English to Russian Tech/Engineering Engineering: Industrial thermal cutting

With plasma cutting a difference is made between transferred and non-transferred arc. For the plasma cutting process, the material to be cut shall be electrically conducting since it forms part of the electrical circuit. This process is suitable for low and high cutting performance, i.e. cutting of thin and thick metal sheets. The plasma gas ***which is used as function of the material to be cut and of the cutting thickness,*** is of decisive importance for the energy transfer. On plasma cutting with non-transferred arc, the material is not placed within the electrical circuit. Therefore, electrically non-conducting materials may also be cut by this process. Plasma cutting with non-transferred arc only is suitable for low-cutting performance values as the cutting nozzle serves as anode.

Не вполне понятен фрагмент - please advise!