University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool approached CNC Robotics to design and integrate two robotic systems to support research across two departments — a Laser Development Lab and the Mechanical Engineering Department. The engineering team were undertaking research into carbon fibre tooling and prototyping with an ambitious goal: to produce a 100 mph monocoque bike capable of breaking the land speed record without external assistance.

CNC Robotics designed and installed two KUKA-based robotic machining systems configured to the specific requirements of each department. For the Mechanical Engineering team, the system allowed carbon fibre to be machined into precise representations of the final bike chassis geometry — a process that would have been significantly more time-consuming with traditional tooling methods. The flexibility of the robotic cell supported both the prototyping and production stages of the research program.

The systems gave the university's researchers a platform to work at a pace and precision that matched the ambition of the project. Rather than being constrained by conventional machining equipment, the team could iterate quickly, test geometries, and move through the development process with a tool capable of handling complex carbon fibre work in a research environment.

For CNC Robotics, the University of Liverpool installation is an example of what robotic machining delivers beyond industrial production — in research, education, and advanced engineering development. The same systems used in aerospace and motorsport manufacturing can be configured for university and research applications, giving institutions access to production-grade capability for next-generation engineering programmes.