Bambu Lab A1 Mini Build Plate: The 184 mm Size, and Which Replacement Plates Fit
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The A1 mini uses its own plate size, about 184 by 184 mm with the Bambu front tabs and rear notch; plates for the A1, P1 and X1 are 256 mm and will not fit. Buy a textured PEI plate as the everyday surface and a smooth PEI plate if you want glossy PLA bottoms. The stock Cool Plate is PLA-only.
The A1 mini is the one Bambu printer that shares nothing with the others when it comes to plates. Its 180 mm bed takes a plate a little over 184 mm square, and the tabs and notch follow the Bambu pattern at that size. Replacement plates are cheap and plentiful, which matters because the stock plate wears where you print most and PETG on a smooth plate shortens its life.
Where to buy
What to check
- Size stated as A1 mini or about 184 by 184 mm. A 256 mm plate is for the other models.
- Front tabs and rear notch so the plate locates and the toolhead clears it during calibration.
- Surface: textured PEI for everything, smooth PEI for glossy PLA, Cool Plate types for PLA only.
- Double-sided plates give textured and smooth on one sheet, a good first replacement.
The plates in the box
The UniTak3D plate is a textured PEI sheet in the A1 mini size; the double-sided textured PEI plate listed for the A1 mini is the two-surface option. Both are third-party; set the plate type manually in Bambu Studio if the camera does not read a code.
Using it
- Wash with dish soap before the first print and after any handling.
- Choose Textured PEI Plate in the slicer so bed temperature presets are right: 55 to 65 °C for PLA, 70 to 80 °C for PETG.
- Let the A1 mini’s first-layer calibration run on the new plate.
- Remove PETG only when the plate is cool. See smooth versus textured for why.
FAQ
Can I use an A1 plate on the A1 mini? No; it is 256 mm.
Why does the printer complain about the plate type? The slicer plate type disagrees with what the camera sees. Set it manually for third-party plates.
Do I need glue on textured PEI? Not for PLA or PETG. If the first layer fails, the plate is greasy; wash it.
LayerWalker
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