Total Machining Solutions

TMS 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 and innovation. Looking to expand their production capability without compromising on the accuracy their motorsport clients demand, they invested in large-format robotic 3D printing as an alternative approach for applications where traditional methods were becoming a constraint.

The system works in collaboration with TMS's existing 5-axis CNC capability. For tooling, where blocking up epoxy board becomes expensive, time-consuming, or limited by geometry, TMS now prints the near-net shape with the robot and machines back on the 5-axis to achieve the surface accuracy and tolerances their customers require. It is an additive-first workflow for specific applications, with the precision of CNC machining as the finishing stage — combining the strengths of both technologies rather than choosing between them.

CNC Robotics delivered a turnkey large-format additive manufacturing system built around a KUKA industrial robot arm integrated with a CEAD S25 thermoplastic extruder, mounted on a 3-metre linear track to give a build volume of 3m x 2m. The system was configured for multi-axis printing to handle varied part geometries, with both Aibuild and Adaxis tested in-house across the full software stack to establish the best performance for each application.

For the applications it is suited to, the results are significant. Lead times dropped by 25–30% compared to blocking up and machining from solid. Material consumption fell, and long print cycles run largely unattended, reducing labour input at the production stage. Epoxy tooling board hasn't been removed from the process — for many jobs it remains the right choice — but where geometry makes blocking up impractical or where material costs make it uneconomical, 3D printing is now the preferred route.