Book excerpt: Ultimately, the productivity and competitiveness of the machine tool and all of the supporting systems is dependant upon the experience, skill, expertise, knowledge, ingenuity, and capabilities of the manufacturing engineers, programmers, and skilled craftsmen. How they apply, operate, and supervise the various elements of the system makes the difference. This lavishly illustrated four-color book, written by Makino's Vertical Machining Center Product Line Manager, addresses not only the machine tool and its characteristics, but also these critical support technologies. The focus is on how to invest in technology that will supply maximum results for high-speed, hard milling applications. The text is structured to provide an easy flow, quick review for the reader, and yet still be used as a detailed reference. It is formatted in a 'question and answer' fashion, detailing what an owner, purchaser, or operator should know relative to making a machine tool investment specifically targeting high-speed, hard milling applications typical of the die and mold market.