September 9, 2026
My A1 Mini Just Kept Printing Without Me – Meet the Platecycler
I don’t run a print farm, but I do print plenty of projects that need more than one plate. Usually that means finishing one part, taking it off, clearing the bed, and starting the next one. Not particularly difficult, but the printer isn’t doing much while I’m asleep or busy with something else.
The PlateCycler C1M by Chitu Systems takes care of that plate-changing part for you. It turns a regular Bambu Lab A1 Mini into a machine that can finish a plate, eject it, load another, and carry on with the next job.
And the part I really like is that you don’t need to turn installing it into a whole separate hobby. If you can slice a file and turn a screw, you can get this working.
Disclosure: Chitu Systems provided both the PlateCycler C1M and the A1 Mini for free for this review. Some links below are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What actually happens between prints?
The C1M uses the printer’s movement to operate a mechanical plate-changing system.
When a print finishes, the bed moves forward over the ejector. The toolhead moves up and over to operate a wheel connected to the ejector by a cable. That lifts the mechanism that catches the plate.
The bed then moves back, separating the finished plate from the magnetic bed. At the back, it picks up a fresh plate from the tray. A few more movements finish removing the old one and position the new one for the next print.
Watching it do this is much more satisfying than that explanation makes it sound. It is a fairly simple idea, but seeing a printer carry on without me standing there swapping plates is pretty great.
Installation is mostly snapping parts into place
My kit came with the hardware, instructions, QR codes for support and tutorials, and four textured gold PEI plates.
The installation in the video goes like this:
- Fit the heat-bed cable guide and twist its locking ring into place.
- Move the bed back and snap on the tail gripper.
- Place the four springs in the tray holder, add the upper holder, and fit the M4 adjustment screw.
- Attach that assembly at the back of the printer.
- Install the front ejector and the lever lifter at the top of the Z-axis.
- Move the bed forward and install the push blocks, one on each side.
If you aren’t using the AMS Lite, the filament connector also moves to the position shown in the installation instructions.
Nothing here required advanced knowledge, and the included instructions were easy to follow. Use the instructions supplied with your kit alongside the video so you can see the exact positions of the parts.
The tray height is the adjustment to pay attention to
The main calibration is setting the tray height with the M4 screw.
Looking from the side, slowly move the bed back and check how the tail gripper meets the plates. Too high and it won’t pick one up properly. Too low and it collides with them. You want it positioned so it can grab a plate smoothly.
I tested that movement a few times before moving on. It isn’t a complicated adjustment, but it is worth getting right. If you move the printer later, check it again rather than assuming nothing has shifted.
Next, run the supplied self-test file from the A1 Mini’s microSD card. This cycles the plate-loading and ejecting sequence so you can check the installation before committing to a print. You don’t need filament loaded for this test.
Preparing a job is still mostly your normal slicing workflow
Start in Bambu Studio and prepare the project normally. Set your colors, supports, infill, layer height, and whatever else the model needs.
The difference comes at the end. Instead of sending the print straight to the printer, use File → Export → Export All Plate Sliced File. Import that exported sliced file into the PlateCycler software.
At the time of my test, there was a browser-based version and a downloadable Windows version. The workflow was the same in both, so I used the one that suited what I was doing.
In the PlateCycler software, you can rearrange the plates, choose how many copies of each one to print, and set how many times the entire sequence repeats. The estimated totals update as you change those numbers, which makes it easy to see what you’re setting the printer up to do.
Generate the finished file, put it on the printer’s microSD card, check that your filament assignments are correct, and start it from the printer. You can also choose the available leveling and calibration options before starting.
Plate copies and loops are not quite the same thing
This is a small detail that makes a difference to the order your parts come out.
Say your project has a yellow plate, a red plate, a black plate, and a brown plate.
With two loops, you get yellow, red, black, brown, and then the same sequence again.
With one loop and two copies of each plate, you get both yellow plates first, then both red, both black, and both brown.
The second arrangement can reduce color changes between plates. Whether that saves much depends on the project, but it is useful to understand before you generate a long job.
The software I tested allowed up to 99 copies per plate and up to 99 loops. Those are job settings, though. They don’t mean the printer suddenly has an unlimited supply of fresh plates or filament. You still need to keep the system supplied and make room for the completed prints.
What it was like to leave a project running overnight
For the video, I prepared a multipart project, set up the camera, and let it run overnight. The footage shows the whole sequence, including the plate changes.
That is the use that makes the most sense for me. I can prepare the parts together and come back to a project that is ready to assemble, rather than a printer that finished its first plate hours ago and has been waiting for me ever since.
For someone printing batches of the same parts, the appeal is pretty obvious too. It removes one of the repetitive jobs between prints. How much time that saves will depend on what you print and how often you’d otherwise be available to change the plate.
Chitu recommends a foam-lined collection box and positioning the setup so the finished plates can drop into it. Plan the collection area as part of the installation. The plates have to go somewhere, and so do the prints still attached to them.
I did have one issue
One of the magnets came loose after only a few plate changes.
That area experiences some fairly quick movements and stops when the plate comes off. I glued mine back in with CA glue, and it stayed in place for the rest of my testing. I mentioned two-part epoxy in the video as something I would consider for a more permanent repair, but CA is what I actually used.
Other than that, I didn’t encounter another problem during the review. Tray alignment is still something to pay attention to, especially after moving the machine.
I like the simplicity of the mechanism, but I wouldn’t translate that into “nothing can ever go wrong.” You still have a printer, a moving plate system, and a stack of jobs that need to be prepared properly.
Your A1 Mini will be less mini
The biggest practical downside is the space it needs.
In my setup, the C1M added just under nine inches at the back and about two and a half inches at the front. The rear tray is the particularly noticeable addition.
If the reason you bought an A1 Mini was that it fitted perfectly into a tiny space, measure before ordering this. You need room for the mechanism and a sensible place to catch the completed plates.
Additional compatible plates can expand the setup. I also discussed transferring handles or printing more in the video, but any different plate still needs to fit, feed, and eject correctly. I would run the self-test with a changed setup before trusting it with a longer job.
Who would I actually use this for?
If you mainly print one occasional model and enjoy taking it straight off the bed, you may not need a plate changer.
If you regularly print multipart projects or batches, this makes a lot more sense. The installation is approachable, the software does what it needs to do, and the result is less time spent waiting for me to start the next plate.
For my own use, waking up to all the parts instead of just the first plate is enough to make it useful. I don’t need to run a print farm to appreciate that.
Links and discount code
Check the listing for the included plates, compatibility, and current price. Offers and availability can change.
