Electronics cutters are based on a lever system. The tool is made up of two levers working in opposite directions. Effort placed on the handles of the tool as they are pushed together is multiplied by a central fulcrum and focused through the jaws, allowing large amounts of leverage to be applied to a small area.
Electronics cutters usually have springs between their handles to ensure that the handles return automatically to an open position when the user is not squeezing them together. This means the user doesn’t have to pull the handles apart again after making a cut, which allows the tool to be operated in one hand.
Electronics cutters have very thin jaws to make sure that they can cut easily through thin wires. This makes them different from side cutters and other larger cutting tools, which are better suited for cutting cables and steel wires.
Electronics cutters use an adjustable screw joint as a solid axis of rotation (the point around which both levers rotate). This minimizes friction and maximizes the alignment of the cutting edges.
