Glossary
The vocabulary of making things, defined.
The terms estimators, engineers and buyers use when a part is quoted, from build share to kerf width, each in one plain sentence.
3
- 3-axis machining · 3-axis milling, Three-axis machining
- 3-axis machining is CNC milling in which the cutter moves along the X, Y and Z axes while the part stays fixed, reaching the part from one direction per setup.
- 3MF · 3D Manufacturing Format, 3MF file
- 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format) is a modern 3D printing file format that stores a mesh together with units, colours, materials and multiple objects in a single compressed file.
5
- 5-axis machining · 5-axis milling, Five-axis machining, 3+2 machining
- 5-axis machining is CNC milling in which the tool or the part can also tilt and rotate on two extra axes, reaching most faces of a part in one setup.
A
- Anisotropy · Anisotropic strength, Z-axis weakness
- Anisotropy is when a material's properties differ by direction; 3D printed parts are often weaker across their layers than along them.
B
- Backtesting · Price backtest, Re-pricing historical quotes
- Backtesting is re-running a new or changed pricing model against real past quotes to see how every price would have moved before the change goes live.
- Bend radius · Inside bend radius, Minimum bend radius
- Bend radius is the radius of the inside curve of a bend in sheet metal, set by the tooling and by the material and thickness being bent.
- Bend relief · Relief cut, Bend relief notch, Corner relief
- A bend relief is a small notch cut into sheet metal where a bend ends next to an unbent edge, so the material can bend without tearing or bulging.
- Binder jetting · BJT, Binder jet printing
- Binder jetting is a 3D printing process that glues layers of powder together with a liquid binder from a print head, usually followed by sintering for metal parts.
- Build share · Build fraction, Share of build
- Build share is the fraction of a powder bed build that one part takes up, used to split the cost of the whole build run across the parts in it.
- Build volume · Build envelope, Build size, Print volume
- Build volume is the largest space a 3D printer can make a part in, given as the width, depth and height of its usable build area.
- Burden rate · Labour burden rate, Overhead rate, Loaded labour rate
- A burden rate is the amount of overhead a shop adds for each hour of direct labour or machine time, so that indirect costs are recovered through the jobs it prices.
C
- Calibration · Model calibration, Estimate calibration, Cost model tuning
- Calibration is adjusting a quoting model's estimates, such as print or cycle time and material use, so they match what the shop measured on jobs it has actually run.
- Capacity planning · Production capacity planning, Load planning, Capacity scheduling
- Capacity planning is working out whether a shop has the machine and labour hours to deliver its orders on time, and deciding what to add, move or decline when it does not.
- CNC milling · Milling, CNC mill, Machining centre
- CNC milling is a machining process in which a rotating cutting tool, moved under computer control, removes material from a fixed block to make a part.
- CNC routing · CNC router, Routing
- CNC routing is cutting sheet materials such as wood, plastic, composite and aluminium with a high-speed rotating cutter on a computer-controlled gantry machine.
- CNC turning · Turning, CNC lathe, Lathe work
- CNC turning is a machining process in which the workpiece spins while a cutting tool removes material, producing round parts such as shafts, pins and bushings.
- Cost-plus pricing · Cost plus, Cost-based pricing, Markup pricing
- Cost-plus pricing sets a price by calculating what a job costs to make, including a share of overhead, and then adding a fixed markup or target margin on top.
- CPQ · Configure, price, quote, Configure price quote
- CPQ (configure, price, quote) is software that lets a seller or buyer choose options for a product, applies pricing rules to them and produces a formal quote.
- Cut length · Cutting length, Path length
- Cut length is the total length of every path a cutting machine follows to cut a part, including the outer profile and all internal holes and slots.
- Cycle time · Run time, Machine time per part
- Cycle time is the time a machine takes to make one part, or one load of parts, from start to finish, not counting the setup before the run.
D
- Deburring · Edge breaking, Burr removal
- Deburring is removing the small raised edges and slivers of material, called burrs, left on a part by machining, cutting or punching.
- DFM · Design for manufacturing, Design for manufacturability, Manufacturability check
- DFM (design for manufacturing) is the practice of shaping a part so it can be made reliably and cheaply by the chosen process, and the checks that flag features that will cause trouble.
