Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces

The necessity of developing more realistic artificial food requires the aggregation of different biomaterials in an ordered and controlled manner. One of the most advanced methods for this is food printers reproducing additive manufacturing processes. This study presents a fully automatized 3D food...

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Main Authors: Karen Jazmin Mendoza-Bautista, Mariana S. Flores-Jimenez, Laisha Daniela Vázquez Tejeda Serrano, Grissel Trujillo de Santiago, Mario Moises Alvarez, Arturo Molina, Mariel Alfaro-Ponce, Isaac Chairez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Micromachines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/3/264
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author Karen Jazmin Mendoza-Bautista
Mariana S. Flores-Jimenez
Laisha Daniela Vázquez Tejeda Serrano
Grissel Trujillo de Santiago
Mario Moises Alvarez
Arturo Molina
Mariel Alfaro-Ponce
Isaac Chairez
author_facet Karen Jazmin Mendoza-Bautista
Mariana S. Flores-Jimenez
Laisha Daniela Vázquez Tejeda Serrano
Grissel Trujillo de Santiago
Mario Moises Alvarez
Arturo Molina
Mariel Alfaro-Ponce
Isaac Chairez
author_sort Karen Jazmin Mendoza-Bautista
collection DOAJ
description The necessity of developing more realistic artificial food requires the aggregation of different biomaterials in an ordered and controlled manner. One of the most advanced methods for this is food printers reproducing additive manufacturing processes. This study presents a fully automatized 3D food printer leveraging collaborative Cartesian and multi-ink robotic systems to create complex food structures, with materials with different rheological settings using a screw conveyor configuration with controlled motion velocity. The developed food printer followed a formal mechatronic design strategy with fully functional instrumentation and automation systems. An adaptive controller was developed and implemented to regulate the coordinated operation of booth robotic devices, which are enforced by the G-code corresponding to the target food structure, leading to the necessary resolution. This device was tested with different commercial food inks to develop structures with complex shapes. The workability of the developed printer was confirmed by examining the food samples obtained using multiple materials, including creating different three-dimensional structures of a single complex food ink and creating simple structures made of different food inks with diverse structures that could yield a synthetic tissue that reproduces synthetic meat.
format Article
id doaj-art-8dc2c60de1d24096b4243e2260cfec28
institution OA Journals
issn 2072-666X
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Micromachines
spelling doaj-art-8dc2c60de1d24096b4243e2260cfec282025-08-20T01:48:42ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2025-02-0116326410.3390/mi16030264Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition SurfacesKaren Jazmin Mendoza-Bautista0Mariana S. Flores-Jimenez1Laisha Daniela Vázquez Tejeda Serrano2Grissel Trujillo de Santiago3Mario Moises Alvarez4Arturo Molina5Mariel Alfaro-Ponce6Isaac Chairez7School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara, Zapopan 45201, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara, Zapopan 45201, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey 64700, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey 64700, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey 64700, MexicoInstituto Tecnológico de Tláhuac III, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Tlahuac 13278, MexicoInstitute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus CDMX, Ciudad de México 14380, MexicoInstitute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara, Zapopan 45201, MexicoThe necessity of developing more realistic artificial food requires the aggregation of different biomaterials in an ordered and controlled manner. One of the most advanced methods for this is food printers reproducing additive manufacturing processes. This study presents a fully automatized 3D food printer leveraging collaborative Cartesian and multi-ink robotic systems to create complex food structures, with materials with different rheological settings using a screw conveyor configuration with controlled motion velocity. The developed food printer followed a formal mechatronic design strategy with fully functional instrumentation and automation systems. An adaptive controller was developed and implemented to regulate the coordinated operation of booth robotic devices, which are enforced by the G-code corresponding to the target food structure, leading to the necessary resolution. This device was tested with different commercial food inks to develop structures with complex shapes. The workability of the developed printer was confirmed by examining the food samples obtained using multiple materials, including creating different three-dimensional structures of a single complex food ink and creating simple structures made of different food inks with diverse structures that could yield a synthetic tissue that reproduces synthetic meat.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/3/264additive manufacturingfood printingcurve-shaped printingmulti-ink food printercollaborative robotics
spellingShingle Karen Jazmin Mendoza-Bautista
Mariana S. Flores-Jimenez
Laisha Daniela Vázquez Tejeda Serrano
Grissel Trujillo de Santiago
Mario Moises Alvarez
Arturo Molina
Mariel Alfaro-Ponce
Isaac Chairez
Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces
Micromachines
additive manufacturing
food printing
curve-shaped printing
multi-ink food printer
collaborative robotics
title Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces
title_full Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces
title_fullStr Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces
title_full_unstemmed Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces
title_short Collaborative Heterogeneous Mini-Robotic 3D Printer for Manufacturing Complex Food Structures with Multiple Inks and Curved Deposition Surfaces
title_sort collaborative heterogeneous mini robotic 3d printer for manufacturing complex food structures with multiple inks and curved deposition surfaces
topic additive manufacturing
food printing
curve-shaped printing
multi-ink food printer
collaborative robotics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/3/264
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