Total Machining Solutions (TMS) a company in England based in north Kent that is a leader in the CNC machining and manufacturing industry.
TMS uses innovative, high-precision CNC machines to create models, molds and tools. They work with Confor foam and polystyrene, high-density modeling boards, and aluminum.
They use the latest CAD/CAM systems and 5-axis CNC machines to provide high-quality
- prototypes, mock-ups, wind tunnel models for the automotive, aerospace industries
- props and models, bodies and mannequins for the television and film industry.
TMS has a track record of completing projects used in well-known TV shows and world-famous films, such as the Harry Potter series, Spiderman, Star Wars, Jurassic World and the huge hit TV series Game of Thrones.
Total Machining Solutions is the first company in the UK that invested in advanced hybrid technology for mold and model making. The FANUM hybrid machine is also the largest LFAM in the UK. The 3D printing and milling area is 4200 X 3200 X 1000mm.
This machine is capable of 3D printing various materials, such as commercial 20% glass-filled polypropylene through to aerospace-grade carbon-filled polymer. It will be possible to create complex shapes and constructs, forms that cannot be conventionally machined. Printing large forms prior to CNC machining means that much less waste is produced than by using traditional blocks of PU/epoxy materials. There are less offcuts, it takes less power and less time. It’s also more environmentally-friendly, as the machine has the ability to recycle old materials and reprint it, making it more sustainable.
What is Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM)?
Large Format Additive Manufacturing or LFAM for short is the term that has been coined to describe polymer extrusion 3D printers that are both large in their physical printing envelope and that of their extrusion output (measured in pounds per hour).
LFAM is disrupting many traditional methods of manufacturing across various applications and industries. One of the most prominent applications has been the manufacturing of tools, molds and models. Although recreating an existing product through a new means with new benefits can be exciting, LFAM printing also allows for the creation of new ideas that otherwise would’ve been either improbable or impossible to do through other means.
