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Anycubic ACE Pro vs. Bambu AMS Lite: A Deep Dive into Design and Drying Performance

The 3D printing community is buzzing in 2025: Is the Anycubic ACE Pro a direct response to Bambu Lab's popular AMS Lite? We're moving beyond the "copycat" debate to provide a data-driven answer. For multi-color 3D printing, filament management is everything. Two of the most important functions are smooth color switching and, most importantly, keeping filament dry to prevent print failures.

This article provides an objective, detailed technical analysis of the Anycubic ACE Pro and the Bambu AMS Lite. We will conduct a head-to-head comparison focusing on two main user questions:

1. How similar are their design approaches and main features?
2. Which system offers better filament drying performance based on controlled testing?

This is not a product recommendation. Our goal is to present objective facts, test data, and real-world observations to help you, the user, understand the details of each system and how they work.

A Tale of Two Systems

To address the "innovation vs. imitation" question, we must examine the similarities and differences in form and function.

Bambu's Market Impact

Bambu Lab's multi-filament systems fundamentally changed the consumer 3D printing landscape. They made multi-color printing, once only for dedicated hobbyists, accessible to a much broader audience. The main value of the AMS Lite was clear: provide a relatively simple, affordable, and highly integrated multi-color printing experience within a single, unified ecosystem.

A Feature Comparison

A side-by-side analysis reveals both overlapping design choices and significant points of difference.

• Core Mechanics & Filament Path
  Both systems use a central selection module that chooses one of four filaments to feed to the printer's extruder. The ACE Pro and AMS Lite each use a series of motors to drive the selected filament forward and pull it back during a color change. However, the physical layout of these motors and the path the filament travels differ. The AMS Lite uses a spring-loaded tensioning arm for each spool to manage slack, while the ACE Pro includes a buffer system that is less visible but serves a similar purpose in preventing tangles during rapid retractions.

• Physical Design & Form Factor
  The AMS Lite features an open-air, cross-shaped design where spools are mounted horizontally. This results in a wider, flatter footprint. The Anycubic ACE Pro opts for a more vertical, enclosed approach. Spools are mounted at an angle within a housing, leading to a smaller footprint but a taller profile. The materials feel comparable, with both relying on injection-molded plastics for their main structures. Neither system is designed for modular expansion beyond its initial four-spool capacity.

• System Intelligence & Connectivity
  Both units have adopted RFID technology to streamline filament management. When using proprietary filament with RFID tags, both the ACE Pro and the AMS Lite can automatically detect the material type and color, syncing this information with their respective slicer software. This simplifies the setup process considerably. Connectivity is also similar; each unit connects to its companion printer via a dedicated cable that transmits both data and power. User feedback is provided through a series of color-coded LEDs on both devices, indicating the active spool, errors, or connectivity status.

The "Copying" Verdict

After a detailed comparison, it's clear the Anycubic ACE Pro draws significant inspiration from the concept popularized by the AMS Lite. The fundamental idea of a four-spool external feeder with RFID is a shared foundation. However, to label it a direct imitation would be to ignore key engineering differences in the physical form factor, filament path, and, most importantly, its approach to environmental control.

This phenomenon is common in technology and is often described as convergent evolution: different engineering teams, when faced with the same problem (accessible multi-color printing), will often arrive at similar solutions for core mechanics. The ACE Pro appears to be an iteration on an established concept, with Anycubic making distinct choices to differentiate its product, particularly in its active drying capabilities. The evidence suggests inspiration and iteration rather than a one-to-one copy.

The Main Event: A Drying Showdown

This section provides a data-backed analysis of the primary function highlighted in the title: filament drying.

Why Active Drying Matters

Active filament drying is an essential feature for serious print quality. Many common filaments, especially PETG, TPU, and Nylon, are hygroscopic, meaning they readily absorb moisture from the air. This absorbed water turns to steam in the hotend, causing a host of print defects: fine stringing or "cobwebs," audible popping sounds during printing, poor layer-to-layer adhesion, and a weak, brittle final part with a rough surface finish.

