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Hydraform was founded on the ideas of Jochen Kofahl (left) and
developed on the marketing nous of Robert Plattner (right).
The Hydraform M1 block machine weighed seven tons
and produced 120 blocks per hour.
1988
Jochen Kofahl founded Hydraform with a vision to design
and market a machine to produce quality soil-cement dry-
stacking building blocks. Robert Plattner joined him nine
months later. The very first Hydraform block machine, the
M1, was designed and built in Jochen’s garage. The first
house built using blocks made by the M1 was successfully
erected in Witbank, South Africa.
1990
Within two years Jochen had refined his original
designs and produced the Hydraform M2 block
machine, which produced horizontally interlocking
blocks. The first two new models were shipped to
customers in Botswana and Mozambique, and thus
began the export arm of the business.
The Hydraform M2 block machine weighed two tons
and produced 140 blocks per hour.
1991
Hydraform sells its first M2 machine in South Africa.
1992
Hydraform takes part in the first Interbou show in South
Africa.
1993
Hydraform focused on export markets and by 1993 had
shipped 25 machines to customers all over the world. The
company began its long association with the University
of Witswatersrand to fill a need for independent testing
facilities for Hydraform’s soil cement blocks. Today
Hydraform continues to work with and collaborate with the
university in testing and is the subject of both master’s and
doctoral theses. This relationship has led to Hydraform’s
Agrément certificate, essential for building approval in
South Africa.
The association with Wits began with a need for independent testing
but has developed far beyond that.
1994
Hydraform launches the M4 tractor-driven machine
targeted specifically at the agribusiness sector.
Marketed under the name M4 Agri-Vorm, the new
machine produced blocks in a vertical chamber.
The Hydraform M4 block machine weighs only 300kg
(without the tractor) and can produce 120 blocks per hour.
Rolling back the years
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