This part of ISO 3070 specifies, with reference to ISO 230-1, ISO 230-2 and ISO 230-7 geometric tests, machining tests, spindle tests and tests for checking the accuracy and repeatability of positioning by numerical control of general purpose, normal accuracy, horizontal spindle boring and milling machines having a movable column and fixed table. This part of ISO 3070 also specifies the applicable tolerances corresponding to these tests.

This type of machine can be provided with spindle heads of different types, such as those with sliding boring spindle and milling spindle, sliding boring spindle and facing head, or ram or milling ram.

This part of ISO 3070 concerns machines having movement of the column or column saddle on the bed (X axis), vertical movement of the spindle head (Y axis), movement of the boring spindle or ram (Z axis) and, possibly, a feed movement of radial facing slide in the facing head (U axis). Some machines also have an intermediate saddle with slideways between column and bed to achieve additional movement of the column parallel to the spindle axis (W axis).

This part of ISO 3070 deals only with the verification of the accuracy of the machine. It does not apply to the operational testing of the machine (e.g. vibration, abnormal noise, stick-slip motion of components) nor to machine characteristics (e.g. speeds, feeds), as such checks are generally carried out before testing the accuracy.