Glossary for Creo NC

Terms	Definitions
3-axis milling	A milling operation in which the workpiece or the tool can move in three linear axis motion.
4-axis plane	Includes three linear axes and one rotational axis motion.
4-axis turning	Turning performed using aCNC lathe machine with at least two turrets that can work synchronously. This is primarily used for area turning.
arc entry	One of the many ways in which a tool enters the workpiece to perform a cut. Arc entry is applicable only for Surface Milling NC sequences and for Swarf Milling. The tool enters along a horizontal arc tangent to the cut (that is, the arc is located in a plane parallel to the XY plane of the NC Sequence coordinate system).
arc feed	A manufacturing parameter applicable to Milling and WireEDMNC sequences. This parameter allows you to control the cut feed around arcs. If set to a dash (-) (the default), theCUT_FEED parameter value is used as the arc feed. If set to 0, the RAPID statement is output before the CIRCLE statement in the CL output.
auxiliary NC sequence	Auxiliary NC sequences produce a point-to-point tool path. They can be used to specify the connecting tool motions and change the tool axis orientation, if needed, between two machining NC sequences.
back bore	Back boring is the machining process of reaming or boring.
breakchipcycle	A type ofCL(Cutter Location) output for standard holemaking cycles.
breakout distance	A manufacturing parameter specific toholemakingNC sequences. Breakout distance is the value that NC adds to theZdepth in the CYCLE statements associated with holes drilled with the Thru All option selected, or with through holes drilled with the Auto depth option selected.
build cut	Defines the tool's approach and exit moves for machining cuts, depending on the type of cut.
center drill	Center drills are used to provide a nesting hole for a lathe center or to provide a pilot (hole that acts as a guide for machining operations) cup for a drilling operation. As a center drill is short and rigid, it does not wander like a twist drill does. Therefore, the pilot cup is accurately centered in the work piece. A center drill has a thick shaft and very short flutes.
check surface	A user-created surface that is used as a boundary to prevent undesirable tool motion in certain portions of the machining surface.
clearance distance	The height above the workpiece surface at which the tool parameters change. For example, in case of Entry or Exit motion for milling, the rapid motion ends and the PLUNGE_FEED begins at the clearance distance.
clearance plane	The plane at clearance distance and parallel to the machining surface of the workpiece.
connect motion	The movement of a tool along the connect segment. Connect segment is used to connect the hole axes by selecting them in the order you want them to be drilled.
corner condition	Corner conditions are applicable to Wire EDM and Trajectory milling NC sequences. These are conditions specified to avoid gouging sharp corners during cut motions created by selecting the Edge or Curve option in the Wire EDM or Trajectory milling NC sequences.
corner motion	Corner motion is applicable to Wire EDM NC sequences. This is the movement of the tool along the vertices of the cut motion created by selecting the Edge or Curve option in a Wire EDM NC sequence.
corner radius	The radius of a concave corner on the workpiece that is to be machined. When NC calculates the tool path for an NC sequence, it checks that the radius of every concave corner being machined is no less than Cutter Diameter/2 + Safe Radius. You can specify the safe radius in the Cutter Compensation section in the Machine Tool Setup dialog box.
couplet	A group of two probe commands, that comprises of a minor word and a value for the word. The probe command is written in APT syntax. For example CLEAR, where CLEAR is the description of the motions and "a" is an example of the expanded motion that is expected when the cycle is run on a machine.
cut line	A type of surface milling that is used to machine a region between open or closed boundaries. The cut lines that you select or sketch determine the shape of the first and last passes in the tool path.
cutter path	The path that the cutter (tool) takes to complete an operation.
cutting time	The time taken to complete a cut.
deep drilling	A type of holemaking in which the tool drills through the workpiece in steps. The depth of each step is called peck depth.
degouge	To avoid tool interference with the reference model.
detach motion	Detach motions are used to cut off previously machined parts while creating a 2-Axis Wire EDM NC sequence.
diagnostic check	A check performed to identify any irregularities in a manufacturing operation.
disengage	Cutting the wire between cut motions during Wire EDM NC sequences.
dwell	The delay after which the tool makes a move. For example, in the case of rough groove turning, the delay after which the tool retracts from the bottom of a groove to the value specified by the CLEAR_DIST parameter, is the dwell time.
end angle	The angle that is used to define the geometry of the insert tool.
end mill	A type of cutting tool that is used in industrial milling applications such as profile milling, tracer milling, face milling, and the like. Depending on the material being milled, different tool types and geometry may be used. For instance, when milling a material like aluminum, it may be advantageous to use a tool with a very shallow flute depth, and a pre-dulled (but polished) cutting edge.
