The operation side sets which surface of the part the drill will enter. A part is a cuboid: it has two faces (flat sides) and four edges (the ribs). You can drill into any of the six surfaces, and the choice of side affects both the meaning of the hole and how the coordinates are counted.
The six sides of the part
The «Operation side» field offers:
- Face — the front face of the part;
- Back — the rear face;
- Top edge;
- Bottom edge;
- Left edge;
- Right edge.
Face and edge — what is the difference
The faces (front and back) are the large planes of the part. Holes into the face go perpendicular to the surface and are needed for surface-mounted and overlay hardware: hinge cups, minifixes, shelf supports, cams.
The edges (top, bottom, left, right) are the ribs of the part along its thickness. Holes into the edge go along the plane of the part and are needed above all for joining parts to one another — for confirmats, dowels, ties that assemble the carcass.
The coordinates depend on the side
When drilling into an edge, one of the coordinates is responsible for the position across the thickness — iFurn.pro automatically sets it to the centre of the thickness, and the technologist sets the position along the edge. On a face both coordinates are free. More — in the article «Hole coordinates: origin, X and Y».
When some sides are unavailable
The list of sides shrinks if an edge cannot be drilled:
- Glass. Only the face is available — glass is not drilled into the edges or the back side.
- Thin parts. If the part thickness is less than the minimum thickness for edge drilling (a production parameter of the company), only the front and back faces remain: a drill will not enter a too-thin edge straight.
The side and the company's tools
Even when a side is chosen, the list of diameters depends on whether the company's machine can drill that very side: every drilling tool in the company's catalog has the sides on which it works defined. If there is no suitable drill for the chosen side and depth, the diameter list will be empty. In detail — in the article «Diameter and the company's drilling tools».
Next
Once the side is chosen, the diameter remains to be set — see the article «Diameter and the company's drilling tools».