Plasma Cutting Machines What is Plasma? Plasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses (or sometimes other materials) using a plasma torch. In this process, an inert gas (in some units, compressed air) is blown at high speed out of a nozzle; at the same time an electrical arc is formed through that gas from the nozzle to the surface being cut, turning some of that gas to plasma. The plasma is sufficiently hot to melt the metal being cut and moves sufficiently fast to blow molten metal away from the cut. Plasma is the fourth state of matter along with solids, liquids and gases. Plasma is a jet or beam of ionized gas capable of conducting electricity. This ionized jet or beam produces extreme heat of around 22,000o C. What is High Definition Plasma? High Definition Plasma is the same process as plasma cutting but the plasma beam is delivered through a much smaller nozzle orifice at higher velocity and results in ...