Manufacturing is becoming less about selecting individual technologies and more about integrating the right processes to solve increasingly complex production challenges. As customer demands evolve and production becomes more agile, application expertise and process knowledge are proving just as important as the machines themselves.
Here, Marino Chiappa, division director, Advanced Materials & Plastic at CMS, discusses how this shift is reshaping manufacturing, the growing industrial role of large-format additive manufacturing, and why the future lies in combining technologies – not viewing them in isolation.
IEN: Can you start by giving us a brief overview of CMS, what the company does and the markets/customers served?
Marino Chiappa: CMS designs and manufactures high-performance CNC machines and integrated systems for processing composites, plastics, carbon fiber, and other advanced materials. We are based in Italy, but serve global customers in demanding sectors including aeronautics and space, defense, high-performance automotive and motorsport, marine, energy and specialist industrial applications.
Our wide technology proposition spans five-axis milling, waterjet and ultrasonic cutting, thermoforming, large format additive manufacturing (LFAM), robotics and automation. Depending on the application requirements, these can be supplied as standalone machines, hybrid systems or integrated production lines.
This approach is deeply rooted in our history. The company’s original name, Costruzione Macchine Speciali (Special Machinery Construction), reflected our founder’s conviction that customers should not have to adapt their production needs to a standard machine. Instead, technology should be configured to address customers’ specific application needs and objectives, and, as we have evolved across markets and technologies, we’ve made sure to uphold the same principles.
Hybrid systems that combine the power of large format 3D printing with the precision of milling offer increased flexibility for a range of production processes.CMS
IEN: So you are harnessing AM and traditional manufacturing alternatives to make them complementary, rather than look upon them as competitive?
Chiappa: Exactly. In large-format applications, AM can rapidly create an object close to its final geometry. Machining is then used to achieve the required tolerances and surface quality, with polishing or further finishing added where necessary. AM contributes speed, material efficiency and geometric freedom; five-axis machining delivers precision and finish.
The right configuration depends on the application. Printing and machining within the same work envelope can reduce handling and setup for very large components. A manufacturer with existing milling capacity may instead benefit from a separate printing system, while robotic AM may suit other requirements.
This is also why the market increasingly needs a broader range of production architectures rather than a single solution, and CMS’s own development path has reflected this evolution. The company initially entered the market with an integrated hybrid system, the most technically demanding configuration, before progressively broadening its offering as customer experience and application needs evolved. Today, the focus is on identifying the most appropriate setup for each customer, taking into account not only the application, but also the equipment already in place. Importantly, this differentiates us uniquely from competitors – typically large-format AM vendors – that do not offer this integrated capability.
Large-format AM will establish itself across more industries as processes become faster, more accessible and more closely connected to machining, automation and software.CMS
IEN: Would you say that customer needs have changed over time, and if so, in what way?
Chiappa: Yes, it’s definitely fair to say they have. In the past, customers often approached a supplier with a defined request: “I need a machine that performs this operation.” Today, the starting point is increasingly a broader challenge: “This is what I need to manufacture, how can you help me achieve it?” That changes the supplier’s role. Before recommending a particular technology solution or combination, we work closely with the customer to fully understand exactly what they intend to manufacture, its material, tolerances, volumes and subsequent finishing processes.
Our customers are under increasing pressure to respond more quickly to the demands of their own customers, as development cycles shorten, design modifications become more frequent, and demand is less predictable. In this environment, value no longer lies solely in the machine itself, but in the application expertise, process knowledge and support that surround it. We recognized this need early on and, like any good supplier, have always believed our role extends beyond supplying equipment to acting as a close consultative partner throughout the customer's journey.
IEN: Given the current global economic and geopolitical landscape, how are ongoing developments impacting your operations?
Chiappa: As expected, geopolitical developments have restricted access to certain markets and made delivery decisions to some locations and customers more complex. But the reality is that there is always something happening on the world stage that makes it imperative for manufacturers and their suppliers to invest in compliance, cybersecurity, data protection and greater commercial controls.
