Three students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have successfully created a 3D printer for ice cream.
Using a Cuisinart ice cream maker and a Solidoodle 3D printer, Kyle Hounsell, Kristine Bunker and David Donghyun Kim developed a device that prints soft-serve ice cream. The modified 3D printer is housed inside a small freezer, and the extruded soft-serve freezes as a line of liquid nitrogen blasts and keep it solid.
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“We were inspired to design this printer because we wanted to make something fun with this up-and-coming technology in a way that we could grab the attention of kids,” said Bunker (to the 3D printing website ‘3ders.org’). “We felt that it was just as important to come up with a new technology as it was to interest the younger generation in pursuing science and technology, so we can continue pushing the limits of what’s possible.”
“First, we needed to print into a cooled environment so that the ice cream would hold its shape once printed,” said the students. “We bought a small upright freezer that was large enough to put the Solidoodle inside and allow for the full build volume we were aiming for.
“In general, this technology wouldn’t be replacing any existing products or technology. This is a novel process that we hope will get kids excited about the potential of the technology. We imagine this technology being marketable in ice cream parlours such as Dairy Queen, where customers can order an ice cream treat, wait 15 minutes, and see the shape they chose be created. Of course, last – and more importantly – we aim to enjoy the ice cream after successful printing!”
Source: MIT/3ders.org
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