Anycubic ACE 2 Pro Multi-Color Material System for Kobra 3 Series and Kobra 4 Series

The Anycubic ACE 2 Pro is an advanced four-spool automatic material system designed to bring multicolor printing, intelligent filament management, active drying, and protected filament storage to compatible Anycubic FDM 3D printers.

One ACE 2 Pro manages up to four filament spools, automatically loading, retracting, and switching materials during a print. On compatible printers, additional ACE 2 Pro units can expand the number of available colors, making it suitable for detailed multicolor models, product prototypes, decorative pieces, signs, figures, and production work.

Compared with the first-generation ACE Pro, ACE 2 Pro introduces four independent brushless motors, a redesigned feeding and buffering system, active moisture management, sealed filament storage, filament runout detection, and drying temperatures up to 65°C.

Key Features

• Automatic four-spool multicolor filament system

• Supports 4-color printing with one ACE 2 Pro

• Expandable multicolor capability on supported printers

• Four independent brushless feeding motors

• Active filament drying up to 65°C

• Supports printing while drying

• Active moisture-control system with temperature and humidity monitoring

• Automatic filament refill and runout detection

• Intelligent Anycubic filament recognition

• Designed for compatible Kobra 3 and Kobra 4 printers

Four-Color Printing with One ACE 2 Pro

ACE 2 Pro contains four independent filament channels.

Each channel can hold a separate spool, allowing the printer to automatically change between four different colors or compatible materials during a single print.

This makes it possible to produce:

• Multicolor figures

• Signs and logos

• Color-coded prototypes

• Educational models

• Decorative objects

• Product samples

• Personalized gifts

• Complex multi-color designs

Filament changes are controlled automatically through the printer and slicer rather than requiring the user to manually swap spools.

Expandable Multicolor Printing

Compatible Anycubic printers can use multiple ACE 2 Pro units to increase the number of available filament channels.

For the Kobra 4 platform:

• 1 × ACE 2 Pro: Up to 4 colors

• 2 × ACE 2 Pro: Up to 8 colors

Kobra 3-series expansion capability depends on the exact printer model, firmware, and connection setup.

The original ACE Pro and ACE 2 Pro cannot be connected together within the same system.

Four Independent Brushless Motors

ACE 2 Pro uses four independent brushless motors, one for each filament channel.

This is an important upgrade over the first-generation ACE Pro and provides more direct control over individual spool feeding and retraction.

Independent drive control helps improve:

• Filament loading

• Filament unloading

• Material switching

• Retraction consistency

• Feeding stability

• Multicolor printing reliability

Upgraded Feeding and Buffer System

The ACE 2 Pro uses a redesigned filament feeding, retraction, and buffering mechanism.

The buffer helps compensate for changes in filament movement between the ACE and printer while the independent motors manage spool feeding and rewinding.

This helps maintain smoother material delivery during repeated automatic color changes.

65°C Active Filament Drying

ACE 2 Pro includes an integrated active drying system capable of reaching temperatures up to 65°C.

This allows filament to be dried directly inside the material system instead of requiring a separate filament dryer for many common materials.

Filaments particularly suited to the ACE 2 Pro drying system include:

• PLA

• PETG

• TPU

• PVB

Other supported materials can also be dried, although Anycubic notes that the 65°C system may not provide the ideal drying conditions required by every high-temperature engineering filament.

Print While Drying

The ACE 2 Pro can continue actively drying filament while the printer is operating.

This is particularly useful with moisture-sensitive materials because the spool does not need to be removed from the drying environment before printing.

The filament can remain inside the ACE 2 Pro while it is:

• Heated

• Monitored

• Stored

• Fed directly to the printer

This creates a more convenient workflow for materials that can quickly absorb moisture from the surrounding air.

Active Moisture Control

ACE 2 Pro goes beyond simple heating by incorporating active humidity management.

During drying, a controlled air-management system helps remove moisture from inside the filament chamber.

The unit monitors both:

• Temperature

• Humidity

This information can be displayed through supported interfaces including the printer, slicer, and Anycubic app.

The enclosure is designed for protected filament storage but is not a completely airtight or vacuum-sealed container.

Sealed Filament Storage

When not actively printing, filament can remain stored inside the enclosed ACE 2 Pro.

The enclosed design helps reduce exposure to ambient humidity, dust, and environmental contamination compared with leaving spools openly mounted on the printer.

This is particularly useful in humid environments and for filament that remains loaded for extended periods.

Intelligent Filament Identification

ACE 2 Pro can automatically identify compatible Anycubic filament equipped with the required identification chip.

With supported filament, the system can detect material information and simplify printer setup.

Automatic identification can reduce the need to manually configure filament type and related parameters.

This function requires compatible Anycubic proprietary filament and an internet connection.

Third-party filament can still be used, but its material and color information may need to be configured manually.