- DLP · Digital light processing, DLP 3D printing
- DLP is a resin 3D printing process that cures a whole layer at once by projecting an image of it onto liquid resin with a digital light projector.
- DMLS · Direct metal laser sintering, Metal 3D printing
- DMLS (direct metal laser sintering) is a metal 3D printing process in which a laser melts thin layers of metal powder to build dense metal parts.
- Draft angle · Draft, Taper
- A draft angle is a slight taper on the faces of a moulded or cast part, in the direction the mould opens, so the part can be released without dragging or sticking.
- Drain hole · Escape hole, Vent hole, Powder escape hole
- A drain hole is an opening designed into a hollow 3D-printed part so that liquid resin or loose powder inside can be removed after printing.
- DXF · Drawing Exchange Format, Drawing Interchange Format, .dxf file
- DXF is a 2D drawing exchange format created by Autodesk that stores lines, arcs and curves, and is the standard input for laser, waterjet, plasma and routing work.
E
- EDM · Electrical discharge machining, Wire EDM, Sinker EDM, Spark erosion
- EDM (electrical discharge machining) removes metal with controlled electrical sparks between an electrode and the workpiece, cutting hard materials and sharp inside corners.
- ERP · Enterprise resource planning, ERP system
- An ERP (enterprise resource planning) system is business software that keeps a company's orders, stock, purchasing, production records and accounts in one shared database.
- Expedite fee · Rush fee, Express surcharge, Rush charge
- An expedite fee is an extra charge for delivering an order faster than the standard lead time, paying for the queue jumping, overtime or idle capacity it needs.
F
- FDM · Fused deposition modelling, Fused deposition modeling, FFF, Fused filament fabrication
- FDM is a 3D printing process that builds a part by melting a plastic filament and laying it down through a moving nozzle, one layer at a time.
- File units · Model units, Units of measure, Scale
- File units are the measurement units, such as millimetres or inches, in which a CAD file's numbers should be read; some formats like STL store none, so a part can arrive at the wrong size.
- Fillet · Radius, Rounded corner, Inside radius
- A fillet is a rounded transition between two faces of a part, used to remove sharp corners, reduce stress concentration and make a part easier to machine, mould or print.
- Fixture · Jig, Machining fixture
- A fixture is a purpose-made device that holds and locates a specific part in the same position every time, for machining, welding, assembly or inspection.
- Flat pattern · Blank, Unfolded part, Development
- A flat pattern is the unfolded 2D shape of a sheet metal part, cut from flat sheet before it is bent into its final 3D form.
G
- GD&T · Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, GPS, Geometrical product specifications
- GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) is a standard symbolic language on engineering drawings that controls a feature's form, orientation and position, not only its size.
H
- Hollowing · Shelling, Hollow printing
- Hollowing is removing the solid interior of a 3D model so the printed part is a shell, saving material and weight, mostly in resin printing.
I
- IGES · IGS, Initial Graphics Exchange Specification, .iges file
- IGES is an older neutral CAD exchange format that stores curves and surfaces, still found in legacy data but now largely replaced by STEP for sending parts to be made.
- Infill · Infill density, Infill pattern
- Infill is the internal structure an FDM printer lays down inside a part's walls, set as a density percentage and a pattern such as grid, gyroid or honeycomb.
- Injection moulding · Injection molding, Plastic injection moulding
- Injection moulding is a process that makes plastic parts by injecting molten plastic under pressure into a closed metal mould, then cooling and ejecting it.
- Instant quote · Instant quotation, Online quote, Automated quote
- An instant quote is a price for a manufactured part that software calculates from the uploaded design file in seconds, without a person estimating it by hand.
J
- Job shop · Jobbing shop, Contract manufacturer, Machine shop
- A job shop is a manufacturer that makes custom parts to each customer's design in small to medium batches, using general-purpose machines that switch between many different jobs.
K
- K-factor · K factor, Neutral axis factor
- K-factor is the ratio that locates the neutral axis inside a sheet metal bend, used to calculate the flat length of a part before it is bent.
