Technology
North 41 doesn't run CNC machines — we build the software that programs them. Lithic is an autonomous AI pipeline that transforms design intent into machine-ready toolpaths in minutes, with fewer revisions and verification built into every step. It's how an AI-first approach to CNC gets a part from a plain-English description to shop-ready G-code.
Traditional CNC manufacturing requires hours or days of manual programming — interpreting a print, building CAM toolpaths, setting up stock and fixtures, writing post-processor code. Lithic AI collapses this into an autonomous pipeline that takes a natural language description and outputs production-ready artifacts.
Every part goes through verification and simulation before any tool moves. The system catches design-for-manufacturability issues, checks tolerances against machine capability, and runs FEA to validate structural integrity — all before a single chip is cut.
14 nodes · conditional redesign loops · max 3 iterations per phase · hard cap at 30 node visits
Production-ready 3D models in ISO 10303 STEP format. Built from 20+ deterministic parametric templates and verified against design intent — every dimension, bore, and bolt circle measured on the actual solid before release, not assumed.
3-axis CNC G-code with OCL 3D surface paths when available, fallback to 2.5D prismatic. Post-processor configs for major controller families (Fanuc, Haas, Siemens).
Design-for-manufacturability analysis checking wall thickness, hole aspect ratios, material compatibility, and GD&T tolerance stackups. Flags features that are expensive or impossible to machine.
Automated quote generation with material cost, machine time estimation, setup fees, and quantity pricing. Supplier integration via Nexar, Xometry, and TraceParts MCP connectors.
Honesty about scope is a feature, not a limitation. Lithic operates inside a deterministic 2.5–3 axis prismatic machining envelope — the work that production CNC mills and lathes actually do well. Inside that envelope it builds complex, multi-feature parts to spec. Outside it, the system refuses rather than approximates, routing the request to a human engineer with a clear reason. A wrong model that looks right is worse than an honest "not yet."
Each of these is detected before any geometry is generated — and verified in our test suite to produce no output rather than a plausible-looking fake.
Every claim above is exercised by an automated end-to-end test catalog: complex parts are measured on the resulting solid (bounding box, bore diameters, bolt-circle pitch, hole positions), and out-of-envelope requests are checked to confirm they are declined, not fabricated.
Every part produced by the Lithic pipeline passes through multiple verification layers before its G-code ever reaches a CNC machine:
North 41's technology platform doesn't stop at design and CAM. The Lithic pipeline connects directly to component sourcing databases:
Japan has long led the world in precision manufacturing — companies like DMG Mori, Mazak, Fanuc, and Okuma define the state of the art in CNC technology. North 41's Lithic AI platform represents the next evolution: software-defined manufacturing where the gap between design and production collapses from weeks to minutes.
This position at the intersection of AI automation and precision machining creates natural opportunities for technical partnership and shared modernization — bringing together domain expertise with a platform built for speed, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Describe a part in plain English and watch Lithic produce STEP geometry, G-code, a DFM report, and a costed quote. Your first 3 design runs are free — no credit card required.
Free, Pro ($14.99/mo) and Studio ($49.99/mo) tiers are available for self-serve use, with custom partnership deployments for production volume.