Custom CNC Fixtures Designed and Manufactured in the UK
A CNC fixture holds a component in a known, repeatable position so it can be machined accurately, safely and quickly. Innovat3D designs and manufactures custom CNC fixtures for UK machine shops, subcontract manufacturers and in-house production engineering teams.
Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Innovat3D supports engineering and manufacturing customers throughout the UK — from a single awkward part that will not sit square in a vice, through to fixture sets for a full production cell.
Problems this solves
- Parts that cannot be located reliably in standard vices or chucks
- Long setup times eating into available spindle hours
- Datum and repeatability problems causing scrap or rework
- Castings, weldments and organic shapes with no flat reference face
- Second- and third-operation setups that need accurate re-location
- Lead times or costs of fully machined metal tooling for one-off work
Typical applications
- Milling and turning fixtures for prismatic and profiled parts
- Locating nests for castings, mouldings and sheet parts
- Second-operation fixtures and turnover plates
- Vacuum and clamp plates for thin or flexible components
- Deburring, marking and assembly support fixtures
- Trial fixtures used to prove a concept before committing to metal
Benefits
Faster fixture development
Design and first physical fixture in days rather than weeks, so process development is not held up waiting on tooling.
Repeatable part location
Positive datums and clamping designed around your actual part geometry and machining sequence.
Complex geometry made simple
Conformal nests can follow a scanned or modelled surface that would be expensive to machine conventionally.
Lightweight tooling
Lower-mass fixtures are easier and safer to handle on and off the machine between setups.
Reduced setup time
Dedicated location and clamping removes repeated dialling-in on every batch.
Iterative development
Revisions are cheap, so a fixture can be refined after the first trial cut rather than lived with.
Who we work with
- Subcontract CNC machine shops
- Production and manufacturing engineers
- Toolrooms and R&D workshops
- Automotive, aerospace-adjacent and general engineering suppliers
- Companies bringing a new part into production
How it works
- 01
Understand the part
We review the component, drawings or CAD, the machine, and the machining sequence and datums.
- 02
Design the fixture
3D CAD design of location, clamping, access and swarf clearance, checked against tool paths.
- 03
Review
You see the CAD before anything is made, so datums and clamp positions can be agreed.
- 04
Manufacture
Manufactured using engineering-grade materials and processes suited to the loads and environment.
- 05
Prove and refine
First-off trial feedback is fed back into the design where a revision will improve the result.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a CNC fixture?
- A CNC fixture is a purpose-made device that locates and holds a component in a repeatable position on a machine tool, so every part in a batch is machined in the same place relative to the datums.
- Can CNC fixtures be 3D printed?
- Yes. Many fixture bodies, nests and soft location details can be produced in engineering-grade polymers. Where cutting loads, heat or wear demand it, metal components or metal inserts are used instead — polymer tooling is not a universal replacement for machined steel or aluminium fixtures.
- When is a 3D printed fixture suitable?
- It suits low to moderate clamping loads, complex or conformal location, one-off and low-volume work, second-operation and inspection setups, and situations where speed of iteration matters more than absolute rigidity.
- Can you design a fixture from an existing component?
- Yes. We can work from a physical sample, photographs and dimensions, drawings or your CAD model, and reverse engineer geometry where no model exists.
- Can you manufacture one-off fixtures?
- Yes. One-off and low-volume fixtures are a core part of what we do, including replacement tooling for fixtures that have been damaged or lost.
- Can existing fixture designs be modified?
- Yes. Existing designs can be adapted for a new part variant, a different machine, or to resolve access and clamping problems found in use.
- Do you provide CAD design as well as manufacturing?
- Yes. Design and manufacture are handled together, so the fixture is designed for the process that will actually make it.
Related services
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Custom CNC workholding solutions from Innovat3D, Staffordshire. Clamping, location and setup aids designed to cut setup time and improve repeatability for UK machine shops.
View CNC Workholding3D Printed CNC Fixtures
3D printed CNC fixtures and additive tooling from Innovat3D, Stoke-on-Trent. Fast, lightweight workholding in engineering-grade polymers for UK machine shops.
View 3D Printed CNC FixturesSoft Jaws
Custom soft jaws for CNC vices and chucks, including 3D printed soft jaws that grip profiled parts without marking. Designed and made by Innovat3D, Staffordshire.
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Custom inspection fixtures, checking gauges and CMM holding fixtures designed and manufactured by Innovat3D in Stoke-on-Trent for UK quality and manufacturing teams.
View Inspection FixturesJigs & Fixtures
Bespoke manufacturing jigs, assembly fixtures and production aids designed and made by Innovat3D in Stoke-on-Trent for UK manufacturing and assembly operations.
View Jigs & FixturesDiscuss your application
Send CAD files, drawings, photographs, dimensions, an existing part or simply a description of the manufacturing problem — whatever you have is enough to start. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Innovat3D supports engineering and manufacturing customers throughout the UK.