McDonalds is thinking about using 3D printers in store to print out the well-known toys for its Happy Meals. With the use of 3D printing the fast-food company wants to make it possible for kids to choose their favorite toy.



McDonald’s UK IT director Mark Fabes thinks this could improve the system for little children who are collecting toys from the fastfood chain. “Countless families have had their enjoyment of a nutritious McD’s ruined because they turned up the week that the starring character in that season’s kiddie-sized blockbuster had been replaced by an earnest but boring supporting character as the toy of choice,” UKs The Register writes about this subject.

He is now looking for potential applications of 3D printing for McDonalds, and one of those applications would be using the printers for the production of toys in Happy Meals. However, he admits it’s just a thought. The first thing McDonalds needs to do is investigate the market in order to make sure people are able to support and use it.

A critical point he made about 3D printing was that it’s still a too expensive technique to be used on a large-scale. This means it has to come down in cost. Another concern is that he’s not sure whether it’s legally possible to use plastic smelting machines in food restaurants.

Image: Mc Donalds at Times Square, New York City, by Sallicio.
Source: 3dprinting.com