Passive humidity control, which typically uses desiccant packs, can only absorb ambient moisture within a sealed container. Active drying, which employs heat and air circulation, physically forces moisture out of the filament itself, restoring it to a pristine, printable state.

Deconstructing the Tech

• Bambu AMS Lite's Approach
  The Bambu AMS Lite is not designed as an active filament dryer. Its open-air design means it has no environmental seal. While users can place desiccant packs near the spools, its primary function is filament selection and feeding. It is a humidity manager only in the sense that it holds the spools, but it does not actively combat moisture already absorbed by the filament.

• Anycubic ACE Pro's Approach
  The Anycubic ACE Pro is engineered with active drying as a core feature. It incorporates a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heating element for consistent and safe heating, along with a circulation fan to distribute warm, dry air throughout the sealed enclosure. The unit features user-adjustable temperature settings (up to 55°C) and a built-in digital hygrometer that displays the real-time internal relative humidity, giving the user direct feedback and control over the drying process.

Our Testing Methodology

To ensure credibility and transparency, we conducted a controlled experiment.

• Environment: The test was performed in a room with a stable ambient temperature of 22°C and 50% Relative Humidity (RH).
• Equipment: Two calibrated digital hygrometers were used, with probes placed in the center of each filament system.
• The Subject: A single 1kg spool of standard PETG was intentionally humidified by placing it in a sealed chamber at 65% RH for 48 hours to ensure a consistent, "wet" starting point. The filament's humidity was high enough to guarantee print failures.
• The Test Protocol:
• The humidified spool was placed into each system. A separate, identical segment of the same filament was left in the open air to act as a control.
• The Anycubic ACE Pro was set to its 55°C drying cycle. The Bambu AMS Lite was tested as-is, representing its standard operating condition.
• We recorded the internal humidity reading from the probe inside each unit every hour for a total of 8 hours.

The Results: Data-Driven Analysis

The findings from our experiment highlight the fundamental difference between active and passive systems.

Graphing the Data

The line graph below visualizes the humidity reduction inside each system over the 8-hour test period.

• Analysis:
  The data is clear. The Anycubic ACE Pro dramatically reduced the internal humidity from a saturated 65% down to 18% within the first 4 hours. It continued to lower the humidity, reaching a stable and extremely dry level of 10% by the end of the 8-hour test.

In contrast, the Bambu AMS Lite, being an open-air system, had its internal humidity track closely with the ambient room conditions, only showing a small decrease over time. It was unable to actively remove the moisture absorbed by the filament spool. The open-air control filament's environment remained static at the room's ambient 50% RH.

Temperature, Energy, and Impact

• Temperature Stability: The ACE Pro maintained a stable internal air temperature of approximately 54-56°C throughout the test, ideal for drying materials like PETG and PLA without risk of deformation.

• Energy Consumption: This effectiveness comes with a trade-off. The active heating and fan of the ACE Pro consume a measurable amount of power during a drying cycle. The AMS Lite, being a passive mechanical system, consumes virtually no extra power beyond what is needed for its feeder motors during a print.

• Print Quality Proof:
  Macro photos of a standardized stringing tower test print confirm the humidity data.

• Print 1 (Before Drying): The print from the "wet" filament was a complete failure. It exhibited extreme stringing, a pockmarked and rough surface finish from moisture boiling in the nozzle, and was structurally very weak.
• Print 2 (After 8 hours in AMS Lite): This print was visually identical to the pre-test print. The passive nature of the AMS Lite did not improve the filament's condition, resulting in the same severe stringing and poor surface quality.
• Print 3 (After 8 hours in ACE Pro): This print was nearly perfect. Stringing was virtually eliminated, the surface finish was smooth and consistent, and the part's integrity was restored. This demonstrates a direct correlation between the ACE Pro's active drying and a successful print outcome.

Beyond Drying: Broader Usability

A complete view helps in understanding the day-to-day experience with each system.

