The Ripple Maker Employs 3D Printing Technology To Extrude Beautiful Images in Your Coffee Foam

3D printing enthusiasts and coffee lovers all over the world will be hoisting their disposable coffee cups and warm, earthenware mugs alike in salute to messages written with Ripples, due to a new technology that employs both 3D printing and inkjet technology.

Meant to bring a smile to even the grumpiest of those just waking up and moving slowly to say hello to their warm cup of joe, the Ripple Maker offers a way to put an all-natural giddyup in that first sip–especially on those hectic weekday mornings.

The Ripple Maker is a small (only 8.5″ x 10.5″), wifi connected device that allows you to embellish that delicious coffee milk foam with a natural coffee extract using Ripple Pods, which extrude the written or visual liquid stamp.

Accentuating the already enticing aroma of coffee beans and the jolt associated with mornings and perk-ups, Ripples, scrawled and printed in warm coffee colored tones, are just downright cool. From offering cheerful personalized messages to remembering birthdays and anniversaries, this is a product that not only has vast marketing potential–it’s a cheerful bonus and a visual upper to go with the liquid one.

Meant for use in the corner coffee shop, the neighborhood cafe, and everywhere involved with selling foamy java, Ripples allow a way to connect very personally with others, showing that you remember a customer or friend’s birthday or other special date, as well as just allowing for an elegant way to say hello or get quite the conversation percolating. This is also a great way for a vendor to show, quite simply, that they remember a customer by name.

Ripples take only ten seconds to produce on any foamy drink and can be inscribed in any sized cup or mug up to 7″ high and 4.5″ wide. With a waiting list already on hand for the Ripple Makers, one big customer is already making plans for the device. Lufthansa, as a ‘launch partner,’ will begin adding Ripples to their coffee in their First and Business Class lounges later this year.

“We are excited to unveil the Ripple Maker and proud to announce Lufthansa as our first global brand,” said Yossi Meshulam, CEO of Steam CC, parent of Ripples. “Our mission is to add meaning, depth and joy to the coffee experience, cup by cup.  And this aligns so beautifully with Lufthansa’s commitment to ‘Nonstop You’.”

Baristas may soon find themselves turning into artists, as well as seeing their jobs becoming a lot more inspiring and fun as they explore a never-ending source of high resolution designs and words–from marketing messages to inspirational quotes–to top off a customer’s cappuccino. With Ripples sitting upon the coffee steam and presented from the familiar neighborhood coffee counter, a quick and pleasant connection is made with the customer, who most likely will very much appreciate the added effort–and clever ornamentation.

Easy for businesses to integrate into their processes, the Ripple Maker is extremely user- friendly, takes up only a tiny amount of space, and adds very little extra turnaround time in making the usual foamy coffee product.

The display is self-explanatory and it’s easy to browse the categorized themes, or to use something uploaded from the app, which is quite a spectacular creation in itself, offering the coffee lover or barista the option to choose from the library or even take their own smartphone images to use atop the coffee foam. Users can edit the images, as well as add more text.

Creative Ripple users can also contribute their designs and ideas to the editors of the Ripples platform and their content then has the potential of being shared for use, worldwide, as well.

“Latte art is one the most shared images on social media. We’re taking latte art to a whole new level,” added Meshulam. “When you put something beautiful in someone’s hands, they want to share it. That’s how we’re making a ripple on the world.”

Touted as an ‘emotionally caffeinated experience,’ this truly innovative new machine about to hit the gourmet coffee industry will be unveiled at New York City’s largest annual technology conference, CE Week 2015. Thousands will be in attendance checking out not only the new coffee art but also many other new developments in the high-tech world that are being showcased this week at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

The machines will begin shipping in September with a pricetag of $999, to include yearly service plans of $75 for businesses who are serious about these new machines. Purchase of the Ripple Makers include use of their content platform and access to their free Ripple app.

The Ripple Maker product is sold by Ripples, a subsidiary of Steam CC, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.

What do you think of this new coffee ‘accessory’ powered by 3D printing and inkjet technology? Discuss your thoughts in the Ripple Maker Employs 3D Printing Technology forum over at 3DPB.com.  Check out the video about the new machine below: