5. Conclusions

The following points emerge from this presentation.

1. HSM is an industrial reality, not a laboratory curiosity. Just look at the results obtained - and exploited - in a wide variety of materials, techniques and industries.

2. The progress of HSM and its industrial applications is conditioned by all the elements that go into defining a machining operation:

• machines: spindles, work axis (speeds, accelerations) ;

• tools: cutting materials, tool geometries and costs, which may or may not make HSM profitable;

• intermediate elements (precision, balancing, repeatability of assemblies, etc.) ;

• machined materials (machinability in compliance with job specifications) ;

• ...