Printed paradise

It was a complete clone of the Bambu Labs P1S, mimicking many of its specs; the only thing missing is their AMS system, which, at the time of writing, is still missing. Why is this significant now? Well, 3D-printing as a hobby has slowly but surely exploded in India, with Bambu Labs officially selling its printers here, and Elegoo also offering the Centauri Carbon. I have used all the Bambu Labs printers available in India, except for the latest H2 series and the updated P2S.

Unboxing and setup

As far as unboxing goes, this has been the easiest by far, other than the Bambu Labs printers. Setting up the printer is painless, and the instruction manual is straightforward. In the box, you get the printer, a spool holder, power cord, USB drive, scraper blade, screws, spare nozzle wiper, screw driver, allen keys, touch screen, and an unclogging pin. The printer was pretty much fully assembled, and I had it up and running in under 30 minutes.

The software setup took almost 45 minutes, including time to set up the printer, run a self-test, connect to the Wi-Fi, and update the printer. It does most of this with very little user intervention, and even then, instructions are available in video form online along with the provided documentation. It was a pleasant experience. Though it vibrates and makes a lot of noise during the test, similar to the Bambu Labs printer.

Printing

The first print I did was the included benchy; it finished printing an almost flawless benchy in under 15 minutes. The same print on my Creality Ender 3 Plus took nearly three hours. This speed is consistent with what a P1S prints.

Over the month that I have been testing this printer, every print has been consistent and nearly flawless. The few glitches I had were when I changed the filament and didn’t set the correct settings, and another when I tried a novelty print plate with holograms. I would chalk these down to user error.

But What’s the Catch?

Now, let’s not get carried away here. A printer that looks like a P1S, walks like a P1S, and even prints like one, surely, it can’t be all good, right? Well… you’re right. There are a few compromises here. Most notably, the AMS (Automatic Material System). The piece de resistance of the Bambu Labs ecosystem is absent. For the uninitiated, the AMS lets you use multiple filaments (think different colours or types) in the same print.

It’s been promised by Elegoo, teased on their website, and mentioned in hushed whispers on forums, but at the time of writing, it hasn’t been launched yet. I enquired with Elegoo, and they said it will launch soon this year, a timeline that is quickly running out of runway. So, suppose you’re dreaming of rainbow octopuses and dual-material phone stands. In that case, you’ll have to hold that thought or manually swap filaments like it’s 2020.

Then there’s the software. While Elegoo’s proprietary slicer is functional, it lacks the polish of Bambu Studio. You can, however, use OrcaSlicer, which works well with the Centauri Carbon. But it does take a little fiddling, and you may need to dive into Reddit and Discord to get it dialled in. Not a deal-breaker, just part of the charm of this hobby.

Verdict: Should You Buy One?

The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is a solid choice to expand your 3D printing hobby in India without mortgaging your organs

Suppose you’re looking to start or expand your 3D printing hobby in India without mortgaging your organs. In that case, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is a solid choice. It prints fast and reliably, and it looks snazzy on a desk. You get about 80 per cent of the Bambu experience at less than 50 per cent of the price, and that’s not a bad trade-off. Sure, you lose out on the Bambu-style AMS system, but at this price, do you even care? In a world where 3D printing often feels like a dance between price and performance, Elegoo may have waltzed into the spotlight.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!