- Kerf · Kerf width, Cut width
- Kerf is the width of material removed by a cutting process, such as a laser beam, waterjet stream, plasma arc or saw blade.
L
- Laser cutting · Laser profiling, Fibre laser cutting, CO2 laser cutting
- Laser cutting is a process that cuts flat sheet material along a programmed path with a focused laser beam, melting or vaporising a narrow kerf.
- Layer height · Layer thickness, Z resolution
- Layer height is the thickness of each layer a 3D printer deposits or cures, and it trades surface smoothness on sloped faces against build time.
- Lead time · Turnaround time, Delivery time, Production lead time
- Lead time is the time between a buyer placing an order and the parts being ready to ship or delivered, including queueing, production, finishing and inspection.
- LPBF · Laser powder bed fusion, PBF-LB/M, SLM, Selective laser melting
- LPBF (laser powder bed fusion) is the family of 3D printing processes that use a laser to melt or fuse thin layers of powder, most often metal.
M
- Machine hour rate · Machine rate, Hourly machine rate, Shop rate
- A machine hour rate is the cost of running one machine for one hour, combining its depreciation, energy, maintenance, floor space and a share of overhead.
- Manifold · Manifold mesh, 2-manifold, Non-manifold geometry
- A manifold mesh is one where every edge is shared by exactly two faces, so the surface could exist as a real solid object, which is what slicers and quoting software need.
- Margin · Gross margin, Profit margin
- Margin is the share of the selling price that is left after costs, expressed as a percentage of the price, so a 25% margin means a quarter of every sale is profit.
- Markup · Mark-up, Markup percentage
- Markup is the amount added to a part's cost to reach its selling price, expressed as a percentage of the cost, so a 50% markup on a €40 cost gives a €60 price.
- Material removal rate · MRR, Metal removal rate
- Material removal rate is the volume of material a machining operation cuts away per minute, usually given in cm³ per minute, and it sets roughing time.
- MES · Manufacturing execution system, Shop floor system
- An MES (manufacturing execution system) is software that tracks and controls work on the shop floor in real time, recording which job runs on which machine, by whom, and with what result.
- Mesh · Polygon mesh, Triangle mesh, Tessellated model
- A mesh is a 3D model made of many small flat faces, usually triangles, that together approximate the surface of a part, as used in STL, 3MF and OBJ files.
- Mill-turn · Mill-turn centre, Turn-mill, Multitasking machine
- A mill-turn machine is a CNC lathe with powered milling tools, so it can turn a part and mill flats, holes and pockets on it without moving it to another machine.
- Minimum order value · MOV, Minimum order, Minimum charge
- A minimum order value is the lowest total a shop will accept for an order, set so that the fixed handling cost of every job is covered even when the parts are tiny or cheap.
- Minimum wall thickness · Min wall thickness, Minimum feature thickness, Wall thickness limit
- Minimum wall thickness is the thinnest wall a manufacturing process can produce reliably in a given material, below which walls may fail to form, warp or break.
- MJF · Multi Jet Fusion, HP Multi Jet Fusion
- MJF (Multi Jet Fusion) is HP's powder bed 3D printing process, which jets a fusing agent onto each layer of nylon powder and fuses it with infrared heat.
- Mould cavity · Mold cavity, Cavity, Multi-cavity mould
- A mould cavity is the hollow in a mould that forms one part; a multi-cavity mould has several, making several parts in each shot.
- MSLA · mSLA, Masked stereolithography, LCD resin printing
- MSLA is a resin 3D printing process in which UV light shines through an LCD screen that masks each layer's shape, curing the whole layer at once.
N
- Nesting · Part nesting, Sheet nesting, Nest
- Nesting is arranging parts on a sheet or in a build volume so as many as possible fit with the least waste, before cutting or printing.
- NRE · Non-recurring engineering, Non-recurring expense, One-off engineering cost
- NRE (non-recurring engineering) is a one-off cost charged once for a project, such as programming, fixture design or tooling, that is not repeated when the same part is re-ordered.
O
- OBJ · Wavefront OBJ, .obj file
- OBJ is a text-based 3D mesh format from computer graphics that stores vertices, faces and texture coordinates, and is sometimes used to send colour models for 3D printing.
