Undercut

About

An undercut is a geometric feature in which a surface or material recedes beneath an overhanging edge, creating a cavity or recess that is not directly accessible from a primary direction of approach. In manufacturing and robotics, undercuts appear in welding, additive manufacturing, and machined parts, and they present significant challenges for both fabrication and inspection. In welding, an undercut refers to a groove or depression along the weld toe, representing a defect that weakens structural integrity by creating stress concentrations. Robotic vision systems and automated inspection sensors are increasingly deployed to detect and classify such defects, enabling real-time quality control in industrial welding pipelines. In additive manufacturing, undercut geometries complicate layer-by-layer deposition strategies, driving the development of non-planar slicing algorithms that reorient print paths to better accommodate complex overhanging features. Understanding and managing undercuts matters because undetected weld defects can lead to catastrophic structural failures, while unaddressed geometric undercuts in fabrication can compromise dimensional accuracy, material strength, and the reliability of automated robotic manufacturing processes.