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Equipment designed for use in working materials into a desired form by performing mechanical operations such as drilling and cutting. These machines usually consist of a rotating assembly (also known as spindle) that includes a shaft, bearings and associated detachable drilling or cutting devices (e.g., drill bits, saws) and a support (e.g., a vise clamped to a table) for the piece that is being conformed. Unlike a conventional drilling machine which holds the piece under work stationary as the drill moves axially to penetrate the material, milling machines also move the piece under work radially and/or laterally against the rotating spindle. Both the piece and spindle movements are precisely controlled (e.g., to less than 0.001 inch/0.025 mm); milling machines may be manually operated, mechanically automated, or digitally controlled (e.g., using computer-aided design/manufacturing, CAD/CAM) methods. Milling/drilling machines may be used for a variety of applications; dedicated machines intended to manufacture dental prostheses are available.
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