Machining

Machining is a manufacturing process in which a desired shape or part is created through the controlled removal of material, most often metal, by cutting away from a larger piece of raw stock. It is a form of subtractive manufacturing carried out with machine tools, standing in direct contrast to additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, which build a part up by adding material rather than removing it. Machining is a major process in the manufacture of many metal products, though it is also used on wood, plastic, ceramic and composite materials, and a person who specializes in it is called a machinist. As a commercial venture it is typically carried out in a machine shop, a workroom built around primary machine tools, and many manufacturing businesses maintain their own internal machine shops or tool rooms; much modern machining is directed by computer numerical control, in which computers govern the movement and operation of mills, lathes and other cutting machines.