CNC machining is rooted in technological advances during the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century, when manufacturing companies started using cam-based lathes and milling tools in the mass production of firearms, factory equipment and everyday items. By the 1940s and '50s, rudimentary numerical control machining in the form of m-code punch cards began to automate several manufacturing tasks that were originally manually controlled by a team of workers.

As digital computers and computer software improved in the 1970s and '80s, more manufacturing tools could be automated to improve production speed and overall efficiency.

Now in the 21st century, CAM and CAD software and cutting-edge CNC machines allow small production teams a cost-effective strategy for manufacturing large quantities of complex parts. As machine learning and artificial intelligence continues to advance, the manufacturing industry will likely continue to optimize and automate processes.