CMS Ares

The CMS Ares is a 5-axis CNC machining center and router from CMS S.p.A. positioned for aerospace-grade aluminum machining and composite work where higher structural rigidity is required than a standard composite router provides. Unlike the Poseidon, which is optimized for large-format composite routing, the Ares bridges the gap between a gantry router and a fixed-bridge machining center — offering the large working envelope of a router with enough structural stiffness to perform serious aluminum milling operations alongside composite trimming and drilling.

The Ares targets aerospace structural part fabrication where a single machine must handle both aluminum skin-stringer interfaces, machined pockets, and adjacent composite panel trim operations in a production cell. This combination is common in aerospace Tier 1 work where mixed-material assemblies (aluminum spars with CFRP skins, for example) require sequential operations on a common fixture without part repositioning. The Ares allows these operations to remain on one machine rather than requiring transfer between a dedicated machining center and a composite router.

CMS builds the Ares with a heavier bridge structure and wider linear guide spacing than the Poseidon, providing the additional cutting stiffness needed for aluminum milling at aerospace quality standards. The 5-axis head options include both electrospindle configurations for composite routing and motor spindle options for aluminum work. CMS offers the Ares with Siemens Sinumerik 840D sl control and RTCP (Rotating Tool Center Point) compensation for accurate 5-axis simultaneous machining.

For aerospace parts manufacturers dealing with increasingly common composite-metal hybrid structures, the Ares represents a practical solution that avoids investing in two separate machines for two separate processes. CMS has established relationships with aerospace OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers across Europe and North America, and the Ares is supported by CMS's global service network.