New opportunities for the concrete products industry

Digital mold making supports the development of innovative concrete products

Fig. 1 At Kobra, large slab molds with false joints are milled very accurately and hardened under low-stress conditions. The challenge to be mastered is the exact coordination of the individual manufacturing processes.

Fig. 2 Using state-of-the-art software, Kobra creates block models as virtual prototypes.

Fig. 3a and b Newly developed stones can be viewed „in real life“ already at the early design stage – even as a laid pattern.

Fig. 3b

Concrete block molds have long gone past their standard product phase. This field has become a business segment that is highly customer-focused whilst aiming to develop custom-made products in which German mold makers are taking the lead by their commitment to innovation. Molds are usually made to order despite the high degree of mechanization common in the industry. Especially when the economy is under pressure, there is an increase in demand for complex custom molds and sophisticated new block designs. Kobra considers this trend towards customization and premium products an opportunity. This trend also supports the strategy of the business.

For almost 20 years, Kobra Formen GmbH has been producing and selling premium molds for the concrete block industry. Key ingredients of the company philosophy are its high degree of openness to customer requests and enquiries of any kind and its short reaction times, combined with a top-quality approach, in all of its divisions. These principles have been binding upon each employee since the establishment of the company. In addition, the company’s customer focus, practice-driven work approach and high degree of product expertise are prerequisites to serve a highly diverse, international market...