At Cuttingedge, Inc. we believe in being understood in all our communication with our customers. To assist you in your review of the material contained in this website we have included a glossary of terms with some informative links for your reference. If you would like to add a link or other material for this glossary please write the webmaster at webmaster@cuttingedgeinc.cc

Glossary of Terms:

Corporate Governance*:
The relationship between the shareholders, directors and management of a company, as defined by the corporate charter, bylaws, formal policy and rule of law. http://asp.thecorporatelibrary.net/glossary/default.asp?Letter=C

CAD/CAM*:
Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing.

CAD:
Product-design functions performed with the help of computers and special software.

CAM:
Use of computers to control machining and manufacturing.

CAE:
Computer-Aided Engineering: Engineering functions performed with the help of computers and special software. Includes functions such as determining a material’s ability to withstand stresses.

CIM*: 
Computer-Integrated Manufacturing: Theoretically, an approach under which all phases of production – including management, sales, order processing, design, quality control, and parts production – are controlled or monitored by interconnected computers. Practically, a term applied to systems approximating this ideal.

CNC*:
Computer Numerical Control. A CNC (computer numerical control) has memory and "devices" (RS232*  ports) to move data in and out of its memory. Some CNC can only execute programs from their memory, others can "drip-feed" - execute from an input device, while reading ahead a few blocks. RS232 has been around a long time, and was originally intended as the standard for hooking modems to computers and terminals. Nowadays we "direct connect" CNC to computers using RS232 - skipping use of modems.

DNC*:
Distributed Numerical Control.  DNC means connecting the company database of CNC machine code programs with CNC machines. You might dedicate a personnel computer to each machine in your shop, or you might connect several machines to a computer and have several such computers connected in a network. Alternatively all your machines could be connected to a single computer via Ethernet hub(s). Which makes the most sense for your environment depends on many factors. Cuttingedge, Inc. will consult with you and your staff to help determine the best and most cost effective configuration to meet your needs and wants. A separate glossary of terms unique to DNC has been provided (DNC GLOSSARY*)

Knowledge Management*:
Engineering is the science concerned with putting scientific knowledge to practical use. In different branches of engineering best practices are established. An engineer uses best practices in the design process. A knowledge management system is a software tool that facilitates the capture of best practices followed in any design process and records it for the authors of such processes within a company and makes them available to other users. It is a dynamic system that ensures that a company’s technology is safeguarded, secured and practiced.

NC*: 
Numerical Control. Older machines may not have memory, and execute blocks of data fed to them from a tape reader (NC machines). The numerical data is stored on the tape by holes punched in the tape.

RemoteDNC*:
Normal DNC systems generally require some actions at both the computer (to ready the program for transmission to the CNC) and the CNC (to get it to actually initiate the request from the computer), and vice versa when sending a program back from the CNC to the computer. This can get to be quite an involved process depending on distance between computer and CNC, with the operator running back and forth to do his job. RemoteDNC is a clever implementation of DNC that allows the operator to do the whole cycle right from his control without having to do any back and forth motions. Basically he sends or “punches out” a small one-line program which requests the program he wants to download. Then he simply pushes input to receive the requested program. The software solutions installed by Cuttingedge, Inc are the most state-of-the-art RemoteDNC software solutions available. Ease of use with the most sophisticated file management of uploads and downloads improve efficiency and facilitate ISO9000 compliance of your process.

RS232*:
The RS-232-C interface was developed for a single purpose, unambiguously stated by its title: "Interface Between Data Terminal Equipment and Data Communications Equipment Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange." Every word in the title is significant: it describes the interface between a terminal (DTE) to a modem (DCE) for the transfer of serial data. http://www.rad.com/networks/1995/rs232/rs232.htm

GLOSSARY OF DNC TERMS