- OEE · Overall equipment effectiveness
- OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) measures how much of a machine's planned production time produces good parts at full speed, calculated as availability times performance times quality.
- Overhang · Overhang angle
- An overhang is a part surface that faces downwards beyond the angle a 3D printer can build without support, usually measured from vertical.
- Overhead · Indirect costs, Overheads, Fixed costs
- Overhead is the cost of running a shop that cannot be traced to a single job, such as rent, software, insurance, admin staff and quality control.
P
- Packing density · Nesting density, Build packing
- Packing density is the percentage of a powder bed build's volume filled by parts, and it decides how many parts share the cost of one build run.
- Perimeter · Wall, Shell, Wall count, Wall loops
- A perimeter is one of the outline loops an FDM printer traces around each layer to form a part's walls, set in the slicer as a wall count.
- Pierce · Pierce point, Piercing, Pierce count
- A pierce is the start of a cut, where a laser, plasma torch or waterjet first breaks through the sheet before following the cut path; each contour needs one.
- Plasma cutting · Plasma arc cutting, CNC plasma
- Plasma cutting is a process that cuts electrically conductive metal with a jet of ionised gas hot enough to melt it, blowing the molten metal out of the cut.
- PolyJet · Material jetting, Multi-material jetting
- PolyJet is Stratasys's material jetting 3D printing process, which jets droplets of photopolymer from print heads and cures each layer with UV light.
- Post-processing · Finishing, Post processing
- Post-processing is the work done on a part after it leaves the machine, such as support removal, washing, curing, blasting, sanding, dyeing or machining.
- Powder refresh rate · Refresh ratio, Virgin powder ratio, Powder reuse rate
- Powder refresh rate is the share of fresh powder mixed with recycled powder for each powder bed build, set to keep the mix within its quality limits.
- Press brake · Brake press, Bending press, CNC press brake
- A press brake is a machine that bends sheet metal by pressing it between a punch and a die, forming flanges, angles and channels along straight lines.
- Price breakdown · Cost breakdown, Itemised quote, Price lines
- A price breakdown splits a quoted price into its parts, such as machine time, material, setup, finishing and discounts, so the buyer and the shop can see where the total comes from.
- Print farm · 3D print farm, Printer farm
- A print farm is a group of 3D printers, often dozens of identical desktop machines, run together as one production operation.
Q
- Quantity break · Price break, Volume discount, Batch discount, Quantity discount
- A quantity break is a point at which the unit price of a part drops because a larger order spreads fixed costs, such as setup, over more pieces.
- Quote validity · Validity period, Quote expiry, Offer validity
- Quote validity is the period during which a supplier promises to honour a quoted price and lead time, after which the quote expires and must be re-priced.
R
- RFQ · Request for quote, Request for quotation
- An RFQ (request for quote) is a buyer's formal request asking one or more suppliers to price a defined part or job, usually with drawings, quantities and a reply deadline.
S
- SAF · Selective Absorption Fusion
- SAF (Selective Absorption Fusion) is Stratasys's powder bed 3D printing process, which jets an infrared-absorbing fluid onto polymer powder and fuses it with infrared energy.
- Service bureau · 3D printing service bureau, Print bureau, Additive service provider
- A service bureau is a company that makes parts on demand for other businesses and individuals, most often by 3D printing, from files its customers upload or send.
- Setup cost · Set-up cost, Setup charge, Changeover cost
- A setup cost is the one-off cost of preparing a machine and a job before the first good part is made, charged once per batch however many parts follow.
- Sheet utilisation · Sheet utilization, Material utilisation, Nest yield
- Sheet utilisation is the percentage of a sheet's area that ends up as parts after nesting, with the rest left as skeleton and offcuts.
- Shot · Shot size, Shot weight, Injection shot
- A shot is one injection of molten plastic into a mould in one machine cycle, filling every cavity and the runners that feed them at once.
- Silicone mould · Silicone mold, RTV mould, Soft mould
- A silicone mould is a flexible mould made by casting liquid silicone rubber around a master pattern, used to cast small batches of resin or wax parts.
- SLA · Stereolithography, Laser resin printing, Vat photopolymerisation
- SLA (stereolithography) is a resin 3D printing process in which a laser cures liquid photopolymer layer by layer to build a solid part.
