The Sweet ChefJet 3D Printers

3D Systems announced not one, but two edible food 3D printers last week, creating an entirely new genre of commercial 3D printing. 

 

The two models are the ChefJet and the ChefJet Pro. As you might imagine, the “Pro” version has more functions than it’s lesser sibling. 

  

The base ChefJet is a monochrome 3D printer that uses sugar as its material (image at top). The ChefJet includes the ability to mix one single color/flavor when printing, meaning you can punch out sugar objects flavored (and colored) with (so far) chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon. These are simply regular food coloring and food flavorings that are injected into the object structure as printing proceeds. You’ll be able to 3D print sugar objects up to 203 x 203 x 152mm, although we strongly suggest smaller objects as the sugar structures are not particularly robust - and they have to fit into your mouth, anyway. The ChefJet is expected to be released in 2H2014 and will cost under USD$5,000. 

 

The Pro ChefJet is different, although its standard 3D Systems style makes it almost visually indistinguishable. It is a multi-color 3D sugar printer, with full RGB color and multiple flavors available. The Pro is larger than the base ChefJet, having a huge print volume of 254 x 355 x 203mm. We suspect the Pro includes CMYK-like food coloring cartridges to produce the colors, plus additional cartridges to inject flavors. Apparently 3D Systems will offer chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon “recipes”. The Pro will also be available in 2H2014 but will cost under USD$10,000. 

 

Both machines use a powder process, similar to 3D Systems’ other color 3D printers. Powder (sugar) is spread over a bed and infiltrated with binder (water? food coloring). It doesn’t look like much when printing in the above image, but when extracted from the print bed, you’ll be amazed at the results in the image below. 

 

It’s our understanding that 3D Systems will be preparing a series of pre-made 3D models suitable for printing (and eating) with these devices. We also expect 3D modeling software specifically designed for food preparation to emerge later this year. 

 

Will you use such a machine in your home? We think not - although some well-off folks might be able to afford the $5,000 price of the base ChefJet, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find many of those people with 3D modeling skills and sufficient interest to purchase the machine. Nope, these machines are likely destined, at least initially, for professional food kitchens where chefs will prepare unique and stunning cake toppers and candy delights for specific events. 

 

Take a close look at the cakes and candies during next year’s holiday parties. 

3D Systems is Cooking Up a Chocolate 3D Printer with Hershey’s

3D Systems has fully committed to a food 3D printing strategy. After the surprise announcements of the ChefJet 3D printers, which can print sugar structures in full color (and flavor, too), they’ve announced a joint deal with chocolate conglomerate Hershey’s to develop “innovative opportunities for using 3D printing technology in creating edible foods, including confectionery treats”. 

 

That sounds like a chocolate 3D printer. 

 

It’s totally possible. We have already seen the ChocEdge 3D printer, which does just that. It is the most notable chocolate 3D printer available today, but we suspect 3D Systems may build something even more comprehensive. 

 

We asked 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental whether they’d considered hiring food scientists to assist in the development of the flavor aspect of food printing, and he indicated they had indeed done so. What we didn’t expect was a joint project with a company full of food scientists, Hershey’s. 

 

We cannot understate the importance of taste in the development of food printing. It’s relatively easy to produce 3D structures; that’s been done for decades in a variety of ways. What’s new is the requirement for the printed objects to taste good. 

 

Taste is a science. It requires careful consideration of ingredients, temperature, timing and texture. These are new characteristics for 3D printing that must be investigated and solved. 

 

It seems that 3D Systems has obtained a partner capable of doing so. 

 

Via 3D Systems

3D Systems Announces… Everything!

Yesterday as CES 2014 opened we had to drop by the 3D Systems booth as they had just that morning released information on multiple new products and services. It’s not the old days when one or perhaps two products appear; today they arrive in batches. 

 

We were toured through the new products by a very excited 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental, who was and is genuinely proud of the set of innovations his company unleashed on the 3D printing world this week. 

 

Like MakerBot’s release of multiple products the previous day, we are only able to merely summarize the announcements today. All deserve a deeper look, and two in particular require significant analysis. 

