Steakholder Foods has completed the upgrade of its industrial-scale 3D bio-printer, advancing towards mass production of the company's bioprinted products.
The upgraded 3D bio-printer is integrated with electronic cards and printeheads with a fully-digital ink delivery system, which allows for high throughput printing for a variety of species through hundreds of printhead nozzles, with the potential to print tons of meat each month.
High-throughput 3D printing can be used to create complex meat structures at a commercial scale.
The upgrade includes hundreds of nozzles that work simultaneously on a carousel to allow the high-throughput volume, with a modular structure that is expected to enable the addition of printheads, depending on the specifications of the client. The printheads are controlled and managed through a ‘DropJet’ printed circuit board.
During the upgrade, printheads were connected to Steakholder Foods’ proprietary in-house software that models and reads design files and creates the slicing that manages printing through the printheads. This software enables the printing of complex 3D structures with “extreme” precision.
Steakholder Foods expects the system’s adaptability to allow the printing of almost any species, as the printer systems keep cells alive and undamaged throughout the printing process.
Itamar Atzmony, VP of engineering at Steakholder Foods, said: “Steakholder Foods’ 3D printer cutting-edge technology is fully developed in-house. From the mechanical design to the software and electronics, this upgrade brings us one step closer to mass production, creating sophisticated meat and fish structures for the cultivated meat industry.”
Future development is expected to include further automation capabilities, cost optimisation and validations for commercialisation, with additional development that could include modification and customisation for partner needs.
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