CEMEX says it will soon become the first global building materials supplier to bring construction-grade 3D concrete printing technology to Mexico. CEMEX and business partner COBOD plan to use their technology to deliver a superior experience to customers through a novel construction method designed to bring significant cost and time savings.
“CEMEX is honoured to introduce this pioneering technology in Mexico,” said Ricardo Naya, CEMEX President in Mexico. “We constantly seek to introduce new construction technologies and provide our customers with the opportunities to enhance and evolve their business. 3D printing with concrete has great potential to foster digital innovation in our industry. We are glad to build on our partnership with COBOD by making the solution available in Mexico.”
The printer is manufactured by COBOD, a global leader in 3D printing technology. CEMEX has a partnership with COBOD and has also invested in the company through CEMEX’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit, CEMEX Ventures. Through this partnership, CEMEX and COBOD have been working together to innovate in the 3D printing space. Earlier this year, CEMEX and COBOD announced the first 3D printing solution that utilises conventional ready-mix concrete in the building process.
The solution can deliver significant savings versus traditional 3D printing construction methods and materials and will now be available in Mexico. This printing method also uses significantly fewer materials than other 3D printing construction methods, aligned with CEMEX’s commitment to promoting a circular economy.
Current 3D printing construction methods rely on highly specialised and expensive mortars. CEMEX introduced a family of proprietary admixtures called “D.fab”, which allows conventional concrete to be efficiently tailored for 3D printing construction. The innovations introduced by the CEMEX admixtures, coupled with COBOD’s printers and expertise, make it possible to implement a more efficient process that requires less material and utilises any concrete.
The combination of COBOD’s technology and CEMEX’s D.fab solution has already been used successfully in real-world applications. In June 2022, the Angola-based construction company Power2Build built the largest 3D-printed African building using this combination.
