Plasma cutting uses an accelerated jet of hot plasma to cut through electrically conductive materials. Plasma cutters are the fastest way to cut through gauge material up to 6″ thick and are more cost-efficient to run than high-powered CNC laser cutters. Plasma cutters do their best work on large sheet metal parts, versus CNC laser cutters which are better at more detailed work and creating holes — something plasma cutters struggle with.

When energy and heat are applied to a gas, the molecules travel faster and collide more violently, turning the gas into a plasma. Using compressed air or other inert gas, the plasma is accelerated out of the cutting nozzle toward the workpiece where it completes an electrical arc with the conductive workpiece. Similar to Electrical Discharge Machines, plasma cutters use electricity to melt and cut the workpiece.

There are 2 main types of plasma cutters: 2-axis and 3-axis.

2-Axis: This is the most common and conventional form of a plasma cutter and operates like any traditional CNC sheet metal fabrication tools, producing flat profiles with straight edges. These plasma cutters are best for cutting large parts from thick material quickly and are more cost-efficient than CNC laser cutters for the same work.

3-Axis: This type of CNC plasma cutter adds in an additional axis of rotation which allows the cutting tool to tilt and cut edges at an angle. This is extremely useful for cutting chamfers, countersunk holes, or angled edges as part of weld preparation, which saves on secondary operations such as grinding or machining helping reduce overall cost.