You may think that CAD designers and bakers have nothing in common. As a matter of fact you may ask yourself what CAD designers even are. CAD (Computer Aided Design) is used by engineers, architects, and many other professions and maybe soon by bakers. Yes, you read correctly. CAD may become a thing in the production of cakes and pastries.
When I think of 3D printers I typically think of plastic that is printed into a specific shape and design. You may remember the news reports during the pandemic about boys in Britain and the US printing mask adjusters and even masks. 3D printing initially invented in the 1980s is widely used and available today, even for the hobby home printer. Besides plastic it can also use other materials for printing including metal, concrete (there is a company that makes 3D printed tiny houses), and even food. For the 3D printing to happen, the CAD file provides the design information to the printer. The printer heats and extrudes the printing material through a nozzle in layers from the bottom up building the final product.
So, what about printing food? A company in France has developed a prototype of a culinary printer that can print biscuit-cake-like structures. While it is not supposed to replace the pastry chef, it can help as a cost and labor-saving device. The culinary printer would take care of simple tasks, freeing up the pastry chef to focus on the more complex and creative tasks that include texture, flavor and color of delicious cakes and pastries …and learning CAD design. Down the road culinary printers may even be available for home use, the start up informs.
Progress brings us yet a new application of technology and more gadgets. Those who enjoy the entire process of making a pastry or cake will likely stick to their current process, but high volume bakeries will likely look for any time and cost saving options to make their products faster and more consistently.
And there is another way of looking at 3D printing in bakeries and food service. Most people tend to have many different interests, passions and skills. Who here is a programmer who loves to spend time in the kitchen baking or cooking. Maybe there is a new career path that encompasses more than just one unique area of expertise but spans across two very different disciplines, programming and baking.