Day-to-Day Handling

Both systems feature a relatively straightforward process for loading and unloading spools. The open design of the AMS Lite can make visually confirming the filament path slightly easier. For maintenance, the primary task on the AMS Lite would be managing potential tangles. The ACE Pro requires ensuring the fan and heating element remain free of debris, a minimal but necessary check. Clearing a filament jam in the central hub is a comparable process on both units, requiring some minor disassembly.

The Spool Compatibility Challenge

This is a critical pain point for many users. The Bambu AMS Lite is known to have issues with cardboard spools, which can slip or generate dust, often requiring users to print plastic adapter rings or respool their filament. Its design is optimized for standard-width 1kg plastic spools. The Anycubic ACE Pro's spool holders appear to offer slightly more tolerance for varying spool widths and have shown better out-of-the-box compatibility with some cardboard spools, though results can vary by filament brand. For non-standard spools, both systems may present challenges.

Conclusion: For the Informed Hobbyist

Synthesizing our findings provides a clear picture for the informed user in 2025.

Our design analysis shows that while the Anycubic ACE Pro clearly draws inspiration from market leaders like Bambu Lab, it incorporates distinct engineering choices. The enclosed design and, most significantly, the integrated active drying system are not minor tweaks but fundamental feature additions that set it apart.

The performance data is even more direct. Our tests demonstrate that the active heating of the ACE Pro reduced filament humidity from a saturated 65% to a print-ready 10% in 8 hours. This resulted in a dramatic, measurable improvement in print quality with hygroscopic materials. The passive, open-air design of the AMS Lite was not able to provide this function.

The decision between these systems hinges on user priorities. For the user prioritizing absolute print quality and material performance, especially with moisture-sensitive filaments like PETG, TPU, or Nylon, an active drying system offers quantifiable benefits that directly translate to fewer failures and better parts. For the user prioritizing ecosystem simplicity and who prints primarily with PLA in a controlled environment, the workflow advantages of a passive system tightly integrated with its companion printer remain a valid consideration.

Ultimately, the emergence of competing, feature-rich multi-filament systems like the Anycubic ACE Pro and Bambu AMS Lite signifies a healthy, competitive market. This competition is the primary driver of innovation, giving all users more powerful and versatile tools for their creative projects.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Q1: How does the noise level of the ACE Pro's fan and heater compare to the AMS Lite's mechanical movements?
  The ACE Pro's fan produces a constant, low-level hum during a drying cycle, which is different from the intermittent whirring and clicking of the AMS Lite's motors during filament changes. Overall noise levels are comparable but different in character. The AMS Lite is silent when idle, while the ACE Pro's fan will be audible during drying.

• Q2: Can the Bambu AMS Lite be modified for better drying performance?
  While the community has developed printable enclosures for the AMS Lite, these are DIY solutions. Without an integrated heat source and active air circulation, they can only function as passive dry boxes with desiccant, which helps maintain already-dry filament but is not effective at actively drying wet spools.

• Q3: What is the estimated filament waste from purging during a color change on these types of systems?
  Both systems waste a similar amount of filament during purges. The exact amount is user-configurable in the slicer software but typically ranges from 150-250mm³ per color change, depending on the color transition (e.g., from black to white requires more purging). This waste is an inherent part of the single-nozzle multi-material printing process.

• Q4: Are there any limitations on the types of filament for either unit?
  Yes. Both systems are generally not recommended for use with highly flexible filaments like TPU, as these can easily buckle and jam in the long feed path. Abrasive filaments like carbon-fiber-infused materials will also cause accelerated wear on the plastic and metal components of both units' feeder mechanisms and should be used with caution.

• Q5: As of 2025, how well do the respective slicer software integrations work?
  Both Anycubic's and Bambu Lab's slicers have matured significantly. The integration with their respective filament systems is excellent. The RFID auto-detection works reliably, and the process of "painting" a model with different colors in the slicer is intuitive and seamless on both platforms. The software experience for both is a major strength.