How Additive Manufacturing Helped Van Damme Produce Custom Marshmallow Nozzles at a Fraction of the Cost

Confiserie Van Damme, a leading Belgian confectionery, churns out more than 19,500 t of marshmallows annually. The sweet treats are produced in a wide range of shapes, sizes and flavours, but the high‑margin business is driven by costly, metal‑based nozzle components that control the flow, shape and colour of each marshmallow.

Each nozzle is a complex assembly of 12 welded stainless‑steel parts and a nut, costing over €1,000 and requiring 8–10 weeks from design to delivery. With 28 nozzles per production line, the expense adds up quickly and limits the company’s ability to experiment with new, customised designs.

The challenge: produce a rainbow‑colored marshmallow that demands a nozzle capable of separating and blending three colours of marshmallow creme in precise ratios. Traditional manufacturing could not meet the design complexity within a reasonable time or cost.

The 3D‑printed rainbow nozzle in PA 12.

Designing for Additive Manufacturing

Materialise’s Mindware team, with 30 years of experience in AM, partnered with Van Damme’s Design & Engineering department. Using the existing 2D drawings, the team applied 3‑D printing design rules to re‑engineer the nozzle into a single, printable part. The new geometry includes separate chambers for each colour, enabling the precise flow required for a true rainbow effect.

The redesign required the same engineering effort as a traditional part, but the manufacturing step changed dramatically. A single 3‑D print replaces a 12‑piece assembly, cutting both cost and lead time.

PA 12, a food‑grade polyamide, was chosen for prototyping. Initial prints replaced one nozzle on the line and proved fully functional during a live production test.

The 3D‑printed nozzle (far right) being used in production for a successful test.

“By offering customers truly custom shapes, we create a competitive edge,” says Bart Desnyder, CTO and Corporate Buyer at Van Damme. “We can now meet requests that were previously cost‑prohibitive.”

An example of the finished rainbow marshmallow product.

PA 12 Goes Beyond Prototyping

After the successful test, Van Damme commissioned independent food‑safety testing of the PA 12 nozzle. The part received IFS and BRC Global Standard certifications, guaranteeing compliance with industry safety and hygiene standards. The material also allows for easy cleaning and rapid turnaround.

The result? A nozzle that is ten times cheaper than the traditional stainless‑steel version and available in one week, versus an 8–10 week lead time for metal parts. Even a stainless‑steel print would cost under €1,000 and arrive within two weeks.

New Customer Opportunities via AM

The ability to design, prototype and produce custom nozzles quickly unlocks new revenue streams. Van Damme can now offer logos, brand shapes and other bespoke designs that were previously unfeasible due to high tooling costs.

Desnyder notes, “We used to turn down special‑shape requests. Now, with Materialise’s support, we can accept them and expand our customer base.” His sales team is already excited about the possibilities.

Conventional stainless‑steel cat and dog nozzles for marshmallows.

Future Innovations in the Factory

During a recent visit to Van Damme’s plant, Materialise identified further AM opportunities, including low‑availability machine parts for vintage equipment. “Some of our older machines have parts that are hard to source,” says Desnyder. “AM can solve these challenges efficiently.”

By partnering with Materialise, a company that has been at the forefront of additive manufacturing for three decades, Van Damme is positioned to leverage design freedom, rapid prototyping and cost savings to drive continued growth.