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CNC offers greatly increased productivity over non-computerized machining for repetitive production, where the machine must be manually controlled (e.g. using devices such as hand wheels or levers) or mechanically controlled by pre-fabricated pattern guides (see [[Pantograph#Milling machines|pantograph mill]]). However, these advantages come at significant cost in terms of both capital expenditure and job setup time. For some prototyping and small [[batch production|batch]] jobs, a good machine operator can have parts finished to a high standard whilst a CNC workflow is still in setup.
In modern CNC machining<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-17 |title=What Is CNC Machining? A Complete Guide {{!}} TFG USA |url=https://www.tfgusa.com/what-is-cnc-machining-an-in-depth-guide/ |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=www.tfgusa.com |language=en-US}}</ref> systems, the design of a mechanical part and its manufacturing program are highly automated. The part's mechanical dimensions are defined using CAD software and then translated into manufacturing directives by CAM software. The resulting directives are transformed (by "[[post processor]]" software) into the specific commands necessary for a particular machine to produce the component and then are loaded into the CNC machine.
Since any particular component might require the use of several different tools – [[drill]]s, [[saw]]s, [[Touch_probe| touch probes]] etc. – modern machines often combine multiple tools into a single "cell". In other installations, several different machines are used with an external controller and human or robotic operators that move the component from machine to machine. In either case, the series of steps needed to produce any part is highly automated and produces a part that meets every specification in the original CAD drawing, where each specification includes a tolerance.
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