Retail ready 3D fruit gummies
Katjes showcased the new retail ready model of the Magic Candy Factory, a food safe 3D printer for fruit gummies, at the IAAPA Show, Orlando on 17 November.
The beta version of the Magic Candy Factory was launched at the end of August in Berlin. The 3D printer received an enthusiastic response and now confectionery manufacturer Katjes has landed another coup with the next generation of the model.
At 45cm wide, the cube shaped machine with a wooden casing is only half the size of its predecessor. What’s more, the new plug n’ play operating system guarantees quick installation and ease of use for the operator and consumer. This model also includes an important feature for the final customer, says the company who have developed the machine.
The new Magic Candy Factory model is based on FDM (fused deposition modeling.) In this case, a special mixture of natural ingredients is heated up and applied using a nozzle. The results are different shapes and a unique choice of combinations, which combine to create the custom masterpice and are instantly ready to eat. The shapes were developed by the Katjes team with the help of 3D modelling software and turned into G-codes. The latter tell the printer where, at what speed and what frequency it needs to apply each of the layers.
On her quest for a suitable technology partner to produce further printers, Melissa Snover searched far and wide across three continents and discovered Californian company printrbot. She says: “The development phase with printbot has been great and has shown that we’re involved with true pioneers and excellent developers who are interested in the long term future of the Magic Candy Factory. We’re delighted that they’re on board and can help us take our dream of the Magic Candy Factory to an entirely new level.”
