3D Food Printers have been unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show…
Printers that create 3D objects in chocolate or sugar have been shown off at the CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The US Firm, 3D systems has been showing off their new creations in an area of the show dedicated to 3D Printing.
3D Systems created the 3D food models after it took over a startup company that had customised one of its traditional machines, normally used to create plastic or ceramic items.
ChefJet creates confectionary by printer jet which fires water onto a layer of sugar powder
The larger machine, the ChefJet Pro can produce food in colourful 3D and the ChefJet prints food in monochrome. The ChefJet will cost around £3000 when it is launched later this year and the Pro will be about double that.
Both ChefJet models can print chocolate or sugar in a range of flavours and the big version can print photo-realistic pictures that can then be wrapped around cakes.
The machines can make confectionery that would be almost impossible to make using traditional methods, such as hollow cubes of chocolate and other had to make 3D delicacies. They are built up layer by layer and fused together by heat. This is different from traditional CNC milling that bores out the object from outside in.
The 3D food printer can even produce sweets with moving parts, such is the accuracy of the printing system.
Traditional CNC Milling
Anyone who has worked in a traditional CNC Milling environment knows that any sweet made in a traditional CNC machine shop would mean ending up with a mouthful of swarf!
3D Sweets
Although sales are likely to be limited by the price tag, makers hope that upmarket restaurants and bakeries will buy these machines.
Each machine comes with a digital cookbook full of CAD drawings to create the perfect 3D sweetie.
There are others jumping in on this area, including companies that produce chocolate printed patterns, and even ravioli.
NASA is looking in to the possibilities of using this technology in space to feed the astronauts. The possibilities are endless.
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