CMS Advanced Materials Technology: precision and flexibility for global industry.
CMS Advanced Materials Technology: innovation serving companies
CMS Advanced Materials Technology, the CMS Business Unit, is a benchmark in design and production of numerically controlled machining centers for fabricating with advanced materials, and Large Format Additive Manufacturing solutions.
CMS has built up its expertise over more than five decades of activity, during which it did not limit itself to the role of industrial machine manufacturer, but proposed itself as a technological partner for the most advanced companies.
CMS: deep-rooted know-how
CMS – abbreviation of Costruzione Macchine Speciali (special machine construction) – began its business journey in 1969, when it created conventional machine tools driven by mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems. The company has grown progressively over the years, expanding its range of operations and responding promptly to the needs of companies and markets.
In 1989, CMS entered the field of machines for fabricating with advanced materials, expanding its know-how to embrace increasingly advanced technological solutions. This path of growth has passed further essential milestones, such as acquisition by SCM Group in 2002, which was completed in 2015, doubling of the production area when a second production plant was opened in Zogno in 2017, entry into the Large Format Additive Manufacturing sector in 2018, and inauguration of the exclusive CMS Technology Center in 2020. Today, the company combines flexibility and customer centricity with the robustness and resources of an international group, and invests 7% of its turnover in research and development annually.
Research and development investments
The research and development department is the beating heart of CMS's innovative nature. As stated earlier, the company has constantly invested in this area as it considers technological innovation crucial to maintaining a competitive advantage in the market.
This vision is behind concrete projects such as the development of CMS Adaptive Technology, a proprietary system that automatically optimizes machining parameters based on 3D mapping of the part to be made. This technology was developed with trials carried out in collaboration with Formula 1 teams, and can reduce cycle times by up to 30% while maintaining the surface finish quality.
Industry-specific technological solutions
CMS Advanced Materials Technology offers a wide range of technological solutions that adapt to customers’ different needs.
These solutions not only cover a wide variety of industrial sectors, but are also designed to be compatible with different space configurations, making CMS machines ideal for production environments of all sizes.
Aerospace
CMS Advanced Materials Technology offers an integrated ecosystem of machines, expertise and digital services to meet the advanced needs of aeronautical and space production.
The key technologies include the monobloc machining centers of the antares and ares series, which optimized for high precision with composite materials and light alloys, as well as the ethos and poseidon large gantry machines, equipped with patented UHF (Universal Holding Fixtures) systems for clamping complex geometries.
The CMS kreator range offers exclusive solutions for Large Format Additive, and also makes additive technology available to the aerospace sector, with the option of choosing between hybrid machines that combine 3D printing with milling, or printing-only machines.
CMS Advanced Materials Technology adopts a customer-driven approach, integrating digital platforms such as CMS Machine Monitoring and CMS Active for predictive maintenance and production optimization.
The modular flexibility of the solutions means they can adapt to a wide range of production spaces and meet the most challenging fabrication needs:
- Fabricating with core materials
- Trimming and drilling special materials for spacecraft
- Curved composite panels
- Calibrating aluminum parts
- Airplane domes
- Structural parts made of composite material for airplanes and UAVs
- Parts for UAV ground control stations
- Carbon fiber rails and ribs
- Propeller blades and components
- Trimming landing gear parts
- Nacelles
- Molds for the production of seats
CMS places itself not as a simple supplier, but as a solution provider, supported by international sales and technical networks, with widely available spare parts warehouses and continuous training programs. Not only that: CMS maintains high quality standards and collaborates with international players, confirming that it is a strategic partner for this sector.
Automotive
In the automotive sector, CMS Advanced Materials Technology offers solutions to address the challenges of modern mobility, from conventional vehicles to high-performance electric vehicles, with a focus on combining industrial precision with production flexibility.
CMS offers technologies such as the ares and antares series monobloc machining centers, which are optimized for fabricating aluminum frames and carbon fiber components, and use magnetic clamping systems to prevent structural distortion.
The ethos and poseidon open-frame machines can process stacks of sheet metal up to 10 meters to fabricate large components such as aerodynamic panels. Kreator technology combines additive manufacturing and CNC milling to produce lightweight components that are particularly suitable for aerodynamic elements and cockpits.
Integration with CMS Machine Monitoring and CMS Active optimizes control and operation to improve efficiency and reduce personnel learning times.
With over 900 installations in the sector, CMS combines the reliability of a historical manufacturer with the flexibility required by the electrical transition to support customers in producing:
- Resin and aluminum patterns
- Carbon fiber and aluminum parts
- Bumpers, dashboards, handrails, interior parts and door inserts
- Aluminum frames and battery cases
- Alloy wheels
- Aerodynamic elements, roof rails, sills and floor coverings
- 1:1 style models
The approach is complemented with retrofitting services to adapt existing installed machines to new production needs, demonstrating how CMS is a strategic partner in the conversion to the new automotive generation.
