Cutting is the operation of separating material. The ideal cutting process separates atomic bonds in the cutting plane along a defined line without affecting the physical state of the material. Cutting methods vary in the amount of energy used, cutting speed, amount of material removal, thermal impact on the material being cut, and quality of the cut edges. When selecting a cutting method, consider:

• material type
• thickness
• required cutting quality and accuracy
• cutting speed (time)
• finished processing
• equipment price and process costs