<p>When I was looking at your question I thought it was impossible But a bit of research shows a resounding yes. If one looks at what Hershey can do, I see no reason why you could not printer a hinge. </p>

<p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/16/likeachocolateselfie/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hershey Tech crunch</a></p>

<p>Also keep in mind this is pretty fragile..</p>

<p>You can take a powder printer that uses sugar as its base and a simple binder, maybe water. Tada you have advanced hinges and the like.
Here is <a href="http://candyfab.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Candy Fab</a> open source Candy printer.</p>

<p>There are lots of ways people are doing this. Here is a SLS version where they just melt the chocolate with a laser..
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8O_tP9j5Xk" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SLS candy printer</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-10T17:56:36.387Z
2017-03-10T18:02:25.677Z
2017-03-10T18:02:25.677Z
MakerModder
<p>I don't know much about food printers. But at the very least, you should be able to print similar moving parts like hinges as you would with a standard FDM printer.</p>

<p>When printing things like hinges with a single extruder printer, the machine will typically be configured to include support structures. This is basically very thin scaffolding that higher layers of the print can sit on.</p>

<p>As Tom van der Zanden pointed out, though, this highly depends on the food medium you wish to use. With plastic, the material is heated to a less than liquid point, usually allowing the material to "bridge" across gaps. If your food medium is too thin (or close to liquid) you will not be able to effectively print supports as the medium will fall between the gaps.</p>

<p>If you are able to effectively print the supports for overhanging features, you should be able to knock off the supports with a small knife or toothpick. If it's a moving part, sometimes "shimmying" the part will knock the supports off.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-09T15:20:00.273Z
This answer seems to focus on FDM-type printers. With food I think sintering (candyfab) and binder jetting (chefjet) are also common options.
Tom van der Zanden
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-09T15:20:55.210Z
I was thinking more along the lines of Frostruder, so similarities  to FDM made sense to me.
tbm0115
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-09T15:15:11.370Z
2017-03-09T15:15:11.370Z
tbm0115
<p>In trying to understand 3D printers, I have watched some YouTube videos where the crafters make items with hinges. That in itself blows my mind. It is hard to grasp how something with moving parts can be printed. But specifically I am wondering if the concept can be extended to food printers to make, for example, a sugar or chocolate telescoping lollipop (sucker)?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-09T06:09:35.727Z
What specific food printer? There are lots of different ones out there, and there isn't really a canonical food printing technology. The answer would strongly depend on what you are actually printing with.
Tom van der Zanden
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-09T06:10:26.660Z
If you want to know what tags to use, ask a separate question on meta.
Tom van der Zanden
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-04T11:20:47.753Z
Hi, Wyatt! As pointed out by Tom, a *specific* answer to your question is highly dependent on the foot material which you choose to use. For this reason, I have to put your question *on hold* for being *unclear* for now. If you choose to add more details to your question, we will be happy to reopen it once edited. Good luck!
Tormod Haugene
<food>
Can functional hinges be built with food printer?
C.Wyatt
# Can functional hinges be built with food printer?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-09)

In trying to understand 3D printers, I have watched some YouTube videos where the crafters make items with hinges. That in itself blows my mind. It is hard to grasp how something with moving parts can be printed. But specifically I am wondering if the concept can be extended to food printers to make, for example, a sugar or chocolate telescoping lollipop (sucker)?

**Tags:** food

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What specific food printer? There are lots of different ones out there, and there isn't really a canonical food printing technology. The answer would strongly depend on what you are actually printing with.  
> **username_1**: If you want to know what tags to use, ask a separate question on meta.  
> **username_2**: Hi, Wyatt! As pointed out by Tom, a *specific* answer to your question is highly dependent on the foot material which you choose to use. For this reason, I have to put your question *on hold* for being *unclear* for now. If you choose to add more details to your question, we will be happy to reopen it once edited. Good luck!  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-03-10. Score: 1

When I was looking at your question I thought it was impossible But a bit of research shows a resounding yes. If one looks at what Hershey can do, I see no reason why you could not printer a hinge.

[Hershey Tech crunch](https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/16/likeachocolateselfie/)

Also keep in mind this is pretty fragile..

You can take a powder printer that uses sugar as its base and a simple binder, maybe water. Tada you have advanced hinges and the like.
Here is [Candy Fab](http://candyfab.org/) open source Candy printer.

There are lots of ways people are doing this. Here is a SLS version where they just melt the chocolate with a laser..
[SLS candy printer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8O_tP9j5Xk)


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-03-09. Score: 1

I don't know much about food printers. But at the very least, you should be able to print similar moving parts like hinges as you would with a standard FDM printer.

When printing things like hinges with a single extruder printer, the machine will typically be configured to include support structures. This is basically very thin scaffolding that higher layers of the print can sit on.

As Tom van der username_1 pointed out, though, this highly depends on the food medium you wish to use. With plastic, the material is heated to a less than liquid point, usually allowing the material to "bridge" across gaps. If your food medium is too thin (or close to liquid) you will not be able to effectively print supports as the medium will fall between the gaps.

If you are able to effectively print the supports for overhanging features, you should be able to knock off the supports with a small knife or toothpick. If it's a moving part, sometimes "shimmying" the part will knock the supports off.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This answer seems to focus on FDM-type printers. With food I think sintering (candyfab) and binder jetting (chefjet) are also common options.  
> **username_4**: I was thinking more along the lines of Frostruder, so similarities  to FDM made sense to me.  

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