The cusp height describes the height of excess material that is left on the part as a result of the spacing between the tool at consecutive passes. The smaller the cusp height, the better the surface finish on the part.

Illustration of tool leaving cusps behind on consecutive passes

Illustration of Cusp height

As you switch between tools in different operations, you may need to manually calculate the stepdown and stepover values to give you the desired surface finish. Using the Cusp Height parameter, you can help ensure a uniform surface finish across the part by using the Cusp Height to automatically determine the stepdown and stepover values each time you use a different tool for an operation.

The strategy calculates the stepdown and stepover values on the basis that you are machining an inclined plane.