 

What was announced? Let’s take a look: 

  

A vastly improved version of their entry-level personal 3D printer, the Cube. Aside from the much more attractive styling, this unit now includes TWO extruders. We observed several units printing multicolored objects with them. We also learned the new Cube has a never-need-to-level print platform. Reichental describes the platform as “very clever”, while we would say “finally!” Why should leveling ever be required? It will never happen again if you have a new Cube, either a black or white unit. 

 

The Cube also includes brand new side-mounted filament cartridges that have a foolproof loading procedure that completely eliminates manual threading. The audiojack-like filament holder is simply pushed in and given a quarter turn. Even better, the new cartridge is powered from the spool’s hub - the PLA or ABS filament is NOT pulled, it is PUSHED. We expect to have far fewer incidents of broken filament with this cartridge. Another incredible feature is the resolution; this Cube can print layers as small as 0.075mm. Oh, one more thing: the price of this unit will be less than USD$1000. For a fully-assembled, dual extruder device! 

  

The one-year old CubeX appears to be have been replaced by the CubePro. Externally this unit seems quite different from the prior model, as its new case matches the now-standard style of 3D Systems devices. We were curious about the innards and took a quick look inside. While we were not permitted to take any images of the interior, a quick glance showed few if any differences from the original CubeX. Reichental indicated the machine has a sealed build chamber, leading to more reliable and less warpy prints with its “Controlled Print Environment”. Even better, the CubePro can now print in 0.075mm layers for even finer results. 

 

The CubeJet is another amazing innovation. 3D Systems has taken their ZCorp-originated technology and adapted it for a very low-priced entry-level full RGB color 3D printer. Yes - you can actually print full color objects with this unit for less than USD$10K, although it will become available for purchase later this year. 

 

The Touch is a haptic-enabled 3D mouse for “intuitive 3D sculpting” using 3D Systems’ Cubify Sculpt software. The mouse can be moved in 3 dimensions as if you were physically sculpting in clay. The difference is that the device provides force-feedback as you bump into solid surfaces in your design. We’re hoping to test this USD$499 (with included software) device soon. 

  

A completely surprising announcement was the release of the CeraJet - a 3D Ceramic printer. The CeraJet is a powder-based device that uses, not surprisingly, a proprietary ceramic powder and liquid binder. Like other powder 3D printers, the CeraJet gradually builds the object layer by layer. 

 

Once complete it is removed from the powder-filled build chamber and a traditional firing and glazing process proceeds from there. We inspected sample output and found them to be indistinguishable from normal ceramics - with the exception being the intricate designs possible only with 3D modeling software. The CeraJet is set to be delivered in the second half of 2013. 

 

The ChefJet and ChefJet Pro are real, no-foolin 3D FOOD PRINTERS! The ChefJets are a commercialized version of the technology 3D Systems obtained with their acquisition of The Sugar Lab. The base model is suitable for use in kitchens and is entirely food safe. It can print edible 3D models in “sugar, chocolate or candy with an added single flavor”.

 

We were able to sample the somewhat fragile ChefJet output and were surprised at not only the taste, but the texture. You’ve never eaten candy quite like this; it is very light and almost instantly melts in your mouth. Reichental confirmed our suspicion that 3D Systems now has official food scientists on staff who successfully worked this out.  

 

The ChefJet Pro is a much larger machine that’s intended for use by professional kitchens. It also prints in sugar using a powder process, but has the added ability to print in FULL COLOR! 

 

We inspected several awesome edible 3D food prints emblazoned with brilliant colors. With such a machine in the kitchen, a 3D-minded chef could produce unimaginable cake toppers, displays or desserts. Of all the innovations from 3D Systems, this one has the most open-ended future. Both ChefJets should be available for purchase later in 2014. 

 

You probably won’t believe us, but there were even MORE announcements of other incredible products and a slew of new 3D services. Stay tuned for another post to describe them. 

 

Meanwhile, the two announcements we thought of most significance are, of course, the CeraJet and the ChefJets because they are not only new 3D printers, but in fact create not one, but TWO entirely new categories of commercial 3D printers, available to anyone: Food and Ceramics. It’s very clear why Reichental is so excited. 

