Solid foundations, top ambitions: TopSolid CAD/CAM unleashed in the UK

Machinery & Manufacturing chats exclusively with the founders of TS Pro Systems about what the company’s reintroduction of TopSolid CAD/CAM into the UK market means for machine shops nationwide

When TS Pro Systems Ltd officially launched in April 2025, it did so with a clear goal: to reintroduce a proven and extremely successful European CAD/CAM platform to a UK market that has barely scratched the surface of its potential. As the new sole distributor and reseller for TopSolid in the UK and Ireland, the company is certain the software can help machine shops move towards fully integrated, shop-floor-ready production.

We hear first from Ben Miller, Technical Director and co-founder of TS Pro Systems, who tells us how the company came into being: “Both Jonathan and I previously worked for UK CAM software suppliers and had talked for years about setting up on our own. When we reviewed the market, TopSolid really stood out, and that’s essentially how TS Pro Systems was born.”

Although TopSolid, headquartered in France, sees widespread use across mainland Europe, its presence in the UK has historically been modest. That’s starting to change: “We’ve quadrupled TopSolid’s UK user base in our first year – all new customers.”

Jonathan Hawkins, Sales Director and co-founder, wants to tell us about the opportunity presented by partnering with such a major CAD/CAM developer: “TopSolid has a global turnover of around £75 million and, before 2019, was known as Missler Software, which dates back more than 40 years. There’s no reason whatsoever it can’t become the country’s biggest CAD/CAM platform.”

Integrate to accumulate

One of TopSolid’s defining characteristics is its fully integrated configuration. Unlike systems where CAD and CAM operate as separate environments, TopSolid was designed as a unified solution. Ben puts it plainly: “It’s not a bolt-on set up – there’s no bridge between CAD and CAM. Click a button and you’re in CAD; click again and you’re in CAM.”

The ecosystem comprises TopSolid’Design for parametric modelling, TopSolid’Cam for high-performance machining with native five-axis support and GPU-based simulation, and TopSolid’Pdm for embedded data management.

Spread far and wide

In terms of capability, TopSolid covers a lot of ground. The platform supports everything from sliding-head turning to simultaneous five-axis machining, as well as EDM, laser cutting, forming, robotics and inspection equipment programming. A G-code simulator validates post-processed code using kinematics-based simulation within the same interface.

Speed is another big plus, with TS Pro revealing that users are often able to create toolpaths in around 20% of the time required by many competitor systems. Ben provides us with a performance metric that many of you will want to hear: “Template-driven processes mean you can load a design model and generate the first toolpath in about 30 seconds.”

The system also suits larger organisations. Integrated PDM (product data management) helps manage traceability and version control, for example, while multiple users working with shared libraries can collaborate efficiently.

Pillar of support

TS Pro’s offer goes way beyond software, as Jonathan highlights: “We’re gathering momentum at a time when the industry arguably faces its worst ever skills shortage. That’s why we’re not just offering a product; we’re providing support. We’re hands-on and extremely responsive.”

The team’s background helps here. TS Pro staff come directly from industry, including former machine operators and CAM users who understand what shops are trying to achieve.

That same thinking sits behind TopSolid Operator, a lightweight version of the software that enables machinists to simulate programs and output code directly at the machine. Notably, TopSolid Operator supports the ‘Integrated Digital Factory’ concept, creating a paperless environment where documents such as tool sheets and set-up cards update automatically within PDM.

Growth opportunity

TS Pro Systems is already signalling its future ambitions. The company has grown to six employees in its first year, recruiting both applications engineers and sales engineers.

At MACH 2026 (NEC Birmingham, 20-24 April, stand 17-321), the company will show live machining routines on customer parts, demonstrating how shops can exploit TopSolid to transform workflows and bridge the gap between design and production.

Jonathan has the final word: “We want TopSolid to become the UK market leader. With the capability of the product and the drive behind TS Pro Systems, it’s 100% achievable.”