Ever stumble upon an invention that you could’ve used years ago? The other day, I was thinking back with regret to the times when my Dad used to take half my Halloween candy as a “commission” for taking me trick-or-treating. Then I read about a new printer called the CandyFab, the latest tasty tidbit in the 3D printing movement. As you can guess, this machine makes 3D candy models out of granulated sugar. Too little too late for me, but it’s certainly interesting for those who still have their sweet tooth.
So how does it work? The basic printing method resembles what you’d find in the Desktop Factory 125ci in that the CandyFab literally builds a 3D model from the ground up by stacking layers of 2D cross-sections. The creative minds at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories started this as an open source project, so don’t go running to Best Buy expecting to find one. You’ll probably spend around $500 for the materials needed to create your own CandyFab. Of course, you don’t have to make your own machine to take part in the CandyFab movement. The originators could always use some help in developing this evolving 3D printer, so feel free to volunteer your ideas and enthusiasm.
In the grand scheme of things, the CandyFab represents a breakthrough when it comes to printing high volume 3D models. The maximum printable dimensions for a 3D model printed by CandyFab come out to 24×13.5×9 inches compared to the 125ci’s 5×5x5 inches, although the resolution isn’t as sharp. Regardless, this new printer shows that when it comes to the 3D printer movement, there’s no such thing as biting off more than you can chew.
(Photo courtesy of Windell H. Oskay, www.evilmadscientist.com – Terms of use)
