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CONCRETE PRODUCTS & CAST STONE82 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International %u2013 2 | 2026 www.cpi-worldwide.comCraftsmanship perfectionThe training covers the professional refurbishment of mold edges to extend service life using specific welding electrodes, as well as the use of special abrasives for edges and radii in the cavities to ensure the long-term finishing of the end products.Precision changeThe replacement of entire wear part sets in the specially designed 4-part Kobra frame is trained in such a way that downtime is minimised and the mold can immediately return to production with the correct dimensions after replacement.Materials science and hardening technology: The heart of longevityA key factor in the very long service life of Kobra tools is the consistent implementation of state-of-the-art hardening processes. While compromises between toughness and hardness are often made in the market and different hardening processes are used, Kobra relies on highly specialised processes in its in-house hardening facility. Here, all wear parts are specifically heat treated to achieve an optimum microstructure. This is not a standard process, but a science in itself, ensuring that the molds can withstand the abrasive effects of the various aggregates found in concrete block factories around the world.However, these extreme hardness grades can only be achieved because Kobra has chosen a decisive design approach: Moving away from welded joints. Less than 3 % of the molds manufactured by Kobra are welded in the mould insert. The reason is not only technical in nature: Welding causes thermal stresses and structural changes that can lead to deformation and cracking in highly hardened steels. Thanks to its consistently bolted construction, Kobra can use materials whose degree of hardness would simply not be controllable in welded constructions. At the same time, Kobra molds are characterised by their angularity, especially in the case of large-format stone formats such as paving slabs. The result for customers is above-average service life and high-precision concrete blocks.Service as the face of sales: From production to the customerA special feature of the Kobra philosophy is the close integration of service, sales and the \service is not treated as a downstream department, but as an integral part of the sales concept. Many of Kobra's service employees began their careers in production or repair in Lengenfeld. They know every component, every screw and the hardening process from their own experience.Mold rack at the Al Wady factoryKobra technician Jens Schubert and Al Wady maintenance team preparing wear parts