[3D Printing News] Is that lollipop your face? Who would you like to lick next?!

In the food industry, 3D printing is typically associated with using chocolate or other ingredients as printing materials. However, the latest trend is to use 3D printing to create food molds, quickly meeting the demands of customized mass production. Before the widespread adoption of 3D printers , custom orders were difficult to fulfill due to the high cost of mold manufacturing. Modern brands, advertising, and experiential activities are leveraging this new trend to offer consumers a wide variety of customized products. (Further reading: Want to build a snowman? Chocolate "Olive" teaches you how! )

Babines, a Paris-based lollipop brand, focuses on pop culture and is known for creating a wide variety of lollipop shapes. These designs are drawn, 3D modeled , and then prototyped using the Ultimaker 3D printer in their Paris studio. For example, Facebook's "like" icon, game joysticks, dollar signs, and other popular elements can all be turned into lollipops.

 
The 3D printing molds, made from food-safe silicone, will be sent to local artisan confectionery shops. Professional confectioners will then prepare the mixed ingredients for each flavor of lollipop and pour them into the silicone molds. (Further reading: 3D Printing "Playful" Molds: Technological Dessert Artist Dinara Kasko )

Babines, founded by Victor Barnouin, had worked for several French lifestyle brands and noticed that everyone was looking for new premium promotional items to stand out in the market. Inspired by the rise of handicrafts due to the economic recession, Victor thought, "Since millennials are full of selfies on Facebook and Instagram—why not lick your own face?" This led to the creation of these customized lollipops that combine traditional and emerging tools.

London-based candy company Candy Mechanics uses 3D scanners instead of manual 3D modeling to reverse engineer unique headshots for each client. After producing 3D printed prototypes with an Ultimaker 3D printer , they use a vacuum forming machine to shape the molds. These molds are ultimately used to fill chocolates, dried fruits, and syrups, and are quite popular at weddings and parties.

Founders Sam Part and Ben Redford collaborated with professional chocolatier Will Leigh and went from using a 3D printer for the first time to opening a pop-up counter at the British department store Selfridges in just six weeks, demonstrating their entrepreneurial journey.

Eva Snellen and Leonie Smelt founded MELT, inspired by the 50th anniversary of the famous Dutch rocket-shaped popsicle. They design their own original models and use the Ultimaker 3D printer and vacuum forming mechanism to create molds; these popsicles break away from the limitations of traditional cuboids, developing more geometric shapes, and are loved by the public for their unique designs.

From Tony Chocolonely and TEDx to the National Museum and even Ultimaker , custom popsicles are now being made! Using 3D printing to create food molds not only unlocks more possibilities for the food industry, but also allows businesses to avoid the costs of industrial development while achieving more refined products. Do you also need to accelerate your production line and save costs? Contact us now for professional advice, save every penny, and win customer orders with faster delivery times than your competitors.