Custom Online Laser Drilling
CipherFab offers precision laser drilling services using advanced fibre and UV laser systems to produce high-accuracy micro-holes, vias, and complex apertures in metals, ceramics, composites, and polymers. This non-contact process eliminates tool wear and cutting forces while delivering exceptional precision, minimal material distortion, and reliable performance for demanding industrial applications.
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Laser Drilling Service
CipherFab offers a high-quality laser drilling service using pulsed fibre and UV laser systems to produce high-aspect-ratio holes, micro-vias, and precision apertures in metals, ceramics, composites, and polymers — with no tool contact, no tool wear, and no cutting forces. Laser drilling technology provides a non-contact machining alternative to traditional drilling methods, particularly suitable for applications that demand small-hole drilling with high precision — offering advantages such as minimal material deformation, reduced tool wear, and the ability to create extremely fine holes. CipherFab provides instant quotes on laser drilled components with DFM feedback on every uploaded file.
Recommended Materials for Laser Drilling
Materials supported for this capability.
Laser Drilling
Laser Types Pulsed Nd:YAG (1064 nm) — metals and ceramics; high peak power for percussion drilling Frequency-doubled Nd:YAG (532 nm) — silicon and glass; reduced heat-affected zone UV Nd:YAG (355 nm) — polymers, PCBs, and UV-absorbing materials; cold ablation Pulsed CO₂ (10.6 µm) — non-metallic materials; ceramics and glass Femtosecond laser — ultra-precision drilling with near-zero heat-affected zone across all materials
- Metals Stainless Steel 304
- Stainless Steel 316L
- Stainless Steel 17-4PH
- Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
- Inconel 625
- Inconel 718
- Aluminium 6061
- Mild Steel 1018
- Tool Steel D2
- Tungsten
- Nickel alloys
- Cobalt-Chrome
- Non-Metals & Composites Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)
- Fiberglass / G10 (FR4)
- Silicon
- Quartz
- Borosilicate Glass
- Sapphire
- Alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramic
- Silicon Carbide (SiC)
- PEEK
- Polyimide (Kapton)
- FR4 PCB laminate
Tolerance Standards for Laser Drilling
General tolerance information for this capability.
Laser Drilling
| Description | General Tolerance |
|---|---|
| Minimum Hole Diameter | 0.001″ (25 µm) — femtosecond laser |
| Standard Hole Diameter Range | 0.005″–0.500″ (0.127–12.7 mm) |
| Hole Diameter Tolerance | ±0.001″ (±25 µm) standard; ±0.0005″ with trepanning |
| Positional Tolerance | ±0.002″ (±50 µm) standard; ±0.001″ with vision alignment |
| Roundness | ±5% of nominal diameter — trepanning produces best roundness |
| Aspect Ratio (maximum) | Up to 50:1 (depth:diameter) — material and process dependent |
| Taper | Slight taper present on percussion drilled holes; trepanning minimises taper |
| Heat-Affected Zone | < 5 µm with femtosecond pulses; 10–50 µm with nanosecond pulses |
| Recast Layer | ≤ 5 µm on precision percussion and trepan drilled holes |
| Surface Condition | No burr; no mechanical distortion; minimal recast on femtosecond process |
| Material Thickness (max) | Up to 10 mm on metals; up to 5 mm on ceramics and glass |
| Inspection | Vision measurement system · CMM · SEM for sub-0.005″ features |
| Laser Drilling — Process Comparison | Method |
| Best Diameter Range | Tolerance |
| Speed | Best For |
| Single pulse | 0.010″–0.100″ |
| ±0.003″ | Fastest |
| Thin sheet, high volume, less critical | Percussion |
| 0.005″–0.250″ | ±0.001″ |
| Medium | Most metals and ceramics, all thicknesses |
| Trepanning | 0.010″–0.500″ |
| ±0.0005″ | Slowest |
| Tight diameter tolerance, low taper, best roundness | Femtosecond |
| 0.001″–0.020″ | ±0.0005″ |
| Slow | Micro-holes, ceramics, glass, near-zero HAZ |
Design Guide: Laser Drilling
We have compiled our best tips into this guide to help you understand laser drilling processes, how to design hole arrays and patterns for laser drilling, aspect ratio limits relative to material and laser type, entrance and exit face condition management, taper specification and control, material surface reflectivity considerations, and how to specify positional tolerance, diameter tolerance, and inspection requirements for laser drilled hole patterns.
Advantages of Laser Drilling
Laser drilling finds applications in aerospace, electronics, and medical device manufacturing — offering advantages including minimal material deformation, reduced tool wear, and the ability to create extremely fine holes. No mechanical contact means no cutting force, no tool deflection, and no workpiece distortion — enabling hole diameters as small as 25 µm in fully hardened tool steel and exotic alloys that conventional drilling cannot access. Laser micromachining achieves finer features down to 1 µm and tighter tolerances of ±1–5 µm than conventional methods, without tool wear or mechanical forces, and excels with heat-sensitive materials. For turbine blade cooling hole arrays, fuel injector nozzles, medical device filter screens, PCB micro-vias, and aerospace composite skins — where mechanical drilling either cannot reach the required diameter, introduces unacceptable delamination at composite edges, or breaks tools before the array is complete — CipherFab's laser drilling service delivers consistent, high-aspect-ratio holes across any machinable material, with instant online pricing and DFM feedback on every upload.
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