Plasma cutters make precise cuts or gouges in metals such as steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. They create minimal slag and cause minimal distortion on thin metals. Each cutter supplies current to a compatible plasma cutting torch and an electrode held in the torch. The electrode generates an arc that is carried in a stream of compressed gas that is focused as it flows through the torch's nozzle. This stream of ionized compressed gas (or plasma) melts the workpiece material and blows the molten material away to create a cut or gouge in the workpiece.