 

3D printing will never be the same. Yum!

 

Via 3D Systems

The Six Challenges of 3D Food Printing

Yesterday we wrote on TNO’s work towards the challenge of 3D printed food. They’ve been experimenting with various processes and even combined their work with that of traditional chefs to create unique high-end dishes. 

 

But from a 3D printing point of view, we see a series of rather difficult challenges that must be worked through by anyone venturing into the 3D printing of food. 

 

1. Safety: Unlike other types of 3D printing, each item of 3D printed food could potentially be eaten. Therefore food safety is a must. But to achieve food safety, a 3D food printer must certify safety along the entirety of the path food material takes through the device - and that is difficult. 
2. Timing: While you can leave a spool of ABS in your plastic 3D printer for weeks (and perhaps even years) without issue, this will not be the case for many food materials, which could expire within hours. Food materials must be treated very differently. 
3. Structure: Generally the engineering characteristics of food material are not considered during cooking, but when you’re 3D printing them, they are much more important. Food materials tend to be far less strong than even the weakest plastics, meaning 3D printed food can build objects will have some severe build geometry limitations. Consider the chocolate print above, which cannot be made taller without slumping.
4. Designs: If there are severe geometry limitations, then the software used to create 3D models for food printing must account for them. We’re not aware that such software exists yet, and we suspect it could be quite complex due to the vast number of potential printable food materials. 
5. Taste: Unlike plastic 3D printing, you (or someone) may have to consume the output. It must taste good, if not at least barely palatable. How this is accomplished after material travels through a machine is a matter for food scientists. 
6. Multiple materials: Unless it’s pretty special, dishes made from a single ingredient tend to be pretty boring. Thus it seems that a successful food printer would likely have to be able to combine multiple foodstuffs into interesting combination dishes. Plastic 3D printers have had great challenges to develop multiple extruder capabilities, and we expect no less with food printers.

 

Widespread 3D food printing? Probably experimental for quite a while yet. 

Developments in 3D Food Printing

We’re looking at a video from TNO, who have been developing various forms of 3D food printing. 3D printed food seems to be a topic of great interest among the public, although we’re not quite sure why. Perhaps it’s because almost everyone finds themselves in a kitchen sooner or later and reckons they’re a kind of “food maker”, whereas a lot fewer people consider themselves a “thing maker”. 

 

But what is TNO up to? According to their video, they’ve been working on several different food printing processes, including: 

 

Stereolithography

 

Selective Laser Sintering

 

Powder Bed Printing

 

Fused Deposition Modeling (Note, however, that “FDM” is a registered trademark of Stratasys and thus TNO is not truly using FDM.)

 

TNO exhibited some of their work at two culinary shows in Europe recently. 

 

Is this the beginning of a 3D food printing revolution? Our thoughts tomorrow. 

 

Via TNO

What Will 3D Systems Announce at CES 2014?

We knew 3D Systems was set to make significant announcements at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, but now we have a preview. In a press release they said they would make not one, but TWELVE announcements. This is startling, as they previously announced a dozen or so new items at last month’s EuroMold conference in Frankfurt. 

 

While 3D Systems did not reveal any deets on the new items, they did publish this tantalizing meta-list: 

  

Previews a dozen cutting-edge consumer products and experiences

Unveils B-2-B-2-C powerful merchandising and licensing platforms

Reveals 3 new product categories: edibles, ceramics and full-color models

Launches at home and in-store physical photography products and services   

Participates in CES SuperSession and keynotes ‘3D Printing Uncovered’

 

Ok, what does all this mean? Let’s take a look at some of these statements: 

 

• Ceramics: This is likely the fruit of their recent acquisition of Figulo, the leading ceramic 3D printing service. 
• Full-Color Models: This might be their new ProJet full color machine. 
• Physical Photography: 3D Systems has long delivered image-to-3D model services. We suspect they will announce a vastly improved system for doing so. 

 

And there’s that word, “edible”. 

 

We think chocolate. 

