AMS Slot Cost Calculator

Calculate the true filament cost when each AMS slot uses a different brand, material, or price. Works for Bambu X1C, P1S, A1 Mini with AMS or AMS Lite.

Total cost

£0.00

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Total filament cost

Enter usage grams for at least one slot to see costs.

Tips for managing slot costs

  • Put the heaviest colour in slot 1

    The slot using the most grams has the biggest impact on total cost. Assign your cheapest compatible filament there to minimise spend.

  • Use the same brand where colour allows

    Mixing Bambu premium in all slots can easily double filament cost vs. using eSUN or Polymaker for less visible colours. Reserve premium slots for detail colours.

  • Reduce colour changes to cut purge waste

    Group model colours so fewer transitions are needed. A print with 10 changes instead of 25 can save 15–20 g of purge waste — meaningful at premium filament prices.

  • Track cost per slot on every paid job

    Noting per-slot usage after the print lets you build a real cost history. Over time you can identify which colour combos are underpriced in your quotes.

FAQ

Why does it matter that each slot uses a different filament price?

Most basic calculators apply one price per gram across the whole print. With AMS multi-material prints, slot 1 might be premium Bambu PLA at £0.04/g while slot 2 is budget eSUN at £0.016/g — that's a 2.5× difference. Using the wrong blended rate can leave significant money on the table when quoting jobs.

What is AMS purge waste and why does it add cost?

Each time the Bambu AMS switches filament colour, the printer flushes old material into a purge bucket or wipe tower. This can add 15–40 g or more to a typical multi-colour print. The purge cost is estimated using your colour change count and an average blended filament rate.

Which Bambu printers does this calculator apply to?

Any printer that uses Bambu AMS or AMS Lite: X1C, X1E, P1S, P1P, A1, and A1 Mini. The slot cost logic is the same regardless of model — what differs is how much purge waste each generates, which you can tune via the colour changes input.

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