CEMEX and COBOD
Mexican multinational building materials company CEMEX announced that its corporate venture capital and open innovation unit CEMEX Ventures, is investing in COBOD, a global leader in construction-grade 3D printers.
CEMEX and COBOD have been working together over the last year to innovate in the 3D printing space. A 3D printing solution that utilises conventional ready-mix concrete in the building process was recently introduced through this partnership.
The solution can deliver significant savings versus traditional 3D printing construction methods and has been implemented in several geographies. Through this investment, CEMEX will strengthen its ability to use 3D printing technology and add another avenue for the company to address affordable housing needs.
In current 3D printing construction, manufacturing methods rely on highly specialised and expensive mortars. CEMEX introduced a proprietary admixtures family called D.Fab, which allows conventional concrete to be efficiently tailored for 3D printing construction.
The admixtures innovation produces a more fluid and malleable concrete that facilitates 3D printing applications, and it is possible for the concrete to gain shape instantaneously.
“The investment in COBOD reflects our customer-centric mindset and relentless focus on continuous innovation and improvement. Working with COBOD, CEMEX developed a customer experience in 3D printing construction that is superior to anything that has been provided in the past,” said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of CEMEX Ventures.
Galindo added: “Our innovation efforts position us at the forefront of new technologies that contribute to building a better future.”
“I am proud to have CEMEX, a global leader in the building materials industry, join us as an investor along with our other shareholders PERI and GE Renewable Energy. CEMEX is already an important partner to us,” said Henrik-Lund Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD.
Nielsen continued: “Together, we have already improved 3D construction printing tremendously with the successful D.Fab solution and we intend to continue to develop new, innovative materials to build a better future through material solutions for 3D printing applications that significantly reduce construction costs and time.”
COBOD are known for the printing of Europe’s first 3D printed building in 2017, specifically Belgium and Germany, alongside other buildings in Dubai and Africa. The company also manufactured record-tall wind turbine towers through concrete 3D printing.
