Bambu P1P AC Infinity Chamber Fan Mod

The purpose of this printer modification is to add a working chamber fan to the P1P, with automatic on/off control of the fan depending on a preset temperature.  The main file of this is a remix of the rear panel piece provided by the ARC for Bambu Lab P1P.  I took the 2D file used for laser cutting, extruded it into a 3D file, then modified it to allow for mounting the fan/temp controller.  The controller is internally mounted and as long as the printhead is near the middle/front of the printer, you can see the temps with the default P1P camera.  In this way, even remotely, you can move the bed/printhead to home, turn on the bed to 100C and your P1P’s auxiliary part cooling fan (if installed), and watch/wait for the chamber to get up to temp before starting a print.

To what temp level your specific printer will get to with this mod is highly variable.  I’m running mine in a 68F temperature controlled room, and I have aluminized heat shield material adhered to the inside of my side panels, with carbon fiber wrap on the outside (for aesthetics).  The heat shield material helps reflect/hold in some heat vs the bare acrylic, and with the door shut and glass lid on, I can maintain around 50-55C when printing without any issue.  If I want something higher like 55-60C, I drape a small self-warming dog blanket over the top/front.  For clarification, the blanket is not heated and does not use electricity.  It is a soft sherpa fabric on the outside, with an insulated “space blanket” inner core that helps reflect/hold heat.  This lets me lift the blanket to peek in if desired without permanently losing the top/front enclosure transparency.  But like I said, everyone’s setup is different - some people are running their printers in colder basements, or hotter garages.  People running theirs in a hot garage can hit 60C without taking any additional steps with their high ambient temps.  The main thing is this mod allows for helping to control those chamber temps so they aren’t a variable when printing.  The fan controller is spec’d for 0-60C, which is the maximum recommended temp listed by Bambu Lab for their printers.  I contacted AC Infinity about mounting the screen internally as I have, and if any damage to the electronics/screen would take place, and they said no, it’s designed for temps up to 60C.

The fan controller has an integrated temperature probe, which is then routed into the printer.  There are different modes on the printer, but in Auto mode, you set the fan-on temp, and alarm temp.  Whenever the chamber temp exceeds the fan-on temp, it will turn the fan on at your preset speed.  You can set the fan to any one of six different running speeds.  This controller is designed to be used with AC Infinity fans, but the Noctua fan I will list in the BOM is fully functional with speed control, and I’d recommend that one.

You will need the following to make this modification:

1. The rear_panel.3mf file included here in the files section.
    
2. An AC Infinity Controller 2 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NG9TSG4
    
3. A Noctua NF-A9 5V PWM fan - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DXTN515/
    
4. Four 3mm nuts & bolts to secure the controller to the printed part.  6mm – 8mm should work fine.
    
5. A thin strip of adhesive foam for the bottom of the rear panel, like the ARC enclosure uses.
    
6. The ARC enclosure - https://www.printables.com/model/356301-arc-for-bambu-lab-p1p
    
7. Chamber Fan Duct for Bambu Lab P1P - https://www.printables.com/model/427552-chamber-fan-duct-for-bambu-lab-p1p
    
8. Bambu P1P Back Fan Drill Guide - https://www.printables.com/model/382907

You will also need some misc. screws to attach the panel to the ARC enclosure, the fan to the duct, etc, and I’d recommend having a drill for the temp probe routing and a couple of zip ties.  Check the main pages of the printed parts listed above for their specific requirements and instructions on mounting.  I designed/printed/installed this for the ARC Enclosure.  I do not have, nor have I tested it on a bare machine or with another enclosure, so if you are going to use if for something other than the ARC, I cannot guarantee it will fit properly, and you may want to adjust the rear_panel piece accordingly to your needs.

I’ve attached a picture of the back of my printer with the rear panel/controller in-place, and it does work with the AMS hub installed.  The controller mount was lowered as far as possible to not interfere with the AMS hub.  One caveat you will want to be aware of, is you cannot use the default Bambu external spool holder after installing this controller, as the controller will be in the way.  There are a plethora of external spool holder prints for the Bambu printers, including one with the ARC enclosure.  I mostly print from my AMS units, but when I do print externally, I print directly from a filament dryer (picture attached).

