We’re starting off with 3D printed food in this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs, followed by some business news about Cocoa Press. Then we’ll move onto a metal additive manufacturing business partnership, and conclude with a 3D printing service by Formlabs. Read on for all the details!
FSA Says Emerging Technologies, Like 3D Printing, Could Transform Food in Britain
UMAMI Bioworks and Steakholder Foods’ 3D printed fish. Image courtesy of UMAMI Bioworks.
According to a recent report from the British food safety watchdog Food Standards Agency (FSA), several emerging technologies could transform the country’s food system in the very near future. It should come as no surprise that one of those technologies is 3D printing; others include precision fermentation and molecular farming. 3D printing is especially helpful in creating personalized foods with custom textures, shapes, and nutritional profiles, and there are already pilot programs around the world investigating foods made specifically for patients with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. While the technology is still at an early stage, interest is growing within the NHS and care catering sectors in the UK, and the FSA watchlist classifies 3D printing as a “tier-three” technology. This means it’s not expected to be sold commercially until after 2035, though lab-cultivated meat and fish should be available much sooner. A lot of the success of 3D printed food could come down to the willingness of people who are willing to try it and get past their neophobia (fear of the new).
“Emerging technologies are reshaping how our food is produced and sourced. This report gives industry and government clear sight of what is coming, and what is required to ensure these products meet the UK’s high standards,” said Dr Thomas Vincent, Deputy Director of Innovation, FSA. “The FSA and FSS’s remit is central to delivering these ambitions and by working early with innovators, we can support safe, responsible growth and build consumer confidence in the foods of the future.”
New CEO of Cocoa Press is Former Prusa & Printed Solid Executive
One type of 3D printed food that’s already enjoyed early success is chocolate, and who knows better about that than Cocoa Press, the startup behind the first consumer 3D printer for chocolate? It’s not all fun and games, either—Cocoa Press has been working to build out its leadership team, like bringing on Caleb Kraft, the former editor of Make Magazine, as Box Manager of the Print Kits subscription service. Its most recent appointment is naming David Randolph, former head of the Prusa Research U.S. manufacturing arm Printed Solid, as its new CEO. Randolph has nearly a decade of leadership experience in scaling 3D print manufacturing operations, including transforming Printed Solid from a filament supplier to a major U.S. manufacturing operation. He will now oversee both Cocoa Press and subscription-based DIY 3D printing service Print Kits, which Cocoa Press acquired from Alien3D two years ago. This signals a major shift for the startup, as its works to position itself towards mainstream adoption and a more established consumer 3D printing market category.
“David has an uncanny ability to take an idea to market that expresses a personal experience for not only the consumers but for the DIY and maker communities at large,” said Cocoa Press Founder Ellie Rose, who will remain Chief Technology Officer for both Cocoa Press and Print Kits. “As we scale Cocoa Press and expand our ecosystem, David’s experience in domestic manufacturing and customer-first leadership is exactly what we need to bring 3D chocolate printing to kitchens, education, and makerspaces everywhere.”
EPlus3D & infoTRON Partner to Grow Industrial Metal AM in Türkiye
Chinese metal powder bed fusion (PBF) solutions provider Eplus3D has been working to strengthen its global partner network, and recently announced that it is collaborating with Türkiye-based engineering technology provider infoTRON to expand its industrial technology in that country. Headquartered in Istanbul, with a European presence in Eindhoven, infoTRON provides industrial customers with digital manufacturing solutions and engineering technologies. Through this new partnership, it will support the application and promotion of Eplus3D’s metal AM systems in the Turkish market and surrounding Middle Eastern regions, helping to bring industrial PBF solutions closer to the users. Local manufacturers, particularly in the aerospace, tooling, automotive, and energy sectors, are now able to take advantage of experienced regional technology partners, like infoTRON, to evaluate and adopt the advanced, large-format, high-efficiency metal PBF systems that Eplus3D offers.
“We are delighted to partner with infoTRON as we continue expanding Eplus3D’s global presence. infoTRON’s deep connection with local industries and its experience in digital engineering technologies make it an ideal partner to support the growing demand for metal additive manufacturing in Türkiye,” said Raymond Zhang, Sales Director APAC at Eplus3D. “Together, we aim to help manufacturers explore new possibilities in advanced production through reliable and scalable metal AM solutions.”
Formlabs Officially Launches Form Now 3D Printing Service
Finally, Formlabs has entered the service bureau market with the launch of its Form Now on-demand 3D printing service. The platform is meant to give users access to professional SLS and SLA 3D printing without having to purchase their own systems, and is said to offer two-day delivery of industrial parts across the U.S. It sounds like a fairly standard operation: using a streamlined online ordering process, users upload STL or OBJ files (.form and .3MF to come), select their desired quantities and materials, and get a quote. Maximum part dimensions are 35.3 x 19.6 x 35 cm. The parts are then printed at Formlabs in Massachusetts, and shipped out to the customer. Bulk file uploads are supported, which allows users to submit files for multiple components in one order. 15 materials are available in the Form Now service, including standard resins in V5 formulations and Elastic 50A for SLA, and Nylon 11, Nylon 12 GF, and TPU 90A for SLS. The company says that 90% of orders are delivered within five days, and pricing starts at about $20 per part. This will make its technology much more accessible for prototyping and small-batch production.
“We know that sometimes you need the part, not the printer. Form Now gives you instant access to our fleet of industrial SLA and SLS machines for unblocking a prototype, testing a new material, or scaling up production,” Form Now stated in a LinkedIn post.