{"id":14479,"date":"2026-01-21T23:16:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T23:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=14479"},"modified":"2026-01-21T23:16:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T23:16:54","slug":"thailands-oldest-cement-firm-turns-to-3d-printing-to-revolutionize-its-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=14479","title":{"rendered":"Thailand’s oldest cement firm turns to 3D printing to revolutionize its business"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nestled in the heart of Bangkok\u2019s Chinatown, the Ong Ang Canal served as a vital trade artery in the 18th century. Over time, it became heavily polluted, and even earned a reputation as the city\u2019s dirtiest canal.<\/p>\n

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Last month, as part of a broader government effort to revitalize the canal, Siam Cement Group (SCG), Thailand\u2019s oldest cement firm, unveiled the country\u2019s first 3D-printed pedestrian bridge across its waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bridge is part of SCG\u2019s drive to bring new construction materials to Southeast Asia, Surachai Nimlaor, who helms its operations in cement and green solutions, tells Fortune<\/em> in a Jan. 20 interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The company first started applying 3D printing tech to construction in the early 2020s, including the 2023 construction of the world\u2019s first 3D printed medical center in Saraburi, Thailand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we use 3D printing, we can shorten construction time and create buildings with unique shapes that conventional builders may not be able to achieve,\u201d says Nimlaor.<\/p>\n

The process involves creating a digital model, slicing it for the 3D printer, and then allowing the printer\u2019s robotic arms to set down concrete, layer-by-layer, to form structures.\u00a0By removing the need for traditional molds or formwork, it enables freeform architecture which includes sculptural curves and undulating walls. SCG\u2019s 3D printed medical center, for instance, has fluid facades that would be difficult to execute with conventional cast concrete.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Siam Cement Group<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

This technology could be especially valuable for Thailand, where an aging population and a workforce wary of construction jobs is shrinking the sector\u2019s pool of available workers. Nimlaor explains that the industry has been forced to turn to foreign workers from neighboring countries like Cambodia and Myanmar. (According to 2025 data from Cambodia\u2019s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, there are over 1.2 million Cambodian workers in Thailand, many of whom are employed in construction.)<\/p>\n

Still, 3D printed buildings are often only one or two storeys tall, Nimlaor admits, as taller buildings introduce \u201cmaterial constraints around structural loads and stability.\u201d <\/p>\n

Thailand\u2019s first cement firm<\/strong><\/h2>\n

SCG was founded in 1913 to build Bangkok\u2019s first cement plant, under the orders of then-King Rama VI. In the century that followed, the company expanded to focus on three core businesses: cement and building materials, chemicals, and packaging.<\/p>\n

Today, SCG is Thailand\u2019s largest building materials company, with a 2024 revenue of $14.5 billion. It ranks No. 21 in Fortune<\/em>\u2019s Southeast Asia 500 list, which sorts the region\u2019s largest companies by revenue. SCG has also expanded to other parts of Southeast Asia, including packaging businesses in Malaysia and a petrochemical plant in Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Greening the construction industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Beyond 3D printing, SCG is also developing low-carbon cement, tackling an industry that accounts for roughly 8% of global carbon emissions, according to the World Economic Forum.<\/p>\n

SCG is trying to formulate cement produced using biomass, like wood. This cuts the carbon emissions from the production process by as much as 20% per ton, Nimlaor claims. SCG now exports its low-carbon cement to the U.S. and Australia, where developers now prefer materials that meet ESG standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cESG has become a very strong driver in the global market,\u201d he explains. \u201cMany companies now have clear carbon-reduction targets and sustainability commitments.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

SCG hopes to launch the third-generation of its low-carbon cement, which would cut carbon emissions from production by up to 40%, but Nimlaor has hopes that they can eventually cut emissions by up to 90%.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking forward, SCG hopes to continue pushing the boundaries in creating greener construction materials. \u201cSustainability and business growth must go together,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Thailands #oldest #cement #firm #turns #printing #revolutionize #business<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nestled in the heart of Bangko… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[9889,268,266,5957,2863,1182,6684,9891,9892,7618,3072,9890,2992],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14479"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}