kantflate

Kantflate is a term used in geometry and computer-aided design (CAD) in some Nordic technical literatures to denote a planar surface that forms part of the boundary of a three-dimensional object. In this usage, a kantflate is a flat, polygonal region on the surface of a solid, distinct from edges and vertices because it is coplanar and continuous across its interior.

The word combines the Scandinavian roots kant (edge) and flate (surface), reflecting its basic notion as a flat surface associated with the object's boundary. In many contexts, kantflate is largely equivalent to what is commonly called a face or facet of a polyhedron, though some authors reserve the term for maximal planar regions.

In polyhedral geometry, a kantflate is bounded by a closed polygonal boundary and is incident to a set of edges and vertices. Each edge of a polyhedron is shared by two kantflater, and the arrangement of kantflater determines the object's topology. In CAD and finite element analysis, identifying kantflater aids in mesh generation, surface analysis, and applying boundary conditions.

For a standard cube, there are six kantflater, corresponding to its six square faces. In more complex solids, kantflater can be triangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal, depending on the geometry and tolerances.

See also: Face (geometry); Facet; Polyhedron; CAD; Mesh generation.