engraving	The process of cutting lines in metal, wood, or other materials. Engraving NC sequences are generally created by the tool following a curve or a Groove cosmetic feature. The tool diameter determines the width of cut, and the GROOVE_DEPTH parameter determines the depth of cut.
envelope	Envelope is the outer covering created for non-circular cross-sections to ease the manufacturing process. For non-circular cross-sections, Creo Parametric generates a Turning Envelope by rotating the reference part or the workpiece about the turning axis (that is, about the z-axis of the Turning Envelope coordinate system), and then intersecting the outside perimeter of the rotated shape with the XZ plane of this coordinate system.
exit motion	The motion of the tool while leaving the workpiece.
finish groove turning	A type of groove turning in which the tool starts at CLEAR_DIST above the top of the groove, goes down one side of the groove, cuts across the bottom, and retracts by PULLOUT_DIST, leaving a quality surface finish.
finishing	Finishing NC sequences allow you to machine the detail of the reference part after Roughing and Reroughing. Finishing NC sequences can also directly machine models containing facet data in STL format.
flame cutter	A type of cutter that can do straight line, groove, V-shape groove, and Y-shape groove cutting. This cutter, equipped with a special circular-cutting radius lever device, can also perform circumferential cutting.
flange milling	Milling of a flange feature. A flange feature is an open volume with a hard bottom surrounded by soft walls, and containing a single large boss or void in the middle, so that only a relatively thin flange is being machined.
flat end mill	A type of cutting tool that is used in industrial milling applications such as profile milling, tracer milling, face milling, and the like. Depending on the material being milled, different tool types and geometry may be used.
floating TAP cycle	A type of CL output generated for holemaking cycles. A floating TAP cycle allows the creation of a threaded hole.
FROM point	The start point of an APT program. If not set, the default (0,0,0) is used.
Go Delta	Enables you to specify tool motions in terms of increments along the axes of the NC sequence coordinate system (with respect to the current position of the tool).
Go Home	Enables the tool to go directly to the Operation HOME point while creating an operation.
Goto Point	Enables the tool to go to any datum point (not just a control point). You can restrict moves along some of the axes of the NC sequence coordinate system. For 4- and 5-axis NC sequences, you can also change the tool axis orientation.
gouge	Occurs when any part of the tool designated as the gouge part machines below the inner tolerance band.
gouge check	To check whether any part of the tool designated as the gouge part, machines below the inner tolerance band.
head	One of the turrets on a lathe.
height surface	The surface that the tool follows with its leading edge during a 5-axis Trajectory milling NC sequence.
hole set	A group of one or more holes to be drilled. The holes in a hole set can have different depth specifications as well as multiple countersink diameter values.
HOME point	Location of the starting point for tool motion.
indexable	A feature wherein a tool can be oriented at a specific position in a punch press.
inside surface	The inner surface of the workpiece with a core.
inside turning	Turning performed on the inner side of the stock to produce tubular components of various geometries is called inside turning. Inside turning is also known as boring. In turning, a cylindrical piece of stock is rotated and a cutting tool is traversed along 2 axes of motion to produce precise diameters and depths.
island	Small patches of area on the workpiece that are not machined by the tool.
leading edge	The front edge of the tool along the direction of the cut.
live tooling	Live tooling means that you can have a milling tool on a lathe.
local milling	Used to remove material left after a Volume, Profile, Conventional or Contour Surface, or another NC Sequence. Local milling can also be used to clean up material specified in corners. Usually a smaller tool than the original cut is used.
machine code	A set of coded instructions which can be directly input to an NC machine.
machine window	A closed curve defining the area to be machined.
machining step	A machining NC sequence.
machining surface	The surface that is to be machined on a workpiece.
manufacturing model	The design model and workpiece assembled together is known as the manufacturing model. This is done to simulate the material removal on the workpiece. At the end of the machining and material removal processes the workpiece should be identical to the design model.
material removal	The process of removal of material from the workpiece after a machining operation.
mill/turn center	A turning machine with a live tool allowing axial and radial milling operation.
modality	The feature of a CNC code wherein the code remains in effect until canceled or superseded by a function of the same type.
multi-axis positioning	A facility to orient the workpiece and the machining tool in space at any orientation. The orientation stays fixed during the tool path generation.
NC Check process	NC Check is a dynamic simulation of material removal on the computer screen. It allows you to view a step-by-step simulation of material removal as the tool cuts the workpiece.
