A high-speed reciprocating wire cutting process in which a wire electrode is transported and precisely guided across a machining area by means of a wire traveling circuit, whereas the cutting process is conducted by repeatedly: (a) running the wire electrode in a first direction until a first reciprocation position, (b) stopping and inverting the traveling direction of the wire electrode, (c) running the wire electrode in a second direction until a second reciprocation position, and (d) stopping and inverting the traveling direction of the wire electrode.