TMS (Tooling & Manufacturing Specialists) is a UK-based manufacturer specialising in CNC machining, composite tooling, and advanced manufacturing. With applications ranging from high-temperature moulds for automotive and aerospace to bespoke work in art and film, TMS has built a strong reputation for precision, quality, and innovation. Facing rising material costs and growing sustainability pressures, the company sought a smarter, more scalable approach to composite production.
The Challenge
TMS wanted to reduce dependency on traditional pattern-based workflows and transition to a more efficient, future-focused production model. Their pain points included:
- Rising costs of epoxy tooling board
- Excessive material waste from subtractive manufacturing
- Growing demand for sustainable processes from high-profile clients (such as Formula 1 teams)
- The need to streamline lead times while reducing environmental impact
The Solution
CNC Robotics delivered a turnkey large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) system that gave TMS the ability to produce large composite tooling directly from thermoplastic material – eliminating the need for patterns. The system included:
- A KUKA robotic arm integrated with a CEAD S25 thermoplastic extruder
- A 3m track, enabling a build volume of 3m x 2m
- Multi-axis printing to support varied part geometries
- A full slicing software stack, with both Ai Build and Adaxis tested in-house
- Tailored commissioning, training, and materials support on-site
Setup & Learning Curve
Adopting robotic additive manufacturing meant rethinking traditional CNC workflows. While the system was intuitive, TMS continually have to predict how the thermoplastic materials behave, particularly around bonding and cooling, to ensure consistent part quality. Another shift was printing with deliberate overbuild, so parts could be post-processed to tolerance. Workflows had to be adapted for additive manufacture, designing for additive rather than subtractive means a shift in designers and programmers process. These challenges were resolved quickly thanks to strong support from CNC Robotics, CEAD, and software partners.
Results & Impact
By switching to large-format additive, TMS achieved:
- 25–30% reduction in lead time compared to traditional CNC methods
- Significant material savings from near-net-shape printing
- Reduced labour input, with the ability to run largely unattended during long prints
- A broadened service offering to meet tighter timelines and custom large-format requirements
In Their Own Words
“It’s been a relatively seamless process to learn the machine — the ease of use of the software and hardware together has allowed me to go from design to printing confidently and relatively quickly.” – Dilan Patel, Additive Manufacturing Engineer
“Learning how to print with enough excess material to be machined off has changed the way the usual CNC manufacturing process works.” – Paul Becket, CEO
“Material selection is very important and should be based around the process it will be used for.” – Kevin Anson, Business Development Manager
“CNC Robotics’ help and support has been brilliant. Any problems have been sorted quickly, giving us the confidence to invest in this technology.” – Paul Becket, CEO
Takeaways for Other Manufacturers
This case shows how traditional manufacturers can adopt robotic additive to reduce waste, improve flexibility, and meet sustainability demands. Large-format additive reduces lead times while enabling complex, large-scale tooling to be printed to near-net shapes. When paired with machining, it delivers efficiency without compromising quality. With UK-based integration and support, CNC Robotics makes advanced technology adoption achievable.
