Planning Out the 3-D Printing Food Process

Planning Out the 3-D Food Printing Process

So it is established that 3-D printed food exists and it tastes good, but what happens next with the printer having to manipulate the software for good taste? Let's figure that out.

3-D printing companies are all starting to get more famous each day, while the more well-known NASA are using 3-D technology to make simple meals for the astronauts, which make the food choices in the International Space Station have more variety. Instead of food being sent up 100000
kilometers in the sky, machines are starting to make food supplies less of a hassle for the astronauts.

But how is printing the all planned out? As in: "Hey, printer, cook so-and-so, with blah blah blah on the side, can you do that for me please?"

Simply, it isn't that simple.

See, what has to be done is that a blueprint has to be created first, consisting of the things that you'll need to use to build the object, layer by layer. I think I discussed that the blueprints have to be designed by the computer using a CAD, or computer aided design (see right). The designs are then corrected, if there are malfunctions in the design such as holes. Then the design goes through a piece of software called a "slicer".

The slicer coverts the model into many thin layers by using G-code software. The G-code file can then be printed using 3-D printing client software (which loads the G-code and directs it on what to do).

Typical resolution for 3-D printers describes layer thickness in dots per inch (DPI).The typical layer thickness is about 250 DPI, a bit thinner than paper. The particles in the food are about 500 DPI each.

So it simply goes layer by layer using various materials, copying the CAD, right?

Yup, layer by layer. Wasn't too hard to understand, right?

Well, it looks easier said than done.

Yeah...- WHOOPS! Talking to myself again. Do that a lot. Farewell for now, guys.