A control button that pauses all axis movement without stopping the program or the spindle, so the operator can stop a move that looks wrong and then resume or reset. It is the first reflex in a near miss, and far easier to recover from than an emergency stop. Proving out a program with a hand hovering over feed hold is standard practice.
Keep your finger on feed hold the whole first run, if the Z looks low, stop it and check the offset.
Feed hold stops the axes, not the spindle; once a crash is already happening, hit the emergency stop.
Also heard as
- feedhold
Related terms
Single block
A CNC control mode that runs one line of the program per press of cycle start, used to check moves.
Prove out
To run a new CNC program cautiously the first time, watching every move to catch errors before they crash.
Crash
To run a tool, holder or spindle into the part, vise or table by mistake, usually at rapid speed.