The specific equipment of a five axis machining machine determines which two of the three rotating axes it uses, and it can have arbitrary combinations of AB, AC, or BC, which involves the type of five axis machine. Common types include ear axis machines and rotary machines.

Ear axis machines operate on the A axis (rotating around the X axis) and C axis (rotating around the Z axis), while rotary machines operate on the B axis (rotating around the Y axis) and C axis (rotating around the Z axis). The rotation axis in ear axis machines is indicated by the movement of the worktable, while in rotary machines, their rotation axis is indicated by the rotation spindle.