Just out of curiosity I have just cut a piece of 3D filament with the side-cutters I usually use for wire and it did not seem to require as much force as wire.
Post a diagram for the sort of cutter you are thinking of using.
One system I saw (back in the day) for working a shears was to spin up a flywheel and when it was up to speed engage it with the cutting mechanism - the energy in the flywheel drove the cutting action.
...R