Everything you need to know about 5-axis machining

According to Mike, author of the CNC book (The Power of FIVE), “I’ve always seen myself as a machinist first and wrote this book with the intention of educating CNC machinists and shop owners on the value of 5-axis machining because I truly believe it is the future of our industry and the most efficient way to produce parts. Making the transition to 5-sided machining on a 5-axis CNC machine solves many of the problems so many shops face: finding qualified machinists (the skills gap), excessive setup costs due to inefficiency, and reacting to pressure from customers, both pricing pressure and delivery pressure. 

“To be blunt, adding a fifth axis saves time and money. Since time is money in our industry, 5-axis makes each part more profitable. It offsets the skills gap issue because you have more machining capabilities with fewer machines, reducing the need for finding and hiring more skilled employees. The technology makes the process more efficient, so you will increase your productivity because you’re not wasting time flipping parts because you have a single setup. And you can react to pressure from your customers because you can switch from one job to another quickly and efficiently. Basically, you can do more with less if you select the right 5-axis CNC machine.”