As mentioned, the 5-axis machine has two more axes than its traditional counterpart. The “five” refers to the number of directions the cutting tool can move. The extra two allow for advanced rotation and movements to find the best connection between the cutting tool and the material. More notably, this simultaneous operation also provides the option to process up to five faces of the part in one pass. As many as 60% of parts produced in CNC shops require five-sided machining, making this approach increasingly popular.