There are a few chocolate 3D printers on the market, and we found another one: the Chocola3D.
The device is built by Bulgaria-based Chocola3D, and it’s been under development since 2014. The company was founded two years later, and they’ve been working on the system ever since.
Today the Chocola3D is used in Eastern Europe, with customers in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Germany, and Estonia.
Like most desktop chocolate 3D printers, it is both similar and different from typical desktop FFF systems. While the motion systems are similar, the toolhead is quite different. The Chocola3D uses a syringe-based approach where paste-like materials, including chocolate, can be pushed out the nozzle.
I say paste-like because that’s the truth. We’re told that the Chocola3D can print more than 26 different food materials, including cheese, meat & vegetable pastes, pea protein, and much more. While chocolate is in the product name, it’s really much more than that. Anything you can blend into a paste can be printed.
One difference from other chocolate 3D printers and food printers in general is that the Chocola3D uses an “open syringe” system. Some competing products require the use of proprietary refill capsules with paste materials. While that approach does technically work, it needlessly constrains the device to only certain food materials and is often priced higher.
The open syringe approach allows operators to use any paste materials available. The catch is that you have to experiment to determine the best print parameters. This is somewhat easier than with FFF systems because you worry less about temperatures.
As for size, the device’s build volume is 250 x 230 x 250 mm, which is average for a FFF device. However, food prints tend to be smaller, so the Chocola3D should be able to handle almost any food 3D model.
As you would expect, the Chocola3D is built from food-grade stainless steel, and the device is CE certified. Nozzle diameters are quite a bit larger than FFF systems due to the nature of paste extrusion, with 0.7, 0.9, and 1.2 mm nozzles included with the system.
The Chocola3D also can be operated remotely through website and smartphone interfaces. However, it’s not particularly fast at only 50mm/s. That would be considered slow on a FFF system, but remember that it prints very wide extrusions, so the amount of material being deposited is quite reasonable. Food is not the best building material, so extreme speeds are not really possible.
If you’re looking for a real food 3D printer that is easy to operate and allows for a lot of experimentation, the Chocola3D might be for you. It’s priced starting at €1990 (US$2300).
Via Chocola3D
