Feasibility of continuous switching 3D printing on surimi

Continuous switching 3D printing that allows multiple materials printed in a single nozzle was introduced to verify its applicability to the food system, which aims to improve the switching ability and manufacturing precision of multi-material 3D printed food. By integrating a self-developed 3D printing platform with logical adjustments of extrusion pressure and 3D motion, the feasible continuous switching of surimi was achieved. Moreover, employing a dual-channel continuous switching extrusion nozzle, the study elucidated the influence of surimi rheological properties on the interface behavior between pastes during extrusion. Through the analysis of fluid dynamics behavior of channel flow and utilization of simulation technology, a channel extension solution was formulated. Extending the length of the non-extrusion channel to 15 mm effectively prevented intrusion over 4 mm at an extrusion speed of 40 mm/s. This study managed to repetitively switch between two kinds of surimi pastes within a 2 mm unit length. Meanwhile, three types of 3D printing modes were established based on the control of Gcode, and the corresponding model offset correction enabled precise deposition of 2 mm x 1 mm units. The research also succeeded in 3D printing complex structures, such as meat-fat structure of beef based on surimi.