--- title: CNC Machining Blog | Hurco CNC Machine Tools | Manufacturing Industry Insights description: Manufacturing Industry Insights | Welcome to the Hurco CNC machine tool blog. Subscribe for weekly posts on high-speed and 5-axis machining, workholding, the latest control technologies, plus Hurco tips-and-tricks…just to name a few. --- # CNC Machining Blog - Tips and Tricks for Machinists Welcome to the Hurco CNC machine tool blog. Subscribe for weekly posts on high-speed and 5-axis machining, workholding, the latest control technologies, plus Hurco tips-and-tricks…just to name a few. Browse by All Manufacturing Industry Insights CNC Control & Software Milling WinMax Conversational Programming 5-Axis Machining NC / G-Code Programming CAD/CAM / Post Processor Hurco Turning Lathe Tooling Mill Tooling control technology High Speed Machining Mold Making Tool & Die Prototype Machining Workholding Automation Aerospace & Defense Hurco History cnc lathe turning center cnc machining entrepreneur history of machining 3d dxf Automotive Gerald Roch Hurco50 Indiana business Mr. Roch US Navy USS Indiana Vintage Hurco conversational cnc control conversational programming customer dxf dxf transfer hurco cnc indy inventions inventor manufacturing history 2-axis shearing machine 2d dxf 3D Import AI Artificial Intelligence COVID-19 Circle Segment Cutters Compu-cut Coronavirus Ed Humston Energy Hurco 50th Anniversary Hurco US Navy IRS Make48 Medical NHRA PRI Show Purdue Polytechnic Anderson Youth in Manufacturing autobend cnc mill depreciation federal income tax future history of Hurco how its made indycar racing rigid robust section 179 smart machining tax deduction vmx y-axis ## Posts about Manufacturing Industry Insights: ![Absolute Tool Length for CNC Machinists](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/Absolute%20Tool%20Length%20image.jpg) [Milling](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/milling) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [Mill Tooling](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/mill-tooling) Absolute Tool Length is an industry standard feature in CNC machining that provides continuity across machine brands and controls. ![Youth in Manufacturing: Hurco inspires through Make48 competition](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/yf7VZpHW.jpeg) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [cnc mill](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-mill) [cnc lathe](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-lathe) [Youth in Manufacturing](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/youth-in-manufacturing) [Make48](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/make48) [Purdue Polytechnic Anderson](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/purdue-polytechnic-anderson) [turning center](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/turning-center) ## MANUFACTURING SKILLS GAP At Hurco, we do whatever we can to support our education and industry partners who are working diligently to attract younger generations to manufacturing and close the skills gap that our industry is currently experiencing. ![3D Solid Model Import 3-Axis and 5-Axis: Conversational CNC](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/3dimport-1-1.png) [manufacturing history](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-history) [5-Axis Machining](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/5-axis-machining) [WinMax Conversational Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/winmax-conversational-programming) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [control technology](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/control-technology) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) [Hurco 50th Anniversary](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco-50th-anniversary) Hurco's [3D Import feature](https://info.hurco.com/3d-import-solid-model) provides the ability to import a solid model directly into the[ CNC control](https://www.hurco.com/en-us/products/Pages/WinMax-our-cnc-control.aspx) and conversationally program features from that solid on both 3-axis and 5-axis machining centers. ![Importing Solid Model STL File as Stock Geometry in WinMax Software](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/Capture-1.jpg) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [CAD/CAM / Post Processor](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cadcam-post-processor) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) The ability to import an STL file for stock geometry is a Hurco WinMax feature I'm excited to discuss. Although many people have this feature on their controls, they either aren't aware of it or don't know how to use it. I thought it was worth a quick blog post and video.  ![Winning! Hurco Control Wins Award](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/cnc%20cookbook%20award%201.png) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) **CNC Cookbook Survey Respondents Rank Hurco Control #1** ![5-Axis CNC Book Release](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/123456789.jpg) [5-Axis Machining](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/5-axis-machining) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) Well I’m just too excited about this not to share this news with my readers. With the help of Hurco Companies, I just recently published my very first actual book! It is a comprehensive guide to 5-axis CNC machining, and I wrote it to help the machinist as a shop floor guide of sorts. ![5-Axis CNC Mill Programming: Transform Planes Using IJK UVW Vectors](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/tool_vector_31.jpg) [5-Axis Machining](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/5-axis-machining) [NC / G-Code Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/nc-g-code-programming) [Milling](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/milling) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [control technology](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/control-technology) A while back, I received a comment on one of my [previous blog posts](https://blog.hurco.com/blog/bid/309807/5-Axis-Programming-programming-with-tool-vectors) asking how to designate 5-axis transform planes using IJK UVW vector tokens instead of the traditional ABC rotary axis designations on their 5-axis CNC machine. Instead of just replying to that comment, I thought I would write this post as a response. Since this will be a continuation of the 5-axis CNC basics series, I suggest that you read and understand [using IJK tool vectors](https://blog.hurco.com/blog/bid/309807/5-Axis-Programming-programming-with-tool-vectors) as a pre-cursor to this article.  The idea behind creating a 5-axis transform plane using vectors is exactly the same as programming tool movement with IJK tool vectors on any machine with a fifth axis. However, the difference lies in the fact that you will have two separate vectors: one using IJK and the other using UVW. The reason you need two separate “legs” for this function is because you cannot designate a plane with only one axis. I will use the floor inside a room as my analogy: you could not create a floor in a room without having at least two walls. With only one, the floor would simply spin around that single axis and could actually point in literally any direction. To accommodate the two legs of the transform plane, and because we want to determine the direction of the Z-axis ultimately, we will use the X-axis and Y-axis as our legs, or walls of the desired transform plane. ![Explaining Hurco’s Select Surface Finish Quality (SFQ)](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/MoonScape.jpg) [WinMax Conversational Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/winmax-conversational-programming) [NC / G-Code Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/nc-g-code-programming) [Milling](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/milling) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) Today’s Hurco users are well aware of the term SFQ, or Select Surface Finish Quality, on the Hurco control, and probably have a pretty good idea about which settings work best for them – however, many of them probably don’t realize what is actually going on behind the scenes, and what those settings actually mean or how they affect the machine’s behavior. 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