3-D printing

[azurbanclucker]

I need an opinion from the 3-D printers here.

We got my mom a philips 7000 pasta maker for her birthday which is in 11 days. I noticed that the pasta dies are all plastic. This gave me an ingenious idea, 3-D print my mom custom pasta dies. However, I ran into a problem. I don’t know if there is such a thing as food safe filament for a 3-D printer.

Here’s a picture of a die I designed on solidworks, specifically for a pasta called gemelli. Modeled after the dies that came with the pasta maker.

View attachment 4217566

A prototype is printing as we speak, but it’s not food safe. I’m just printing it to see if it will fit the machine.

Any ideas for food safe filament?

Pick a PETG for strength and then use a food safe epoxy coating over it. It's really the only way to seal up all the nooks and crannies in even the smoothest 3d printed surfaces to prevent bacterial growth. Masterbond's ep42ht-2fg and ArtResin are both food safe.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Here's a decent primer on printing food safe things

https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-food-safe-3d-printing/

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I wish more stuff had a way to quantify relative "risks". It just seems like so much stuff is binary "bad or good".

Example: We know ABS fumes from 3d printing are BAD... but how do they compare QUANTIFIABLY to other daily stuff we do without worry... like driving down the freeway with the windows open? Or things we know are really legit "bad" like smoking?

Yes, I'm definitely convinced that 3d layer-lines of PLA isn't the best most-safe option for using with food... but how risky is it really?

We all sacrifice some safety for some convenience all the time. My fav example: nobody I know always drives at or below the speed limit.

So, is using PLA with food "risky"? Sure.

... but HOW quantifiably risky, and in what situations?

 

[jnicholes]

Here's a decent primer on printing food safe things

https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-food-safe-3d-printing/

I just took a look at this, a lot of good points here, and I agree with them.

I don’t think I should try to print pasta dies. Too much risk for bacterial buildup, unless I make them one time use, but that would waste filament.

 

[azurbanclucker]

I just took a look at this, a lot of good points here, and I agree with them.

I don’t think I should try to print pasta dies. Too much risk for bacterial buildup, unless I make them one time use, but that would waste filament.

Eh, Proper wash and sanitize solves a lot of problems. I have some printed kitchen tools that I use regularly. My favorite is a burger press. Printed that in PETG and sealed with resin. Survives the dishwasher, and is just fine after more than a year of regular use with raw meat and poultry. Clean it well after use and toss it on the top rack in the dishwasher, toss it if it looks damaged or grody and print a new one.

I would not try to use gadgets I printed at home for, say hot skillets, as an example. But light duty? No worries at all. It's like Nifty mentioned. Objectively bad vs quantifiably bad are very different scales until they meet.

Having said that, I would def not use PLA for food service.