Energy production
In the renewable energy sector, CMS Advanced Materials Technology stands out for its production of wind turbine blade fabrication machines, with complete solutions that combine precision and very high performance.
In this sector, the eos machine ensures high productivity and accuracy for drilling and milling wind turbine blades, with a user-friendly interface to facilitate planning and managing operations. CMS also offers solutions to make molds and patterns for wind turbine blades.
Industrial
CMS Advanced Materials Technology offers several solutions in the industrial landscape, the ares and poseidon machining centers in particular.
With their monobloc structures and thermal compensation systems, these machines are designed to handle even extremely heavy loads while maintaining volumetric precision.
CMS machines can be used in a wide variety of industrial applications:
- Automotive prototypes
- Direct sand molds
- Molds
- Ceramic and refractory parts for molten steel flow control
- Machinery parts
In addition to machining centers, waterjet cutting technology is also used to fabricate machine parts. These are ultra-high-pressure waterjet cutting systems conceived and designed to fabricate medium to large steel, aluminum and composite material components to meet the needs of the most challenging sectors. They are true machining centers, designed with specific waterjet technology solutions to ensure higher technological performance.
CMS also offers intelligent retrofit services to upgrade existing machinery to Industry 4.0 standards with IoT sensors and CMS Active interfaces.
With more than 1200 installations worldwide, CMS guarantees mechanical robustness and digital innovation to tackle the most demanding production challenges.
Marine
CMS offers advanced solutions for the marine industry, with gantry and moving bridge machines that are ideal for fabricating hulls, decks and large components.
These machines stand out for their high rigidity and stability, which are essential when fabrication with composite materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass, and light alloys.
Custom configurations with extended work tables and high load capacities can adapt them to specific production needs.
Advanced cutting and milling technologies, including ultrasonic systems, ensure clean fabrication with layered materials. CMS Advanced Materials Technology machines feature 5-axis machining for complex geometries, which can be used to make composite material parts with high quality finishes, which are essential for hydrodynamic performance and wear resistance, as well as custom interior elements.
Integrating additive manufacturing technologies means that molds and lightweight components can be produced efficiently, reducing times and costs. CMS offers machines to cover many production needs in the marine sector:
- Molds and patterns
- Hulls and decks
- Shafts
- Racing boat parts and models
- Buoys
The CMS Machine Monitoring and CMS Active platforms optimize production management with real-time checks and predictive maintenance to enhance precision and production flexibility in the marine sector.
Signage
In the signage production sector, especially for large screens and three-dimensional signage, CMS Advanced Materials Technology stands out for its innovative mbb machining center.
This fixed bridge system combines industrial precision with operational flexibility, and is ideal for fabricating with materials such as aluminum, acrylics, composites, plastics and high-density foams.
It has an automatic tool change system with up to 24 positions to perform milling, drilling and cutting in a single cycle. The machine reaches a forward speed of 30 m/min with accelerations of 5 m/s² to optimize production times without sacrificing quality.
Integration with advanced nesting software maximizes material utilization to reduce waste and optimize costs. Mbb effectively handles fabrication with heterogeneous materials and complex geometries to provide complete solutions for a market geared towards customization and high quality. This ability to work on different types and shapes makes this machining center a valuable resource for consistent, high-quality mass production.
Transport
In the transport sector, CMS Advanced Materials Technology offers solutions that combine industrial precision and production flexibility, with a focus on three main areas.
When fabricating structural components, CMS machining centers are ideal for producing large parts such as frames and load-bearing structures for rail and heavy transport, while advanced control systems ensure precision and repeatability.
CMS solutions for advanced materials cover fabrication with composites such as carbon fiber and fiberglass, light alloys such as aeronautical aluminum, and special steels, while ensuring excellent surface finishes and compliance with dimensional tolerances.
In the transport sector, CMS presents a range of machines that are ideal for fabricating:
- Aluminum structural components
- Caravan and motor home walls
- 1:1 style models
Digital integration is achieved through the CMS Machine Monitoring platform, which offers real-time process monitoring, automatic processing parameter optimization, and predictive maintenance to ensure traceability throughout the production cycle.
The benefits for the transport sector include shorter cycle times with high-speed technologies, optimized material use with advanced nesting algorithms, and flexible productivity to address diverse needs. CMS combines proven industrial know-how with digital innovation to keep up with the needs of companies operating in mobility.
Global presence and tailored support
Internationalization was a fundamental strategic choice for CMS Advanced Materials Technology. Today, the company has a sales and support network that covers all major industrial markets, with branches in North America, Europe and Asia.
The after-sales service is a flagship of the CMS supply. With spare parts warehouses in strategic locations and a stock availability rate of 98%, the company guarantees one of the fastest reaction times in the sector.
CMS technicians follow a continuous training program that keeps them constantly abreast of the latest technological developments.