The potential for improving the performance of machine tools is considerable. However, for this to be achieved without tool failure or product damage, the process must be sufficiently well understood to enable real-time monitoring and control to be applied. A unique sophisticated measurement platform has been developed and applied to two different machining centres, particularly for high-speed machining up to 24 000 rpm. Characterization and on-line monitoring of the dynamic behaviour of the machining processes has been carried out using both contact-based methods (accelerometer, force sensor) and non-contact methods (laser Doppler vibrometry and magnetic shaker) and numerical simulation (finite element based modal analysis). The platform was applied both pre-process and on-line for studying an aluminium testpiece based on a thin-walled aerospace component. Stability lobe diagrams for this specific machine/component combination were generated allowing selection of optimal process parameters giving stable cutting and metal removal rates some 8-10 times higher than those possible in unstable machining. Based on dynamic characterization and monitoring, a concept for an adaptive control with constraints based machine tool controller has been developed. The developed platform can be applied in manifold machining situations. It offers a reliable way of achieving significant process improvement