What is a CNC Milling Machine?

The majority of CNC milling machine solutions are computer controlled vertical mills that have the ability to move the spindle vertically along the z-axis. This extra level of freedom allows for use of a CNC milling machine in die sinking, engraving, and even relief sculptures. When their use is combined with conical tools or a ball nose cutter, the precision is improved ten fold without impacting speed. This provides a cost-effective alternative to almost all flat-surface hand-engraving work. Since computers now cost less, and there are free operating systems available such as Linux and Open Source CNC software, the price of CNC machines has taken a nose dive. For instance, Sherline, Prazi and others now make desktop CNC milling machines that are affordable for most hobbyists.