a traditional symbol for surface feet per minute, a unit measuring the rate at which a rotating tool, such as a lathe or saw, processes material. The term surface foot refers to the length of the material, similar to the linear foot.
Scanning Force Microscope. An instrument able to image surfaces to molecular accuracy by mechanically probing their surface contours. A kind of proximal probe. .... A device in which the deflection of a sharp stylus mounted on a soft spring is monitored as the stylus is moved across a surface. If the deflection is kept constant by moving the surface up and down by measured increments, the result (under favorable conditions) is an atomic-resolution topographic map of the surface. Also termed an atomic force microscope. [FS
Shop floor management. The part of the factory data environment that is responsible for the daily up-to-the-minute tracking of materials and labor. It manages and generates reports pertaining to scheduling and dispatch of materials, labor, and work order status.