July 31, 2015 | By Alec
3D printing food is one of the most sought after abilities in the 3D printer industry, and that’s hardly surprising. After all, every household with a microwave could be potential customer, as are all restaurants, bakeries and so on. But while most 3D printed food manufacturers have been struggling and prototyping with their first iterations, one company has been successfully 3D printing fantastic chocolate shapes for years now. Choc Edge first appeared on the scene in 2011, and only last year they revealed the successful Choc Creator 2.0. Now they are already back for more, as Choc Edge has just announced their new tabletop Choc Creator 2.0 Plus chocolate 3D printer.
As you might remember, Choc Edge was really the first company out there that got anywhere with 3D printing food. Starting as an overly successful research project at the University of Exeter in 2011 led by Dr Liang Hao, Choc Edge became the first to successfully market a commercial chocolate 3D printer.
While the Choc Creator 2.0 (released in 2014) was really an improved version of its predecessor, the Choc Edge team has now stated that they have started from scratch with this new machine and their increased experience, designing the Choc Creator 2.0 Plus from the ground up. Specifically, they have sought to make this machine far more easier to use. While maintaining the sleek look of its predecessor, this essentially translates into it being a smaller machine with a bigger print surface.
The build volume is now 180 x 180 x 50 mm – perfect for 3D printing small deserts and cake toppings. However, as you might guess from those stats, volume isn’t the best term to describe something with so little height. Indeed, just like its predecessor, the Choc Creator 2.0 Plus just doesn’t do very well when 3D printing tall structures, as items over 20 mm are in danger of slumping. Nonetheless, as a machine marketed for 3D printing cool figures, custom names and more on top of cakes, this isn’t a huge flaw.
But on a more general note, it is easier to use. As we can imagine that few chefs and bakers enjoyed having a pc in their kitchen, the LCD touch screen and USB drive frees them from a lot of technical hassle surrounding the machine. Not only is it also much lighter than the 2.0 3D printer, it is also much easier to transport – perfect for caterers, chefs, and expo’s. The team itself has told reporters that they are expecting the machine to be an excellent manufacturing tool for logos (as visible avove), complex 2D (and small 3D) designers, and are looking towards marketing companies and chocolate shops that are looking to do something special.
A large role in this convenient usage is attributed to its more reliable 3D printing mechanism. Unlike its predecessors, the Choc Creator 2.0 Plus relies on a 30 ml stainless steel syringe to 3D print without any chance of blocking, as well as easy cleaning. This should be enough for 15 hours of 3D printing and for 3D printing up to an accuracy of 0.4 mm, they say. This is a big improvement upon the earlier setup, which was exactly prone to blockage. This steel setup also ensures even heating and thus even 3D printing. The build platform is also removable to making exhibiting (as well as cooling) much easier.
In short, the Choc Creator 2.0 Plus seems to be a significant improvement of its predessor, while it’s obvious that its commercial fortunes are also set to improve. If you’re interested in ordering one of these cool chocolate 3D printers, they will become available at the end of September 2014, with an early bird price of £1,665 – about half the price of the 2.0 upon release. Full market prices are projected to be around £2,380 (USD$3,700).
Posted in 3D Printers
Maybe you also like:
- Chocolate created by the upcoming Choctory 3D printer showcased at Bakery China 2015
- The TeeBot is an open source 3D printer that folds into a portable suitcase
- Polish start-up Sand Made to debut their SLS 3D printer at the TEDx Krakow in June
- Makerarm multi-purpose personal fabricator & 3D printer to be unveiled at Bay Area Maker Faire
- Designer hopes his 3D Weaver can print rigid bulletproof vests or even buildings
- Chinese company unveils PCPrinter BCTM 3D bioprinter and announces clinical trials on humans
- 18-year-old Lukas Hoppe's open source SLS 3D printer successfully funded on IndieGoGo
"If you’re interested in ordering one of these cool chocolate 3D printers, they will become available at the end of September 2014," you mean 2015 right ;-)
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
