endfläche

Endfläche is a German term meaning "end face" or "terminal surface." It refers to the plane surface located at one end of a solid, component, or structural element; this surface is often used as a reference plane in design, manufacturing, and inspection. In geometry and technical drawings, the endfläche is typically a circular plane on cylindrical or prismatic bodies, perpendicular to the object's main axis, though the exact orientation depends on the part geometry.

In manufacturing, endfaces are created by facing operations to produce a true, flat surface of specified thickness or length. The quality of an end face is specified by flatness, perpendicularity to the axis, and surface roughness. End faces commonly serve as seating or mating surfaces for bearings, seals, flanges, end caps, or welded joints, and they influence assembly accuracy and sealing performance.

In practical applications, end faces appear on shafts, tubes, rods, and optical or precision components. For pipes or tubing, the end face must be square and clean to ensure proper welding or joining. In optics and fiber technology, the endface of a fiber or lens must meet stringent flatness and angular tolerances to avoid misalignment or loss.

See also: facing, flatness, perpendicularity, machining tolerances.