With a ShopBot CNC tool, you use the included software to design your parts on your personal computer, then, like a robot, the computer controls the cutter to precisely cut your parts. In the past, CNC tools were strictly industrial tools only used in large factory settings. Now, all the types of computer-driven tools that create things by cutting material away (such as CNCs or laser cutters) or building up material in layers to create an object (3D printing) are called digital fabrication tools. ShopBot's innovations in CNC technology have made these powerful tools affordable for individuals and small shops.