Saudi Arabian Construction Company Purchases BOD2 Large-Scale Construction 3D Printer

March 15, 2019 by Sarah Saunders 3D Printers 3D Printing Business Construction 3D Printing

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3D Printed BOD

This past fall, Denmark’s 3D Printhuset, which specializes in 3D printed construction without all of the noisy hype, created a new company focused solely on its 3D printing construction activities called COBOD International, which stands for Construction Building On Demand. Copenhagen-based COBOD is now responsible for the manufacture and sale of the company’s modular BOD2 construction 3D printer, which is ten times faster than its previous iteration and is capable of creating a smoother surface finish, due to its use of a square print nozzle.

The BOD2, is one of the largest construction 3D printers in the world, is also the only second generation 3D construction printer on the market. COBOD quickly made a name for itself by besting its competitors in winning the first EU tender for a 3D construction printer in 2018. In another major endorsement of its technology that same year, multinational German Peri Group, one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems, acquired a minority stake in the construction 3D printing company.

Now COBOD is celebrating another big 3D printing endorsement – Elite for Construction & Development Co., a Saudi Arabian construction company, has just placed an order for the BOD2.

“We are very proud to receive this order from Saudi Arabia, which again confirms that our second generation BOD2 3D construction printer is second to none. Not only is the BOD2 the fastest 3D construction printer in the world, but the modular approach of the BOD2 allowed us to deliver the size that Elite For Construction & Development wanted, a printer capable of printing buildings of more than 300 square meters,” said Henrik Lund-Nielsen, the CEO of COBOD International.
“The sheer size of the new printer is impressive. This will by far be the biggest 3D construction printer ever made and with the printer Elite For Construction & Development Co. will be able to do construction projects previously unthinkable for a 3D construction printer. When compared to the BOD building we did, it is clear that Elite for Construction & Development Co. is taking 3D construction printing into brand new territories. With this printer they will be capable of gaining a leading position not only for the 3D construction printing of private houses, but also for medium sized offices and public buildings like museums, schools etc.”

The BOD2 will be the first of its kind in the country, and was purchased in response to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which is working to improve not only the country’s economy, but also its housing situation, by adopting modern construction methods. In this regard, Saudi Arabia is matching Dubai with its 3D construction printing ambitions.

The country needs to build nearly 2 million private houses over the next decade, and some of its top public organizations and private companies would be more likely to use 3D construction printing if the technology could be provided locally, and permanently, by a Saudi company. As the BOD2 hopes to 3D print three-story buildings with each story measuring over 300 square meters, it seems like the perfect fit.

“We will make this revolutionizing technology available in all of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We will be able to carry out projects with our own crews and based on 3D printable concrete made locally. This will bring costs significantly down compared to temporary imported printers using foreign made materials,” explained Saad Al Shathri, the General Manager of Elite for Construction & Development Co. “With the 3D construction printing technology we will be able to do projects almost impossible with conventional technology, and we will build faster and cheaper than before. At the same time we decided to invest in a very large printer, such that the scope of projects we can carry out will be as big as possible.”