FANUC America Corporation wants to change how manufacturers program complex parts, and the Rochester Hills-headquartered company is betting an industry-wide training initiative can do it.

The company launched its 5-Axis Integrated Technology Initiative on Monday, Aug. 24, targeting CNC machine tool builders, CAD/CAM software companies and manufacturers who still rely on outdated, machine-specific programming workflows. The program's pitch: shift the industry from programming tied to individual machines to a standardized, part-specific approach that works across any FANUC-controlled equipment.

"Because the FANUC control has been the industry's gold-standard for CNC systems for decades, many manufacturers developed their machining processes years ago," Rick Schultz, executive director of aerospace for FANUC America, said in the announcement. "As a result, they may not be taking advantage of the latest CNC technologies … The FANUC 5-Axis Integrated Technology Initiative is designed to train the entire industry on new methods, new technologies and more efficient ways to machine parts."

The problem the initiative targets is familiar to shops running multi-axis equipment. In traditional CNC environments, each machine tool often requires its own programming approach, forcing programmers to manually calculate complex movements for a single machine. That produces part programs locked to one machine, driving up setup time and limiting flexibility.

The fix is standardization.

Under the new program, machine tool builders and CAD/CAM partners must produce a standardized 5-axis evaluation part proving their machines, software and settings conform to FANUC's recommended practices. The initiative also includes guidelines for proper machine setup and emphasizes optimized post processors within CAD/CAM systems, requiring alignment across the CNC machine, post processor, CAD/CAM system and simulation environment.

Schultz said the approach "significantly reduces the 'art-to-part' development time because the program is the same regardless of which machine is used."

The initiative is separate from FANUC America's recent capital investments in Michigan. In March 2026, the company announced a $90 million project to build an 840,000-square-foot robotics manufacturing facility in Pontiac, targeted for late 2027 completion and expected to add 225 jobs. Since 2019, FANUC America has invested nearly $300 million in U.S. facilities, grown its footprint to 3 million square feet and created more than 700 jobs.

FANUC America, headquartered at 3900 W. Hamlin Road in Rochester Hills, has not named specific machine tool builders or CAD/CAM companies that have enrolled in the initiative. No enrollment deadline or public launch event has been announced.