However, amid the current situation, new opportunities are emerging in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America, while investment in aeronautics, space and defense is increasing.
IEN: Added to the disruption you describe, it’s commonly acknowledged that among manufacturers’ other woes is the ever-present threat of competition. How do companies like CMS ensure they’re always one step ahead in this regard?
Chiappa: Manufacturers like us must strive to combine speed with adaptability, and optimizing a stable process for a known outcome is no longer enough. Companies need to develop solutions, test ideas and move into production within increasingly compressed timescales.
This requires flexible production architectures and closer integration between design, engineering and manufacturing. It also necessitates the ability to combine technologies rather than expect one solution to solve every problem. Competitive manufacturers will begin with the customer’s application needs, evaluate the available technology options and configure the most effective route to production.
IEN: CMS entered the large-format additive manufacturing market in 2018. How has the technology evolved since then, and what has driven its transition towards industrial use?
Chiappa: When we entered the market, large-format AM was associated mainly with prototypes and design objects. While its potential for molds, patterns and tooling was clear, customers were still determining where it could deliver genuine industrial value. Since then, materials, processes and software have matured significantly.
A broader range of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics is now available for different applications and operating conditions across sectors such as aerospace, automotive and marine, while higher-volume production and a broader supplier base have reduced material costs.
At the same time, process parameters are better understood, software now supports material management, temperature control and deposition strategies, and successful industrial applications have demonstrated the technology's reliability. As a result, large-format AM is now recognized as a proven, repeatable industrial manufacturing process rather than an experimental technology.
IEN: Beyond productivity, what factors are shaping investment decisions in advanced manufacturing technologies?
Chiappa: Flexibility is one of the most important. Reducing tooling lead times, accommodating design changes or accepting projects that would otherwise be impractical can create substantial commercial value.
Sustainability is also an influential factor. Producing an object close to its final geometry reduces the material removed during machining, while thermoplastics may potentially be recovered and reprocessed at the end of a tool’s useful life. Shorter processes can also reduce energy consumption and dust-intensive operations. Sustainability may not always initiate the investment, but it increasingly strengthens the business case, particularly when it supports efficiency targets or access to incentives.
IEN:As your own case demonstrates, manufacturing has always been built on engineering expertise. As software, automation and AI become increasingly influential, what will define competitive advantage in the factory of the future?
Chiappa: One of manufacturing's most significant long-term challenges is the loss of specialized process knowledge. Experienced technicians understand not only how components are manufactured, but why processes have evolved in particular ways over time, and that expertise cannot simply be replaced by recruiting new people.
Increasingly, software is helping to capture, preserve and structure this knowledge so it can be applied more consistently across the organization. Machine and material data, for example, can already be used to estimate production time, material consumption and expected outcomes before manufacturing even begins.
Automation and robotics are connecting individual operations into integrated cells, while digital twins will make it possible to simulate wider processes in advance. AI can analyze accumulated data, identify patterns and eventually help recommend solutions, making valuable manufacturing knowledge more scalable and accessible to the next generation.
IEN: Looking ahead, where do you see the greatest opportunities for manufacturing over the next few years?
Chiappa: We will see continued growth in specialized sectors such as aeronautics and space, but the broader opportunity lies in integrated, application-specific manufacturing. Large-format additive will establish itself across more industries as processes become faster, more accessible and more closely connected to machining, automation and software. Digital twins and AI will increasingly support process control and decision-making, creating production environments where software, automation and manufacturing expertise work seamlessly together.
Marino Chiappa, Division Director, Advanced Materials & Plastic at CMSCMS
In my opinion, success will depend on specialization without rigidity: manufacturers will need deep application expertise while retaining the flexibility to evolve as technologies, materials and market requirements change.
These themes will also be central at Formnext 2026. Rather than focusing on the capabilities of individual machines, the industry is increasingly evaluating technologies on their ability to solve manufacturing challenges, integrate into existing production environments and deliver measurable business value.
