CNC plasma cutting involves cutting through electrically conductive materials by utilizing an accelerated jet of hot plasma that is directed right at the material being cut. Steel, aluminium, brass, and copper are only a handful of the types of materials that are often cut with this CNC plasma cutting method. However, other types of conductive metals can be cut with a CNC plasma cutter as well.

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A common CNC plasma cutting machine is a computer-run system that carries a plasma torch. The CNC machine has the ability to move this torch in various directions via the numerical coding that has been programmed into the computer using CNC. There are also handheld plasma cutters, such as plasma CAM machines, but they are generally not equipped with the many precise features of a larger CNC plasma cutting machine. These machines use what is called mechanized cutting. Mechanized plasma cutting machines consist of a straight-barreled torch. This torch typically has an interface that is controlled by CNC.