Extruder For Chocolate Now Available On Store!

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A recent research, from two important universities in Spain and in Germany, states that learning a new language stimulates the same part of the brain as having sex or eating chocolate. Of course we cannot help you with the first two things (for now, at least), but from today on we do help you with…gluttony! As our follower and passionate maker, we are sure you have met us and our Choco-3Drag at the Maker Faire in Rome last October. If not, you can find interesting news here.

There, we have shown a customization of our FDM fully open source, affordable yet very powerful 3Drag 3D printer, to have it printing with various kinds of malleable food: cream, soft batters, chocolates. To do that, obviously, we had to replace the printing head with a pastry-bag like device that could contain the semi-fluid delicacy but also that is capable of maintaining the right temperature conditions to produce a smooth result.

Speaking about chocolate in particular, since it tends to solidify if the temperature is not optimal making the printing process impossible, the special print-head must keep a stable temperature of 32-33°C. So the new print-head must have a mechanism to heat the mixture up and, after the chocolate is at the right temperature, to accurately manage the syringe piston and dose the quantity to be deposed. As you are understanding, this system is a complex system and the complete conversion from standard FDM printer to a “food” capable printer needs some modifications, mostly related to the printing head but also other related to rails, supports, stepping motors and last but not least to firmware adaptations.

 An exhaustive and complete description of all the hacks and mods done on the 3Drag printer series can be found in this post. Some true “Maker” job must be done, that is the fun we all know, but a help is always welcome and can save a few vulgarities when assembling the most delicate part of the chocolate printer: yes, we are talking about the extruder! Here, on our store, you can find a ready to go print-head, with syringe, needle, heater and thermo-sensor, ball bearings, supports and rails. Together with an optional stepping motor and an heating cartridge you have the full version described on our previous post.

And, you can spend more time printing and eating chocolate instead of working on your personal version of this extruder: a good trade, isn’t it??? That’s why we have received a prize during the Maker Faire, check it out!

From the Store

3Drag the most hackable 3Dprinter

Choco extruder

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