Against the backdrop of the rapid adoption of green buildings and prefabricated construction, traditional hard facade materials such as ceramic tiles and natural stone have long faced a range of industry limitations, including excessive weight, poor impact resistance, limited design versatility, insufficient weather resistance, and high carbon footprints. These limitations make them increasingly difficult to adapt to the demands of urban renewal, ultra-low-energy buildings, and projects involving complex operating conditions.
Soft ceramic (eCovering/formerly MCM) was originally invented by PHOMI and is a new, innovative facade building material with fully independent intellectual property rights. Built around core technologies including mineral modification and micro-pore reconstruction, it represents a generational upgrade in building material mechanisms and overall performance, establishing a new specialized material system for architectural facades.
Soft ceramic was commercialized in 2008. After twenty years of engineering iteration and technological development, supported by a full-chain R&D and innovation system, it has achieved more than 100 million square meters of engineering applications worldwide. The material demonstrates stable physical and chemical properties, with environmental adaptability and engineering durability reaching leading industry levels. It can be widely adapted to a variety of highly demanding and complex construction and operating conditions, effectively addressing the common problems of traditional facade materials, such as susceptibility to damage, aging, and short service life.
Soft ceramic has now evolved into a mature fourth-generation technology system. Its product portfolio features eight major artistic texture categories, representing high-precision reproduction of the textures and visual qualities of natural materials such as stone and natural wood, while addressing the limitations of traditional architectural facades in terms of aesthetic diversity and surface texture.
In terms of practical performance, soft ceramic is characterized by its flexibility and lightweight construction, providing strong adaptability for installation on irregular and curved surfaces while effectively reducing construction difficulty and project costs. It also offers excellent safety performance, meeting A1/A2 fire-resistance standards. Once bonded and formed, its impact resistance is up to 60 times higher than that of traditional ceramic tiles, while its outstanding structural toughness further enhances its suitability for a wide range of engineering applications.
In terms of low-carbon and environmental performance, soft ceramic follows the principles of green building materials and offers the advantages of ultra-low carbon emissions and recyclability. The entire product range complies with international EU environmental standards and is non-toxic, harmless, safe, and environmentally friendly, making it highly compatible with the requirements of carbon-neutral buildings and green prefabricated buildings.
Overall, soft ceramic integrates multiple advantages, including high aesthetic appeal, high durability, high safety, low-carbon and environmental performance, and convenient installation. It can be comprehensively applied to scenarios including high-end new construction, urban renewal and renovation, ultra-low-energy buildings, and carbon-neutral demonstration projects.
As a result, it provides modern green prefabricated buildings with a standardized, systematic, and high-end facade solution, serving as a next-generation core facade material designed to support the green transformation and upgrading of the building industry.
