A certain amount of manufacturing equipment is necessary for anyone running a production-based business. Depending on the nature of the business, a lathe, milling machine or CNC machine might be a necessity. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, and refers to a machine which is operated automatically through a computer. Most manufacturing equipment is controlled through CNC because it allows for the repeated production of parts by way of a computer. CNC can be used with metal, wood and other materials. Along with creating a process that involves little human intervention, CNC is advantageous because it has considerably improved the quality and consistency of the products. A common piece of manufacturing equipment is the milling machine, used for the shaping of metal parts. On a milling machine, a cutter rotates around the axis, similar to a drill. Although the spindle is stationary, the workstation moves around--usually in all directions--to accommodate the shaping of the metal. Typical functions of milling machines include planning, routing and drilling. Milling machines are sold as either horizontal or vertical mills. A CNC wood router is similar to a milling machine, with a few noticeable differences. First, the wood router tends to be much larger and may contain multiple drills that work together. This is especially helpful when performing complicated tasks such as cabinetry. The router tends to spin faster than a milling machine and uses smaller tools. Although the wood router is controlled in much the same way as its metal counterpart, the wood router has a lot more CAM software available, which makes the manufacturing process more efficient.
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