throughcut

A through-cut is a cutting operation that extends fully through the thickness of a workpiece along the planned path, creating a cut that connects one surface to the opposite surface. It is the opposite of a blind cut, where the tool stops before reaching the far side. Through-cuts are common in milling, drilling, sawing, laser, plasma, and waterjet processes, and they produce holes, slots, or separations across the material.

Applications include through-holes for fasteners, ventilation slots, and continuous cuts that separate a part from a sheet. In milling, a through-slot is produced by advancing a cutter through the entire thickness; in drilling or boring, the hole passes through the workpiece. In sheet metal and plastics, laser, plasma, and waterjet systems rely on through-cuts to achieve clean exit edges.

Key considerations include controlling the depth of cut to equal the material thickness, choosing appropriate tools, managing chip evacuation, and minimizing burrs and heat-affected zones. For thick or brittle materials, multiple passes or stepped-down approaches reduce cracking or delamination. Fixturing and clamping must prevent movement that could widen the cut or cause misalignment at the exit face.

Quality characteristics of a through-cut include edge straightness, perpendicularity to the surfaces, and exit-face finish. Tolerances depend on material, process, and machine capability. The term is used across industries ranging from woodworking to metal fabrication and is often paired with terms such as through-slot, through-hole, and perforation depending on the geometry produced.