Incremental

With CNC machines this is a reference to a tool movement within a Cartesian coordinate system in which all coordinate locations are taken (measured) from the previous position rather than from the origin. Example in graphic below: a tool moves from point 2 to point 3. This is a move from an absolute coordinate position of X-3Y4 to of an absolute coordinate position of X3Y6. However it is a incremental move of jX6Y2. See also absolute.

INC

Abbreviation for incremental. An INC button and an ABS button are found on most controllers which toggles the way the controller reads the program code and/or manual data input (MDI).