The World's First 3D Chocolate Printer

Why buy chocolate when you can simply print it out? 3D printing is already used to produce plastics and metals but now the University of Exeter is spearheading the first ever chocolate printer. The University explained that there have been many challenges to get the printer to function:

Chocolate is not an easy material to work with because it requires accurate heating and cooling cycles. These variables then have to be integrated with the correct flow rates for the 3D printing process. Researchers overcame these difficulties with the development of new temperature and heating control systems.

Now why exactly is this being developed in the first place? The scientist in the video explains, "This opens up the possibility of a much wider participation, much fuller participation for the consumer in the production process. Some people call it co-creation, where the consumer is fully part of the design process. Chocolate is a very easy place to explore how that might happen."

Watch the video below to learn how this chocolate printer works.

[Via Foodiggity]

Comments

[mr e vader]

05:39 PM on 07/11/2011

Now they just need to make it so it can interface with a Glucometer...

[SteveDenver]

08:16 AM on 07/11/2011

Why didn't we actually see this in action? Around 2:36, they're placing fully-formed chocolate under the printer. This looks like bogus "technlology."

[burton163]

02:09 AM on 07/10/2011

And, ultimately, the point is?

Technological advancements in every realm are noteworthy, some more so than others.

Hate to be negative, but how exactly does this benefit anyone?

[fredsmom]

11:54 PM on 07/10/2011

It starts a new business and that creates jobs and then you can design a love note to your mom in chocolate and then everybody is happier.

[adamben]

10:06 AM on 07/11/2011

puts real live icers out of work, is what it'll do; job killing robots! ;)

[WheelsOnFire]

01:58 AM on 07/10/2011

Oh, I want one of these -- with lots of dark chocolate cartridges.

[signgrrl]

10:41 PM on 07/09/2011

somebody finally merged signmaking and chocolate - 2 of my favorite things . . . . :-)

[clearthinker2008]

09:34 PM on 07/09/2011

It would have been cool if they had demo it actually making chocolate, but it sounds cool.

[cyril10]

03:37 PM on 07/09/2011

This was pointless - it never shows the printer actually working.

[GrownupStewie]

08:47 PM on 07/10/2011

exactly...waste of time

[blurredmolly]

02:06 PM on 07/09/2011

How big a font can you get?

[Curlee]

12:28 PM on 07/09/2011

Wow. They created a machine that is actually capable of making chocolate look unappealing.

[William Poole]

10:32 AM on 07/09/2011

Fascinating technology, to say the least. It's a shame with this slick, four-minute plus video, we didn't actually see the thing work, only a few shots of the blowers moving, but nothing being deposited. As someone who works with the medium of chocolate professionally, I'll stick to traditional tempering and moulding techniques, my end users will continue to enjoy hand-crafted goodies, as opposed to yet another thing made via machinery.

[sarrastri]

02:17 AM on 07/11/2011

Exactly. If you want to co-create a chocolate piece then ask some of the small shop chocolatiers, I know a few. When I wanted to make a present for my mom when I was 12 we made a little chocolate bowl and put a few chocolate drizzled strawberries in it and even though it was wobbily and thin in a few places she loved it because I helped make it. If i had just bought it she would have been happy but not as much.

[drsolo]

08:41 AM on 07/09/2011

Those "squiggles" dont look all that appetizing.

[adamben]

10:07 AM on 07/11/2011

oh poo!

[BuckyJamesDio]

09:40 PM on 07/08/2011

Somewhere, on this great planet, at this very moment, someone read this headline and had an orgasm.

[Evanescence II]

10:13 PM on 07/08/2011

Twas not I.......*she said with a smile and a wink*

(yet my ears were burning, at this very moment, on this great planet) : ))

[WheelsOnFire]

01:59 AM on 07/10/2011

Close, but not quite.

[1Grampa1]

09:29 PM on 07/08/2011

I want a chocolate printer!