the original A1 Top Mount profile.
   
• Parts are arranged for strength. The orientation of the models on the plates is on purpose. The way the layers are laid down affects the strength of a model against different directions of stress.
   
• Superglue (or filament-compatible adhesive of your choice) is recommended! Ideally, for added strength, the Braces and Overhead Mount Bottom should be glued together. Don't glue the Overhead Mount Top nor the Screw and Tab, they need to stay removable!

Highly recommended add-ons by other makers:

• Use cuffs to tame the tubes! To help smooth the path from AMS to print head, use the included Bambu Bowden clip + 2 of your choice. I tried https://makerworld.com/en/models/119723#profileId-128798 and https://makerworld.com/en/models/42464#profileId-43277
   
• Straighten the filament path to the print head. There are a few options out there. One is R3DPanda's Slim A1/A1 Mini PTFE Tube Support. It keeps the PTFE tubes positioned straight to the toolhead and helps reduce wear. You have two options; the original that works great, or the model I altered to hold the cable (all download credits go to them) https://makerworld.com/en/u/3657474713. 
  
  [April 2, 2024] Note: A user reported the model I altered prevented their tangle sensor from activating (https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/ams-lite/manual/filament-tangle-monitoring-intro). I couldn't replicate the issue, but it could be a combination of factors: stiffer filament for the model, stiffer cabling, a stronger spring in the mechanism. To be safe, I wanted to post a note about it in case anyone else ran into this issue. I'm working on a modification to my straightener version that should account for variations in manufacturing. 

Part 2

Decide which filament(s) you want to use. Change colors as desired. Print! It takes about a day for prep, print, and assembly.

Frame assembly:

1. There are 9 printed pieces for this project. Make sure you have everything printed. Make sure all support and brim material is removed. Test the pieces and make sure they fit together as expected.
    
2. Connect and glue the Column and Column Foot. Make sure the seam positions for the 2 Column pieces line up. Some people like it facing the front of the assembled frame (visually, it matches the main column). Some people like it facing the back (for a smooth look up front).
    
3. Connect and glue the Overhead Connector Bottom to the Left and Right Braces. Double-check the images to make sure the 3 pieces are arranged correctly.
    
4. Remove the cap on top of the A1 mini's main column. Get the large hex tool from the Bambu tool kit. Put the screws to the side. Put the cap with your Bambu accessories so you don't lose it.
    
5. Put the assembled column and brace in place. Fit the brace to the printed column and set it on the main column. Everything should line up nicely. Now is the time to decide if you want that column seam to show on the front or if you'll hide it on the back.
    
6. Decide whether you want to glue the printed column and brace together, or not. I prefer to glue the horizontal and vertical sections together for strength. I do have a set where I did not glue those sections together (for testing). It works just fine either way. Some may want to be able to swap out the horizontal section for one of a different color, it's your choice. For my main model, everything is glued together.
    
7. Don't glue the Overhead Top and Bottom Mounts together! The part that screws into the AMS lite should never be glued to anything.
    
8. Don't glue the Right Brace to the A1 mini's column! Please, please, please, do not accidentally glue the brace to the main column on the A1 mini! PLEEEEEEEASE! I mean, it should be a no-brainer, but people gonna people…
    
9. Screw it! I like to put each screw in a little bit, to make sure everything lines up. Then make sure the screws are set and firm, but don't Hulk them.

Overhead Connector Top assembly notes:

The Overhead Connector Top and Bottom are adapted from Bambu's AMS lite Top Mount for A1. The parts work the same. Please review Bambu's documentation https://makerworld.com/en/models/110963#profileId-118634

1. It's a remix. The Overhead Connector Top is a modified, reinforced version of the Bambu part. It attaches to the AMS lite just like the Bambu version, with the same screws. It sits forward more than the original, so it's better for balance.
    
2. The top connects to the bottom in the same way. The Overhead Connector Top connects to the Overhead Connector Bottom exactly the same as it does for the Bambu version.
    
3. The big screw. Yep. You guessed it… The Screw and Tab connect to the Overhead Top and Bottom in the same way they do on the original Bambu version.

Part 3

Assembly notes:

• Make sure all the screws connecting the Right Brace to the main column are secure.
   
