Computer numerical control (CNC) machines affect daily life for most people in the United States. That’s because of how many industries use CNC technology to create parts critical to their function. So, what are the top industries using CNC machining in 2025?
The top industries using CNC machining in 2025 include the aerospace, medical, and automotive industries. You can also find CNC-machined parts in agricultural, marine, and renewable energy equipment, such as solar panels and wind turbines. The fast turnaround time, intricate designs, and durability that CNC machining offers make it useful to most modern industries.
Designers, programmers, and machine operators are responsible for CNC machining’s great results. Follow along as we explore the top industries that use CNC machines in 2025.
10 Industries That Depend on CNC Machining
1. Aerospace
The aerospace industry relies on CNC machining’s precision. Whether it be passenger planes, cargo jets, or military aircraft, countless airplanes feature CNC-machined parts. The aerospace industry has rigid, specific regulations that require perfectly crafted parts.
Airlines commission CNC machine shops to create key airplane components, such as engine parts. Many airplanes also contain landing gear that is CNC-machined. No other manufacturing method offers as much precision as CNC machines.
2. Medical
It’s easy to forget how much ingenuity goes into every device at a hospital, no matter how little it is. However, everything from surgical tools and biopsy tubes to orthopedic implants are often made by CNC machines. CNC machine shops also produce electronic components for X-ray machines.
Hospitals and machine shops must comply with strict regulations, or else both parties risk fines. Luckily, reputable machine shops consult their clients each step of the way. CNC lathes and Swiss CNC machines are especially useful in the medical industry because of their precision.
3. Automotive
The automotive industry has gone through many changes over time. However, many automotive companies rely on CNC machines and the fast turnaround time they offer. It’s hard to find another method to produce parts like pistons and cylinder heads that quickly.
CNC machines create brake components, like calipers and brake pads, as well as engine parts like crankshafts. Machine shops can use CNC mills and lathes to produce countless car parts, no matter how complex they are. No other manufacturing method offers the same level of detail with such a fast turnaround time.
4. Defense and Military
It’s no secret that the defense industry relies on the best, most durable parts. After all, they commission machine shops to create parts that help them protect the U.S. and other countries. Each sector within the military uses CNC-machined parts.
For example, the Navy uses intricate boat parts, and the Air Force uses CNC-machined landing gear and engine components. The ability to program thorough designs and use design files to bring them to life is essential for the defense industry.
5. Electronics
Think about how many tiny, intricate parts go into each of your electronic devices. Such parts are hard to create using any method besides CNC machining. It’s much easier to mass-produce circuit boards with PCB CNC machines than any other method.
They ensure maximum detail without losing time on the production schedule. CNC machines are just as useful for creating PC circuit boards as they are for guitar amplifiers. The video game industry even commissions CNC machine shops to create console and controller parts.
6. Construction
The construction industry relies on countless people, tools, and parts to make the world more habitable and practical. That even includes small parts like bolts, nuts, and screws, as well as large parts like turbine blades. CNC machines can create each of these components
Such precision is necessary in construction where industry regulations affect public safety. Many machine shops can also finish intricate parts using several methods. This is essential in construction where many parts need finishes to help them withstand the element.
7. Boating
The boating industry, or marine industry, relies on CNC machining in the same way as the automotive industry. CNC machines can create deck and hull parts, propellers, engine components, and more. Such designs translate well into CAD, which machine shops use to program CNC machines for the best results.
You can also create components for boat navigation systems with CNC machines. Today, it’s hard to find a high-end boat that doesn’t have at least several CNC-machined components. Boat parts, like filtration systems, feature intricate designs that only CNC machines can craft perfectly.
8. Gas and Oil
It takes a lot of work and skill to get the gas that we use to fuel our cars. Oil rigs contain at least 33 key components, many of which contain several small parts. That’s why the CNC machining industry works so closely with the gas and oil industries.
Valves, couplings, manifolds, and subsea connectors must also meet specific regulations and designs. It’s much easier to achieve this when skilled programmers and machine operators use CNC machines. The fast turnaround time also helps oil companies stay on schedule.
9. Agriculture
The agriculture industry relies on many tools and pieces of equipment, small and large, to thrive. Farming equipment often features many parts, like engines and control boards, that are CNC-machined. The role of CNC machining in agriculture is similar to its role in the automotive and marine industries.
You can even create parts for irrigation systems with CNC machines.
10. Renewable Energy
Solar panels are the most widely recognized pieces of renewable energy technology. You can tell how intricate they are if you look at them closely. Without CNC machines, it would take much longer and cost more to produce solar panels.
Other renewable energy systems, like wind turbines, are also CNC-machined. The ability to use CNC machines to help the renewable energy industry is rewarding.
Proudly Serving Many Industries
We take pride in our ability to produce parts and products for a wide variety of industries. While the designs themselves vary, our approach to designing, programming, and machining intricate parts stays the same. Call DureX at (908) 688-0800 to get a quote and learn more about our precision CNC machining process.