The rear panel is a large print, and cannot be printed laying down flat on the build plate with a Bambu printer.  If you have another larger printer that will accommodate the print, you would be best off printing the piece on that printer.  You can print it on the Bambu diagonally, standing up with tree supports.  I printed one like that, and it worked fine.  I’ve attached a picture of how you can orientate the part in the slicer this way.  I’d also recommend a brim and printing in PETG/ABS/ASA/PC.

For installation, first print the Chamber Fan Duct for Bambu Lab P1P, and install that, along with the Noctua 92mm fan.  The fan should be mounted to blow out, drawing air from inside the printer, and exhausting it out the back panel.  Use the Bambu P1P Back Fan Drill Guide to drill some holes for the fan exhaust. This is easiest to do with the P1P’s metal back panel on a disposable wooden surface when drilling to keep the metal from warping when drilling.  You will also want to drill a hole large enough to fit a USB cable end through (see my pictures for reference).  The Noctua fan is 5V, and comes with a 4-pin to USB adapter, which you will need, as the fan controller will control the on/off and speed of the fan over USB.

Then mount the fan controller to the printed rear panel piece with four nuts and bolts, and then mount the rear panel piece to the ARC enclosure.  You will need a thin strip of adhesive foam to seal up the gap between the rear panel and the printer's frame, like the ARC enclosure suggests.  The fan controller is externally powered with an included power supply, and it will power the Noctua fan also.  Plug the USB end from the fan into one of the controller’s USB ports, and plug in the temp probe.  You can place the probe wherever you wish, but I routed mine to the side of the chamber fan duct, and drilled a hole large enough for the probe to pass through, then secured it with two zip ties to the P1P’s metal side frame (check pics for reference).

Read through the fan controller’s manual for programming and modes.  I prefer auto mode with the alarm set to 60C, and then I set the fan-on temp to whatever temp I want with the up/down arrows on the controller before printing.  You can leave the controller powered at all times if you want, or put it on a smart plug for remote on/off if desired.  As long as the set chamber temp isn’t exceeded, the chamber fan will not come on, so leaving it on all the time isn’t really hurting anything.  You can also set your desired fan speed (1-6), and it will run at that speed when activated.  You’ll have to play with your setup to see what speed works best for you. I generally run mine between 1-3 for speed, depending on set chamber temp.

A couple of side notes:

1. I have not tested any other 5V fan other than the listed Noctua.  The internet says some 5V fans with a USB adapter work and some don’t.  YMMV if you use another fan.
    
2. You can now use the Bambu Activated Carbon Air Filter cartridge behind the chamber fan door like the X1/C printers do.  Alternatively, you can also use a refillable cartridge like this one - https://www.printables.com/model/313960-bambu-labs-refillable-carbon-filter-cartridge
    
3. I’m 99% sure a person could power the fan controller, and in-turn, the Noctua fan from the P1P’s power supply with a buck converter/adapter.  I did not do this, or test it so I cannot recommend it and it is beyond the scope of this Printable.  I’m running my controller and fan off of its own AC power adapter to lighten the load on the P1P’s power supply and keep this simple, but you do you.
    
4. If you haven’t already installed one, and are planning on printing enclosed, you really should have a mainboard fan installed on your P1P.  I have a mainboard fan duct with instructions here - https://www.printables.com/model/431327-bambu-lab-p1p-mainboard-mc-noctua-nf-a4x10-or-nf-a
    
5. There are other fan controllers available that I have seen people use, those are also beyond the scope of this Printable.  I picked this one because I liked the aesthetic as the screen is very similar to the P1P’s display screen.
    
6. The rabbit models in the screenshots are from MatMire Makes, and available here - https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-bunny-rabbit-articulated-toy-print-in-place-cute-flexi-toy-277777 or on his Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/matmire_makes/posts 

X1/C users could do this mod also, but they will need to figure out where to mount the controller, since the frame is different than the P1P/ARC enclosure.  In some ways, this would give a X1/C printer better chamber temp control than stock, as it would regulate a set temp.  Currently, the X1/C allows the integrated chamber fan to be on/off and running at a specified percentage, but it cannot be set to automatically come on and off, regulating chamber temps.