• Put the longer PTFE tubes on 1 and 2. Put the short PTFE tubes on 3 and 4. Just like a mullet- shorter in the front, longer in the back. 
   
• Add the add-ons. Before you connect the PTFE tubes to the print head, it's time to add the add-ons. Look at the images to see how I space the cuffs.
   
• Front loader. I recommend loading filament into slots 3 and 4 of the AMS lite first. It's always best to put weight closer to the center of gravity and the strength of support first.
   
• Double-take. Make sure you attach the AMS lite to the Overhead Connector Top correctly, and it's locked into place with the Screw and Tab on the Overhead Connector Bottom.
   
• Fit and finish. Make sure all the parts of the frame are set and in place.
   
• Admire your handiwork! Looks good, right?
   
• Recalibrate! In my head, that sounded like a Dalek… but that nerd reference doesn't translate well… Make sure, once all your filament is loaded, you recalibrate the machine.

I hope everyone enjoys this model. I look forward to improving the concept and including additional mods in the future!

Final notes:

• Choose your filaments wisely! Silver silk filament makes for a great Column, but it is not strong enough to use for the Braces and Mounts. PLA+, PLA Tough, and PETG are best for the horizontal pieces.
   
• Can you use regular/matte PLA? In addition to PETG and PLA +/tough, I used regular and silk PLA for all parts in testing. No parts failed, but I prefer to use other filaments for added strength.
   
• Infill options were tested! If you print the individual files outside of the pre-populated profiles, the Right and Left Braces should be printed at 50% infill and Adaptive Cubic. The rest of the pieces work great at 15% Rectilinear.
   
• Top infill on the Overhead Connectors set to Hilbert Curve. To match the textured top of the Braces and plate-side sections of the Overhead Connectors, the surfaces on the opposite sides are set to Hilbert Curve. If you decide to print this model on an A1 mini with a smooth plate, change the top infill pattern to Monotonic.
   
• Assembly order is your choice. I prefer to make sure the Right Brace mounts correctly first. Then I take it off to glue it and the Left Brace to the Overhead Mount Bottom. While the horizontal pieces dry, I glue the Column sections and Column Foot together. Once the vertical and horizontal pieces are dry, I either glue the column into the brace or I leave them unglued and attach the Right Brace to the A1 mini's main column. 
   
• Give and flex. There might be a small (1mm or so) gap between the printed Column and the Left Brace during test fitting. This is expected! The gap depends on filament, shrinkage, and the fit of parts on the A1 mini (feet, column, etc.). If the Column and Left Brace are not glued together before final assembly, that fitting settles into place with the AMS lite mounted. If the Column and Left Brace are glued together before final assembly, the foot will settle flush with the AMS lite mounted. 
   
• Ludicrous mode will cause wobble. Under normal use, slight oscillations are completely normal (just like the original mount on the A1). It will wobble when speeds and movements are pushed to Ludicrous mode (as other mini overhead mounts do, though this is more stable). Quality tests were done to make sure vibration compensation compensates. It does. Braces and larger feet were tested, but not released with this model. To honor a pair of requests, I will work to release those additions for Ludicrous mode users. Stay tuned!
   
• Piles of filament were sacrificed to the Iteration Spirits. Soooooo many test prints! On top of normal versioning for the model, I tested lots and lots of filament and infill options for the Brace connections to the Overhead Connector Bottom. I included a couple of pictures of all the plastic I need to try and recycle. Soooooo much plastic…
   
• Just a thank you to Bambu Lab. I decided to push this out today because Bambu Lab is getting a lot of grief from new users about the A1, and I decided I'd go ahead and post this as a show of thanks. Bambu Lab does a fantastic job with PR and trying in earnest to be forthcoming and to make things right with their customers. Very few companies go through the kind of effort they do to fix mistakes. I'm thankful I have machines that do the work I need without all the tinkering and drama I dealt with before my X1-Carbon and A1 mini. This model is an example of how much I appreciate the machines I work with.

This maker upload contains the complete 3D model files and printer profiles (A1 mini and X1-Carbon) for this modification. This is v1 of the A1 mini AMS lite Overhead Mount. Revisions, updates, and further iterations may follow. This model is provided under a Creative Commons license, may not be used commercially by anyone but the creator, requires attribution for remixes, and is given freely with no expectation of a guarantee regarding the model's performance.