NC sequence	An assembly (or workpiece) feature that represents a single tool path.
outside turning	Turning performed on the outer side of the stock to produce tubular components to various geometries is known as outside turning. In turning, a cylindrical piece of stock is rotated and a cutting tool is traversed along 2 axes of motion to produce precise diameters and depths.
overtravel	The linear distance that the machine tool travels above the specified travel limit.
peck cycle	Peck drilling cycles are special holemaking cycles that break chips so that they are small enough to flow up through the flutes on the tool without causing damage to the surface or promoting premature tool wear.A peck cycle feeds the drill into the material a specified distance, pulls the tool all the way out of the hole, and then feeds it back into the hole. This is repeated till the final depth of the hole is reached.
peck depth	The depth that the drill goes into the material during a peck cycle. It can be constant or variable.
pitch angle	The rotational angle of the tool around the Y-axis.
pivot point	A point through which the tool axis will always pass while machining the surface.
plasma cutting	Plasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals. Plasma torches use a combination of a gas flame and a powerful electric arc to vaporize or literally "plasmatize" the medium which is being cut.
plunge	Tool motion along the negative Z-axis before a selected Automatic Cut motion (or another approach motion).
plunge milling tool	A flat-bottom tool used for 2.5-Axis rough milling of deep cavities by a series of overlapping plunges into the material.
populatable	The ability to repeat the tool path on all the occurrences of a part in a nesting.
post-processing	Conversion of the NC cutter location (CL) data files (ASCII format) to Machine Control Data (MCD) files for use by the CNC machine.
radius substitution	Certain wire EDM machines are difficult to control when machining corners; as a result, parts are often overcut during initial passes that are created at a high power setting. Radius substitution allows you to modify selected reference part radii to achieve proper machining of the parts.
re-roughing	Reroughing NC sequences create tool paths to machine only the areas where a previous Roughing or Reroughing sequence could not reach. Typically, they are performed with a smaller tool and machine the areas that the larger roughing cutter could not enter due to its size. They do not attempt to remove scallops left between the slices of the referenced sequence.
retract	A motion that makes the tool go from the current location vertically up to the retract plane.
retract surface	The retract surface defines the level to which the tool is retracted (taken back) after a cut. Depending on your machining needs, you can specify the retract surface to be a plane, cylinder, sphere, or a custom-made surface.
rough cut	Roughing tool path before profile tool path or finishing tool path.
scan type	Tool path strategy that is used to scan the area to machine.
semi-finishing	An intermediate NC sequence between roughing and finishing during high speed machining.
setup time	The time when the manufacturing database is set up. The database may contain such items as workcells (machine tools) available, tooling, fixture configurations, site parameters, or tool tables.
shallow	Those portions of the mill surfaces where the angle between the surface normal and the Direction vector is less than a specified value.
slice	A cutting pass that is parallel to the retract plane.
steep	Those portions of the mill surfaces where the angle between the surface normal and the Direction vector is greater than a specified value.
straight-cut surface milling	Milling horizontal or slanted surfaces wherein the toolpath is composed of slices generated by parallel planes.
surface milling	Milling horizontal or slanted surfaces. The selected surfaces must allow for a continuous tool path.
swarf milling	The process of cutting with the side of the tool, creating a more efficient process for certain geometries. Swarf milling is particularly useful for the machining or 'trimming' of vacuum formed or reinforced plastic moulded components.
table rotation	Rotational transformation to reorient to a new worktable (the table on which the workpiece is placed) position.
tap cycle	A holemaking cycle to drill a threaded hole.
taper angle	The side angle of tapered tools.
taper mill	A tapered milling tool that is used to mill through various types of restrictions.
tapping tool	A tool used for a Tap NC sequence. A Tap NC sequence drills a threaded hole.
through-tool coolant	A facility to pour coolant through the tool to effectively direct it to the cutting zone.
tilt angle	The angle that the tool makes with a plane perpendicular to the cutting direction.
tool path	The path traced by a cutting tool against a set of profile or profiles or from point to point. The path is the locus of points traced by the tool tip (center).
tool shank	The non-cutting part of the tool.
tool shoulder	The tool shoulder is the surface representing the diameter of the tool over the tip angle.
tool side	One or more side surfaces of the cutting tool.
tool station	A facility for storing and organizing tools.
tooth	The sharp edges of a cutting tool. It is also known as an insert.
traversal path	The path that the tool moves along to go to the next hole after drilling a hole.
traverse plane	An intermediate retract plane used in Volume Milling NC sequences.
turn profile	Defines the cut or finished geometry for various types of Turning NC sequences. Turn profile is the trajectory of the tip of the tool cutting material.
turning tool	A tool used during a Turning NC sequence.
upcut	UPCUT milling means that the rotational direction of the milling tool and the advance feed motion are in opposite directions.
workcell	A machine tool.
workpiece	A workpiece represents the raw stock that is going to be machined by the manufacturing operations.