Take the finest Swiss chocolate, a 3D printer and an innovative confectioner - welcome to the Ismaning company chocolate³.
“Often it is like this: the birthday cake tastes really good, but the elaborate chocolate decoration remains on the plate once bitten.
Because it only tastes so mediocre.
And because mediocrity is not Benedikt Daschner's thing at all, the Ismaninger already thought about how this quality gap could be resolved during his apprenticeship as a pastry chef.
"At that time, the topic of 3D printing came up and I thought to myself that it should also work with chocolate, and with really good chocolate," says the 29-year-old.
Because the Schokodeko usually consists of fat glaze.
Lettering for wedding cakes
For three years now he and his company chocolate³ have been producing lettering, logos and smaller 3D objects from the finest Swiss chocolate.
The majority of his customers come from marketing.
Companies that have their logo printed in chocolate for events or as gifts.
Catering companies use the offer for unusual decorations, confectioners order lettering for wedding cakes, private individuals for birthday cakes or as gifts.
Depending on the size and order quantity, the item costs between 19 and four euros.
From studying physics to the bakery
As simple as it all sounds - the way there was anything but that. Daschner probably only managed it because he is a kind of Daniel Düsentrieb, a jack of all trades, blessed with many talents. There are photos of him at the age of two, baking cakes with his grandmother. Five years later he is already producing the cakes for family celebrations. At the same time he likes to play with fishing technique. He manages his Abi with his left hand, without studying too much. "It was clear to everyone that I was studying something mechanical-technical," says Daschner. He chooses physics. “But it was too far removed from practice for me.” He turns his other passion, baking, into a profession. He became a confectioner and went through various stations. His interest in technology remains.
It benefits him when he deals more intensively with 3D printing.
“I just bought a used printer without having a clue,” says Daschner and laughs.
For six months he tries things out, pans through specialist books, experiments with chocolate, rebuilds the printer according to his needs, and tinkers with computer programs.
With success: the first version of his chocolate printer brought him the federal prize for particularly innovative achievements in the craft.
Business is going well.
"Right from the start, customers kept asking whether they could buy the printer too," says Daschner.
But the first version was too complicated to sell.
"It was clear to me that I had to develop the printer further, making it as user-friendly as possible."
Corona breaks 90 percent of the orders
He only finds time to do this when Corona paralyzes his business and 90 percent of the orders are lost. Daschner optimizes processes, replaces a screw there, changed a container there, and adapts the software. “At some point I only ordered individual screws because I could no longer afford the ten pack.” When his reserves were exhausted, he decided in the spring to raise money for the production of the printer through a crowdfunding campaign: Among other things, he was bidding Printer to buy in advance on favorable terms and is looking for donors. "I thought, if something comes, I'll keep going, otherwise I'll stop and work as a pastry chef again," says Daschner. He quickly exceeded his goal: the interest is huge, 18 “choc mate 2” - that's the name of the printer - are ordered within a very short time.In the room behind his small shop office on Korbinianplatz, boxes of material are piled up. The choc mate 2 needs around 1000 individual parts.
Working with the best chocolate
In another room there are a few copies ready for work. It's nice and cool here. “19 or 20 degrees is the ideal working temperature,” explains Daschner. The Swiss chocolate from the Felchlin company is packaged on a table. "The dark variant with 65% cocoa content has already been recognized as the best couverture in the world," says Daschner. He uses them to make chocolate sticks for his printer, like a printer cartridge made of chocolate that is inserted above the printer head. Two heating elements ensure the optimum temperature. The chocolate is printed in layers 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters high using fine nozzles with a diameter of around 0.5 millimeters. In 15 to 20 minutes it grows an inch in height. Several elements fit on the print bed. To bring your own designs to chocolate,there is special software for this. The printer is operated via a touchscreen. Daschner worked it all out on his own. He only got help with the software.
His goal: market leader for 3D printing with premium chocolate
The chocmate 2 should cost around 4900 euros net.
It is still unclear when Daschner will be able to deliver the first.
Like many producers, he is struggling with the current shortage of materials.
"Some parts are not available, other parts will take weeks and prices are rising," says Daschner.
He still keeps his goal clearly in mind: He wants to become “market leader for 3D printing with premium chocolate”, keep optimizing his printer, and maybe even have employees.
Does he fear competition?
"Anyone who is familiar with technology usually lacks the know-how for chocolate." And confectioners?
"They are usually not interested in technology."
