• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2017

In this study, we developed a 3D chocolate printer and studied the conditions needed for chocolate printing. Because chocolate is a mixture of cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar particles, its properties vary with temperature, and care is required in melting and extrusion. A chocolate supply unit is composed of a heating block and a syringe pump. It is integrated with a 3-axis linear robot. In order to be more accurate than the existing 3D chocolate printer is, the system was configured so that the printing line width became $430{\mu}m$. Printing performance was studied according to various parameters. The condition needed for printing lines with a stable width was discovered by the experimental design method and has been confirmed by a 2D line test. These 3D printing experiments showed that it was possible to build a 3D shape with an inclination angle of up to $45^{\circ}$ without support. Further, chocolate printing of a 3D shape has been successfully verified with the developed system.