 

Via 3D Systems

Africa’s Octo-Choco-Printer

We’ve heard about chocolate 3D printers before, but never one like this. Fouche Chocolates of South Africa, and specifically its engineer Hans Fouche has developed an eight-nozzle chocolate printer for producing custom delicacies. 

 

A detailed report on htxt.africa takes you through Fouche’s development process, which explains how the printer is used to create “edible name plates” and custom-lettered chocolate bars. 

 

Fouche will also produce custom designed large chocolate sculptures if asked. However, there are challenges: 

 

A lot of the designs were very ambitious. It was only through our experience with 3D printing chocolate that we were able to help the artists to realise what is actually possible. The best are always simple and not over complicated, because chocolate is difficult to work with, it does not support itself very well.

 

But here’s something even more interesting:  

 

His most impressive achievement, however, is a giant RepRap 3D printer which stands well over two meters tall and takes up most of his garage. Originally designed for making giant, one off chocolate sculptures, Fouche retired it as the economics of using it to make sweets didn’t work out.

 

And the extra calories, too, we suspect. 

 

Via htxt.africa

Tasting the ChocEdge Chocolate 3D Printer

We had a chance to speak with Christina Zheng, Business Development Director for ChocEdge. It's one of the very few personal 3D printers capable of extruding chocolate, and perhaps the only one you can easily buy yourself. 

 

The ChocEdge looks much like many other personal 3D printers, until you notice the extruder. It's basically a syringe, which is filled with a carefully heated liquid mixture of chocolate. The device then moves the extruder and squirts the liquid chocolate in a typically additive manufacturing manner to create unique chocolate shapes. 

 

All ChocEdge components that come in contact with the liquid chocolate are food safe. This means that you can actually eat the output of this amazing machine. 

 

However, unlike other personal 3D printers, the ChocEdge has to deal with several different issues: 

 

• Chocolate is pretty fragile. You can't build tall, complex structures due to "slump". Don't even think about severe overhangs. The maximum height we observed was about 20 layers (seen above)
• The syringe capacity is 10-30ml, meaning you don't have a lot of chocolate to work with 
• The chocolate is tempered to precisely +31.5C for perfect taste and texture, but the syringe slowly loses temperature. Printing should take place immediately

 

Aside from these unique chocolate-issues, the ChocEdge suffers the same problem that all personal 3D printers have: printing takes a lot of time. As a result, they are focusing their marketing not at residential kitchens, but instead cake shoppes, commercial kitchens and similar operations where the machine's characteristics will fit better. 

 

 

While we observed chocolate printing onto waxed paper, a very common use pattern is to 3D print the chocolate directly onto cake or cookies. This video shows the machine in operation.  

 

Zheng says they're now focusing on completing the machine to ensure its reliability and functionality. It priced at £2,088 (USD$3,360).

 

Via ChocEdge

McDonald's Considering 3D Printed Toys?

A report in The Register quotes the Director of IT for McDonald's UK operation as stating at an event in Munich that the giant food mega-corp may be considering using 3D printers to produce small toys to be included in their popular (amongst youngsters) Happy Meals. 

 

We suspect the idea would be that customers would order a Happy Meal and specify which item (or more likely character) would be printed to be included with the meal. 

 

We predict a few issues with this approach: 

 

• The printing process would be too slow and you know what happens when kids are kept waiting. 
• Current 3D printers are too unreliable to produce successful objects on a consistent, operational basis that McDonalds would require.
• The printed objects (today) wouldn't be foodsafe. McDonalds producing non-foodsafe items? Not likely.

 

There would be some advantages, however. McDonalds would probably be able to license the 3D models of many popular characters that would otherwise be impossible to 3D print at home due to licensing restrictions. 

 

Regardless, the McDonalds spokesperson also said, "It's just an idea."

 

Via The Register (Hat tip to James)

Design of the Week: A Sweet Crania Anatomica Filigre

This week's selection is Joshua Harker's Crania Anatomica Filigre - but with a difference. 

Harker's Crania Anatomica Filigre emerged quite a while ago in a rather successful Kickstarter campaign. But this instance of the Crania Anatomica Filigre is a little different: it's made entirely from Sugar!

