Our Story
About MechAMS
A printable mechanical multi-material system for makers who want more color, more material options, and a project they can keep improving.
The Origin
Why pay for motors?
The idea for MechAMS started with a simple frustration: I wanted multi-color printing, but I wasn't willing to pay the premium price for existing AMS systems.
When I looked at the existing systems on the market, the math didn't add up. In hindsight, the price tag felt incredibly high for what amounted to a few motors, casing and a control board. I realized that the cost wasn't just in the hardware, it was in the software and closed ecosystem.
I asked myself: Could I build a cheaper alternative that doesn't break the bank, stripping away the electronics but keeping the functionality?
Design Philosophy
Complexity through Simplicity
MechAMS is built on a strict design rule: Keep costs low and make it fully printable.
Mechanical Drive
The core challenge was turning the printer's own movement and extruder force into filament-selection motion. The goal was a mechanical solution that works directly with the printer.
Reliability through Iteration
The release came from six months of focused iteration. I started by over-engineering the solution, then slowly stripped it back. The final result looks simple because the complexity was worked out of the mechanism.
Repairability by Design
Because the goal was a fully 3D-printed system, repairability happened naturally. Need a fresh part or a modified one? Print it from the same file pack.
About the Creator
From One Maker to Another
I am a 3D printing hobbyist with a professional background in Safety and Security, hands-on full stack engineering experience, and a long-running obsession with practical mechanisms.
Everything I learned about engineering, I learned by doing/running into problems, failing, and redesigning. My fascination with mechatronics really began when I watched the simple mechanisms on my own printer namely the filament cutter, the nozzle wiper, and the poop chute in action. I was captivated by how these clever mechanical movements achieved complex functionality at a fraction of the cost of electronic alternatives.
MechAMS is the result of that fascination turning into a professional pursuit. Designed with the passion of an enthusiast and the standards of a professional.
The Mission
A community-shaped project
MechAMS is built around maker values: repairable printed parts, clear documentation, a public roadmap, and a printer vote that gives users a visible say in what gets supported next. One supporter purchase unlocks the current release plus every printer version that ships afterwards, so backing the project once means growing with it for the long haul.
Project access keeps development moving and gives buyers the working space around the system: files, generator access, setup notes, printer-port voting, early previews, and community mods in official MechAMS spaces.
Right to Tinker
Supporters can tune, modify, share snippets, compare files, and build on each other's work. Building MechAMS teaches G-code, mechanisms, and how your printer actually works.
Public Roadmap
The goal is to expand MechAMS to more printers, and the public vote helps decide which printer version gets validation work next.
Funded by supporters
Supporter funding pays for testing, documentation, generator work, and the next printer port, so the community helps decide where the engineering hours go next.