Ability to select an additional filament in Bambu AMS for use during print job that WILL NOT be printed.

[DerrillWMS]

Is there an existing issue for this feature request?

• I have searched the existing issues

Is your feature request related to a problem?

Primary problem

• Risk of nozzle clogs during filament swaps when employing Support filaments (i.e., Breakaway PLA, and PVA) in conjunction with higher temp printing filaments (specifically, PETG and ASA).

Secondary problem

• Unnecessary purge poop.
• Unnecessary long purge times.

Which printers will be beneficial to this feature?

Others

Describe the solution you'd like

When using a Bambu AMS, the User having the ability to ...

1. Install Cleaning filament (e.g. nylon) in an AMS slot; and ...

2. Select a checkbox option on the "Others" tab titled "Employ Cleaning filament"; which ...
   a) Exposes a drop-down field for User to select the AMS slot that holds the Cleaning filament; and ...
   b) Exposes a text field for User to enter a specified volume of Cleaning filament to extrude (requires very little, e.g. 1" of 1.75mm diameter Cleaning filament is plenty ≈ 60 mm³; optionally, instead of a text field, employ a drop-down field with predefined volume amounts for User to select from, purposed to mitigate User text entry errors); and ...
   c) Option: Include checkbox titled, "Employ Only Between Support/Raft Interface Filaments, and Other Filaments" ¹

3. Invoke the slicing / printing process; then ...

4. During printing, at every swap between printing filaments ...
   a) Previous printing filament is Unloaded; then ...
   b) Cleaning filament is Loaded and extruded the previously User-selected volume amount; then ...
   c) Cleaning filament is Unloaded; then ...
   d) Next printing filament is Loaded; and ...

5. At the end of the print job, the printer repeats steps 4.a through 4.c. so nozzle and extruder gears are clean, and ready for the next print job.

6. Option: Independent feature / function whereby, if the User does not normally employ the cleaning process within print jobs, they can invoke the cleaning process (steps 4.a through 4.c.) independent of a print job, as a maintenance measure whenever they deem desirable.

Describe alternatives you've considered

As a (theoretical) workaround, if, during a print job, the nozzle becomes clogged due to swapping of print filament w/ Support Interface filament (doesn't always happen, but higher likelihood vs other filament swaps), the printer's LCD UI could be used to 1) pause the print job, 2) Unload the current filament, 3) the filament tube could be removed from the top of the extruder, 4) a short piece of Cleaning filament could manually be inserted into the top of the extruder, 5) the manual extrude button in the LCD UI pressed until the piece of Cleaning filament has passed through the extruder / nozzle (to the point where the gears can no longer push it), 6) the filament tube reattached to the extruder, and 7) the print job resumed.

However, due to the current design of the X1C, when a print job is paused the X1C LCD UI is locked out. When I have had the situation of the next filament being unable to load into the extruder due to a clog (the X1C tries 4x, then pops an error dialog), I have to stop the print job which unlocks the UI, and I can then perform the steps I describe above which easily clears / cleans the nozzle, but the current print job is lost. And, just to be clear, when I insert the short piece of Cleaning filament into the top of the extruder, only a very light amount of pressure is required to get the extruder gears to catch the filament, and then it pushes it though, no problem.

Additional context

No response

Footnotes

1. Selecting this checkbox gives the User the ability to clean the nozzle and extruder gears w/ Cleaning filament ONLY when a Support/Raft Interface filament (e.g. Breakaway PLA, PVA, etc.) is going to be Loaded / Unloaded; and deselecting this checkbox will clean the nozzle and extruder gears using Cleaning filament between ALL filament changes / swaps. Note: By provisioning the cleaning of nozzle walls and extruder gears using Cleaning filament between all filament changes / swaps, and not just when Interface filament is going to be printed, such results in much less purge/poop amounts & purge/poop times, and is superior in removing residual previous filament. The reason is, purging is NOT a cleaning process, it is a swapping process between 2 filaments (e.g., different colors) that become molten within the nozzle, and, effectively, replaces any residual filament from the previous filament that is on nozzle walls and extruder gears, with the next filament. In contrast, Cleaning filament becomes soft, but not molten, and effectively grabs residual filament on nozzle walls and extruder gears, and removes it. ↩