Steakholder Foods is an international food company that specializes in deep-tech foods and has been at the forefront of cultivated meat. On June 9, they announced the completion of their upgrade to its industrial 3D printer. Integration of electronic cards, printheads and a fully digital ink-delivery system has enabled high-throughput printouts for a variety species using hundreds of printheads.
Commercial 3D printing is able to produce complex meat structures. The complete 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 per specifications of Steakholder Foods’ clients. DropJet’s printed circuit board manages and controls the printheads.
In the final part of 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 allows the printing with precision of 3D complex structures. The system’s adaptability is expected to allow the printing of almost any species, as the printer systems keep cells alive and undamaged throughout the printing process.
Future development will include cost optimization and validations of commercialization. Modifications and customizations for partner requirements may also be included in future development.
“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,” said Itamar Atzmony, vice president of engineering at Steakholder Foods.