- Slicer · Slicing software
- A slicer is the software that cuts a 3D model into layers and generates the machine instructions, such as G-code, that a 3D printer follows.
- SLS · Selective laser sintering, Polymer powder bed fusion
- SLS (selective laser sintering) is a powder bed 3D printing process in which a laser fuses thin layers of nylon or other polymer powder into solid parts.
- STEP · STP, ISO 10303, STEP file
- STEP is a neutral CAD file format (ISO 10303) that stores a part as exact solid geometry with units, so it can be opened in any CAD or CAM program without losing accuracy.
- STL · Stereolithography file, Standard Triangle Language, Standard Tessellation Language
- STL is a 3D file format that describes the surface of a part as a list of triangles, with no units, colour or material, and is the most common file sent for 3D printing.
- Stock · Raw stock, Blank, Billet, Bar stock
- Stock is the raw material a machined part is cut from, such as a block, plate, bar or tube, sized a little larger than the finished part.
- Support structures · Supports, Support material
- Support structures are temporary material printed under overhangs and bridges so a 3D printed part can be built, then removed after printing.
- Surface roughness · Surface finish, Ra, Roughness average
- Surface roughness is the fine texture of a part's surface, usually given as Ra in micrometres, the average height of peaks and valleys measured along the surface.
T
- Tolerance · Dimensional tolerance, Allowable variation, Tol
- A tolerance is the allowed variation in a dimension, such as 10 mm plus or minus 0.1 mm, telling the shop how close to the nominal size a feature must be for the part to pass.
- Tool amortisation · Tool amortization, Tooling amortisation, Mould amortisation
- Tool amortisation is spreading the one-off cost of a mould, die or fixture across the parts it makes, so each part's price carries a share of it.
- Tooling · Tool, Mould tool, Hard tooling, Soft tooling
- Tooling is the part-specific equipment needed to make a part, such as an injection mould, a die or a fixture, paid for once before production starts.
- Toolpath · Tool path, CAM toolpath
- A toolpath is the route a cutting tool follows through material, generated by CAM software from the part model and turned into machine code.
- Trapped volume · Enclosed cavity, Trapped powder, Trapped resin, Cupping
- A trapped volume is a closed cavity inside a part from which unused powder or liquid resin cannot escape after printing, adding weight and cost or causing the part to crack.
U
- Undercut · Undercut feature, Back draft
- An undercut is a feature that a straight-pulling mould or a straight cutting tool cannot reach or release, such as a hook, a side hole or a groove hidden behind another face.
- Utilisation · Machine utilisation, Utilization, Capacity utilisation
- Utilisation is the share of available time a machine or a shop spends doing paid work, and it decides how much each productive hour must charge to cover fixed costs.
V
- Vacuum casting · Urethane casting, Polyurethane casting
- Vacuum casting is a process that makes small batches of plastic parts by pouring polyurethane resin into a silicone mould under vacuum, copying a master pattern.
- Value-based pricing · Value pricing, Customer value pricing
- Value-based pricing sets a price from what the work is worth to the buyer, such as the speed, risk or effort it saves them, rather than only from what it costs to make.
W
- Warping · Warp, Curling, Distortion
- Warping is the distortion of a part as it cools and shrinks unevenly, lifting corners off the build plate or bending flat faces out of shape.
- Waterjet cutting · Water jet cutting, Abrasive waterjet, AWJ
- Waterjet cutting is a process that cuts sheet and plate with a very high pressure stream of water, usually carrying abrasive garnet, along a programmed path.
- Watertight mesh · Closed mesh, Solid mesh, Sealed mesh
- A watertight mesh is a 3D surface with no holes or gaps, so it fully encloses a volume and software can tell what is inside the part and what is outside.
- Win rate · Quote win rate, Hit rate, Quote conversion rate, Close rate
- Win rate is the share of quotes a shop sends that turn into orders, usually measured by count or by value over a set period.
- Workholding · Work holding, Clamping
- Workholding is the way a part is held still and located on a machine while it is cut, using vices, chucks, clamps, vacuum tables or custom fixtures.
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