 

It is the same design, but simply rendered in a different material. The folks at 3D Systems, who conveniently recently acquired The Sugar Lab of Los Angeles, thought it would be appropriate to produce the item using their sugar-mojo. 

 

Visually, the Crania Anatomica Filigre appears the same: a delicate skull shape that has a mysterious feel to it, as if it were recently discovered under a Mayan temple. 

 

But this one tastes different - although we are in no way suggesting you should attempt to eat any of the non-sugar versions of this amazing piece. 

 

Via Cubify

3D Systems Acquires The Sugar Lab

If you happen to visit the Sugar Lab website today, you'll notice a small addition: a 3D Systems logo on the top right of the page. It's there because The Sugar Lab is the latest acquisition by 3D Systems. 

 

While 3D Systems has been executing a strategy of takeovers to broaden their 3D printing ecosystem, this acquisition is a first. The Sugar Lab is not a 3D printer manufacturer, parts producer or software cog. 

 

It's a 3D food printing retail operation. 

 

The Sugar Lab is a kind of 3D print service where your 3D models are produced in Sugar - and are edible. Typically the prints are used as centerpieces or adorn the top of elaborate cakes. The Lab has their own designs, but will also entertain submitted designs for production.  

 

We wrote of Los Angeles' The Sugar Lab some time ago, but hadn't thought 3D Systems would eat them up in what could be a very sweet deal. 3D Systems has previously ventured into the 3D print retail scene by striking deals with Staples and acquiring Freedom of Creation's retail operation, but The Sugar Lab is a much more "in your face" business. 

 

Or should we say, "in your mouth"?

 

Via 3D Systems

A 3D Printing Workshop AND Cafe in Buenos Aires

The neighborhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires is known for its restaurants, but this one is somewhat unique: The 3D Lab Fab & Cafe offers patrons not only coffee and food, but also access to 3D printing technology. They say: 

 

In 3DLab Fab&Café we provide you the cutting edge technology of digital fabrication in your table, while you have a coffee or spend some time studying or inventing something new to save the world! We invite you and encourage you to do it, and in the meantime we offer a delicious menu, with a wide variety of food and beverages.

 

The Lab/Cafe offers not only food and drink, but also sells personal 3D printers such as those from RepRap, Cubify, Leapfrog, Kikai Labs and  Trimaker. You'll also be able to procure supplies for them as well as obtaining repairs if you need any. It also provides 3D scanning services and 3D printing services via a Stratasys uPrint machine. 

 

 

Even more interesting is the ability to use their lab as a workspace. They say you'll be able to invent the future at the Lab/Café and we don't doubt it; all the necessary services are present: equipment, software, workspace, networking and food.  

 

We'd never leave! 

 

Via 3DLab Fab Cafe and InvestBA

Should Test-Tube Burgers Be 3D Printed?

Should the new test-tube hamburger meat be 3D printed?

 

Short answer: yes. 

 

Long answer: hold on, what are we talking about here? 

 

This week marks the debut of lab-cultured meat. It's real beef, but the difference is that it did not come from cattle. It was produced by growing beef muscle tissue with real stem cells in a lab. The "burger" was made by painstakingly knitting the grown muscle fibres together into a coherent and appropriately textured beef burger structure. The cost of this delicacy? Only USD$380,000. For one. 

 

Give them a break, it's the world's first. The next one will be somewhat less expensive.  

 

Long answer for real: We suspect that lab-cultured food will gradually become economical to produce, particularly as population rises and arable farmland reduces. Brewing up lab-cultured meat should be free from common farm diseases and far less stray chemicals, as well as significantly reducing greenhouse gases involved in production. 

 

The problem will be making structures suitable for the human palate. This first example involved arranging many thousands of millimeter-sized segments into a burger shape. Sounds much like 3D printing, doesn't it? 

 

We think future 3D printers could specialize in this function; extruded meat particles could be carefully arranged in unique and perhaps personalized forms. 

 

Today's BBQ chef asks the eaters whether they want theirs done "rare, medium or well". Tomorrow they may ask for shape, size and texture, too. 

  

Via DailyMail