A Kickstarter campaign is attempting to raise funds to engineer a nozzle specifically to 3D print chocolate.
Philadelphia-based SunP Biotech is the home for CEO Dr. Wei Sun, who has invented multiple bioprinting techniques. These patented designs include a particular nozzle that is capable of 3D printing low-viscosity materials. It is this nozzle that SunP Biotech wishes to adapt for chocolate 3D printing.
Evidently the nozzle can print viscous materials such as chocolate, but the company wants to make several changes to make this a real product:
- Reduce the size of the nozzle to fit on 3D printers such as MakerBot
- Engineer the nozzle to use commercially available nozzle tips
- Engineer the nozzle to be programmed/operated on open source software/codes
- Develop and platform that is ergonomic and easy to use and clean
- Develop and economical product for the avid consumer
We’d add a couple more to the list, if they’re listening:
- Engineer the nozzle (and software) to produce structurally sound chocolate extrusions, or as much as is theoretically possible with weak chocolate material. This would permit actual 3D objects, not simply 2D chocolate prints
- Engineer the nozzle to produce chocolate that has optimum taste (this is actually a tricky thing to do and requires very precise control of temperature during extrusion)
SunP Biotech hopes to raise USD$50,000 for this project. As of this writing, there are very few pledges received. We suspect this is likely because the reward structure is extremely curious: only at the highest pledge level, USD$1,000, do you actually receive a nozzle. All lower pledge levels simply offer a thank you of various sorts.
It could be difficult for the company to raise USD$50,000 in this way, as few people would pay USD$1,000 for a chocolate nozzle.
Via Kickstarter