Remaining Filament Estimation

ACE 2 Pro can estimate the amount of filament remaining on a compatible spool.

The system calculates approximate remaining material based on filament movement and spool information.

This provides a useful indication of whether sufficient material remains for a print.

The value is an estimate and may become less accurate with irregularly wound filament or non-standard spools.

Automatic Filament Refill

Multiple slots can be configured with matching material profiles.

If the active spool runs out, a compatible setup can automatically continue printing from another spool containing the same configured filament.

This feature is particularly useful for:

• Long print jobs

• Print farms

• Large models

• Production printing

• Using partially finished spools

It helps reduce print failures caused by unexpected filament depletion.

Filament Runout Detection

ACE 2 Pro monitors filament availability and can detect when material runs out.

Combined with automatic refill functionality, this allows compatible printers to either switch to another suitable spool or respond appropriately to the missing filament.

Alumina Ceramic Filament Feeding Ports

The filament entry system uses wear-resistant alumina ceramic contact surfaces.

These components are designed to better withstand repeated filament movement, including operation with more abrasive compatible filament types.

Supported Filament Types

Anycubic currently lists ACE 2 Pro support for compatible 1.75mm filament including:

• PLA

• PETG

• ABS

• ASA

• PET

• PA

• PC

• PVA when dry

• BVOH when dry

• PP

• POM

• HIPS

• PLA-CF

• PETG-CF

• PAHT-CF

• PVB

Flexible filament compatibility is more restricted.

For example, Anycubic specifies TPU for ACE for the Kobra 4 workflow rather than conventional soft TPU filaments.

Always confirm compatibility before loading very soft, unusually brittle, highly abrasive, or specialty materials.

Standard 1kg Spool Compatibility

ACE 2 Pro is designed primarily around standard 1kg filament spools.

Recommended spool dimensions are:

Non-standard spools may not feed or rewind correctly and can also reduce the accuracy of remaining-filament estimation.

Technical Specifications

Kobra 3 Series Compatibility

ACE 2 Pro supports compatible Kobra 3-series printers including:

• Anycubic Kobra 3

• Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

• Anycubic Kobra 3 Max

• Compatible newer Kobra 3-series configurations

A firmware update and the appropriate ACE 2 Pro signal cable may be required depending on printer model and production version.

The first-generation ACE Pro signal arrangement should not automatically be assumed compatible with every ACE 2 Pro installation.

Kobra 4 Series Compatibility

ACE 2 Pro is the multicolor material system designed for the Anycubic Kobra 4 platform.

Compatible configurations include:

• Anycubic Kobra 4

• Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo

The standalone Kobra 4 requires an ACE 2 Pro to enable automatic multicolor printing.

One ACE 2 Pro provides four filament channels, while the Kobra 4 platform supports expansion to up to eight colors with the appropriate dual-ACE configuration.

Applications

• Four-color 3D printing

• Eight-color printing on supported configurations

• Figurines and characters

• Signs and logos

• Decorative models

• Product prototypes

• Educational models

• Color-coded components

• Personalized products

• Small-batch production

• Print farms

• Long unattended prints

• Filament drying and protected storage

ACE 2 Pro vs ACE Pro

ACE 2 Pro introduces several upgrades over the original ACE Pro.

ACE Pro and ACE 2 Pro cannot be used together in the same cascade.

Installation Note

Installation requirements vary according to the printer.

Depending on the Kobra model, setup may require:

• ACE 2 Pro signal cable

• PTFE tubes

• 4-in-1 filament hub

• Filament detection / retraction module

• Signal adapter

• Firmware update

• Additional connection cable when adding a second ACE 2 Pro

Use the installation procedure intended for the exact printer model rather than following instructions for another Kobra series.

Package Contents

ACE 2 Pro accessory bundles vary depending on which compatible printer family the unit is supplied for.

A typical package includes:

• 1 × Anycubic ACE 2 Pro

• Power Cable

• Signal Cable(s)

• PTFE Tubes

• Cable / Tube Clips

• Required filament-routing accessories for the selected compatible printer package

Adapter plates, filament hubs, detection modules, purge components, screws, and other accessories can differ between Kobra 3 and newer printer configurations.

Check the specific package variant when installing the ACE 2 Pro on a different printer family.

Usage Note

ACE 2 Pro is designed for compatible Anycubic multicolor printers and is not a universal material system for arbitrary FDM printers.

For reliable operation:

• Use correctly sized filament spools

• Keep PTFE tubes free from sharp bends

• Regularly inspect PTFE tubes for wear

• Keep the drying system air inlet and outlet unobstructed

• Select the correct filament profile

• Update the printer firmware when required

• Do not combine ACE Pro and ACE 2 Pro in the same system

For Kobra 4 users printing flexible materials, use filament specifically approved for the ACE feeding system rather than assuming all TPU or other soft flexible filaments are compatible.