LFAM Mould / Tooling Designer

Rapid Fusion; Exeter; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company benefits package

Direct exposure to landmark projects

Small, fast-moving engineering team

Growth with rapidly expanding company

Job summary

Rapid Fusion, based in Exeter, is seeking an LFAM Mould/Tooling Designer to join our engineering team. You will design large-format moulds, patterns and tooling for production on our LFAM robotic platforms, collaborating with applications, materials, and manufacturing teams to turn customer requirements into manufacturable tooling.

This hands-on design role offers exposure to live customer projects, from marine and aerospace tooling to bespoke fixtures and jigs, helping shape best practice in

Qualifications

• Experience designing moulds, tooling or fixtures for composites or large-format tooling.
• Strong 3D CAD skills (SolidWorks, NX, Fusion 360, Inventor).
• Knowledge of DfM, GD&T and engineering drawings.
• Familiarity with LFAM processes and material selection.
• Experience with marine/aerospace tooling desirable.
• Ability to interpret surface data and produce manufacture-ready documentation.
• Right to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Design large-format moulds, tools, patterns, jigs and fixtures for LFAM production.
• Translate customer requirements and CAD data into tooling designs.
• Apply DfAM, considering toolpath, infill, shrinkage, thermal and post-machining.
• Select materials suitable for tooling with teams.
• Prepare design packs, drawings and specs for manufacture.
• Support slicing/toolpath validation and build simulation.
• Contribute to costing and proposals for tooling projects.
• Maintain design documentation and tooling design standards.

Skills

3D CAD skills

DfAM principles

GD&T interpretation

Materials knowledge

Problem solving

Clear communication

Right to work in the UK

Tools

SolidWorks

Siemens NX

Fusion 360

Autodesk Inventor

Job description

Location: Exeter, UK (Clyst Honiton) — office-based, with occasional site travel

Travel: Occasional, UK and international|Salary: Competitive, DOE|Type: Full-time, permanent

About Rapid Fusion

Rapid Fusion designs and manufactures large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) systems built around KUKA robotics, serving the defence, aerospace, marine, and commercial sectors. Our Zeus, Apollo, Cerberus, and Medusa platforms are installed at customer sites across the UK and internationally. Rapid Fusion is part of Evolution AM Holdings, alongside Evo 3D and Evolution Media.

The Role

We're looking for an LFAM Mould/Tooling Designer to join our engineering team at our Exeter office. You'll design large-format moulds, patterns and tooling for production on our LFAM robotic platforms, working closely with our applications, materials and manufacturing teams to turn customer requirements into manufacturable, print-ready tooling for sectors including marine, aerospace, defence and industrial composites.

This is a hands-on design role at a fast-growing company, offering direct exposure to live customer projects — from large-scale mould tooling for marine and composite applications through to bespoke fixtures and jigs — and the chance to shape best practice in an emerging manufacturing technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Design large-format moulds, tools, patterns, jigs and fixtures for production via LFAM robotic printing (pellet and filament-based systems)
• Translate customer requirements, CAD models and surface data into manufacturable, print-optimised tooling designs
• Apply design-for-additive-manufacturing (DfAM) principles, including toolpath, infill, shrinkage, thermal and post-machining allowances specific to LFAM processes
• Work closely with materials, applications and production engineering colleagues to select appropriate materials (e.g. reinforced pellet composites) for each tooling application
• Prepare detailed design packs, drawings and specifications suitable for internal manufacture and, where relevant, CNC post-machining
• Support slicing/toolpath validation and liaise with software partners and internal teams on build simulation and print strategy
• Contribute to costing and technical proposals for tooling projects, working with sales and commercial colleagues
• Support root-cause investigation and design iteration where print or in-service tooling issues arise
• Maintain design documentation and contribute to the continuous development of Rapid Fusion's tooling design standards and best practice

Requirements

• Proven experience in mould, tooling, pattern or fixture design, ideally within composites, marine, aerospace, automotive or industrial manufacturing
• Strong 3D CAD skills (e.g. SolidWorks, Siemens NX, Fusion 360, Autodesk Inventor or similar)
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and DfM principles; exposure to additive manufacturing, composites layup or large-format tooling highly desirable
• Ability to interpret customer surface data, GD&T and engineering drawings, and to produce clear, manufacture-ready documentation
• Good understanding of materials behaviour (shrinkage, thermal expansion, warping) as it relates to mould/tool design
• Strong problem-solving skills and comfort working on novel, first-of-a-kind tooling challenges
• Clear communicator, able to work cross-functionally with applications, production and commercial teams
• Right to work in the UK
• Direct experience designing tooling for large-format/robotic additive manufacturing (LFAM) or 3D-printed patterns and moulds
• Familiarity with slicing software for robotic/LFAM systems (e.g. AI Build or similar)
• Experience in marine, defence or aerospace tooling applications
• Knowledge of CNC post-processing/machining of additively manufactured tooling

What We Offer

• Company benefits package
• Direct exposure to landmark projects across defence, marine and aerospace sectors
• Small, fast-moving engineering team with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge robotic manufacturing technology
• Genuine opportunity to grow with a rapidly expanding company