Page 225 - IJB-10-5

International

Journal of Bioprinting

RESEARCH ARTICLE
A preliminary investigation on the effect of

ingredient flow speed in extrusion-based
printing through experimental and

theoretical approaches

Phoebe Xin Ni Leam * , Aakanksha Pant 1 id , Jia An 2 id , Chen Huei Leo 2,3 id ,
1 id
U-Xuan Tan 1,2 id , and Chee Kai Chua 1,2 id
1 Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design,
Singapore, Singapore
2 Centre for Healthcare Education, Entrepreneurship and Research @ SUTD (CHEERS), Singapore
University of Technology and Design, Singapore, Singapore
3
Cluster of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Singapore University of Technology and Design,
Singapore, Singapore
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Special Issue of International Journal of Bioprinting in the BDMC
2023 Conference)

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of Foodini three-dimensional (3D) printers for 3D food
printing, there is a lack of analysis regarding the effect of the ingredient flow speed in
current food printing research. In this study, we utilized experimental and theoretical
*Corresponding author: approaches to investigate the effect of printing parameters in the 3D extrusion
Phoebe Xin Ni Leam process. In particular, the dot extrusion (no slicing required) and model extrusion
(phoebe_leam@mymail. (inclusive of text, shapes, 3D models, and clip art that require slicing) modes of
sutd.edu.sg)
operation were studied. In dot extrusion, the experimental results suggest that the
Citation: Leam PXN, Pant A, amount of food material extruded over a fixed time is constant and independent
An J, Leo CH, Tan UX, Chua CK.
A preliminary investigation on the of the internal nozzle geometry. However, this only applies to food materials ≥20
effect of ingredient flow speed in mL, and there is a lack of control over the extrusion rate for the dot extrusion mode.
extrusion-based printing Moreover, varying the ingredient flow speed did not change the extrusion time.
through experimental
and theoretical approaches. In model extrusion, the resolution of the print was only affected by the ingredient
Int J Bioprint. 2024;10(5):2787. flow speed, and varying the printing speed did not affect the print resolution.
doi: 10.36922/ijb.2787 A mathematical model was introduced to understand the complex relationship
Received: January 19, 2024 between the printing process parameters and the extrusion resolution. The model
Accepted: April 18, 2024 is unique as it accounts for the material properties of the food ink and the printer-
Published Online: August 6, 2024 specific controls (i.e., ingredient flow speed). In this research, the experimental and
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). theoretical approaches were considered independent investigations and provided
This is an Open Access article complementary insights, unlike the conventional prediction–validation relationship.
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Therefore, the findings of this study can be used as an alternative framework to
License, permitting distribution, understand future food printers. Overall, the preliminary findings underscore the
and reproduction in any medium, complexity introduced by a novel printer process parameter, namely ingredient flow
provided the original work is
properly cited. speed. The study offers valuable insights into Foodini-based extrusion printing and
serves as a foundational guide for further exploration in this evolving field.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Keywords: 3D food printing; Mathematical model; Extrusion-based printers;
affiliations. Shear-thinning materials

Volume 10 Issue 5 (2024) 217 doi: 10.36922/ijb.2787