Special Services | CipherFAB

Special Services

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Advanced Laser Applications

Beyond standard cutting and welding, CipherFAB delivers precision laser processes for drilling, hardening, micromachining, pillow-plate fabrication, and cladding. Each capability is supported by process-specific tolerances, material guidance, and quality documentation — with instant quotes, DFM feedback, and production-ready delivery.

Laser Drilling

High-precision laser drilling for metals, ceramics, composites, and semiconductors — spanning percussion, trepanning, single-pulse, and femtosecond methods for micro-holes through thick sections.

Single Pulse Drilling

Fastest method for thin sheet and high-volume production — a single laser pulse pierces the full material depth with minimal setup time.

Percussion Drilling

Multiple pulses at the same position for thicker materials and tighter tolerances — the standard approach for most metals and ceramics.

Trepanning

Laser circles the hole profile for the most accurate diameter, best roundness, and lowest taper — suited to tight-tolerance applications.

Laser Hardening

Localized surface hardening without bulk heat treatment — improves wear resistance on tool steel, carbon steel, and cast iron while preserving core material properties and minimising distortion.

Transformation Hardening

Martensitic transformation on carbon and alloy steels — achieves 52–64 HRC on tool steels with case depths from 0.2–2.5 mm.

Selective Track Hardening

Defined hardened tracks on gear teeth, cam surfaces, and wear faces — 10–30% overlap for uniform hardness across wide surfaces.

Cast Iron Hardening

Bearing surfaces and cylinder bores on grey and ductile cast iron — confined heat-affected zone with no bulk thermal effect.

Precision Micro-Feature Manufacturing

Femtosecond, picosecond, and UV nanosecond laser systems for medical devices, electronics, aerospace, and semiconductor applications — feature sizes from 1 µm with sub-micron positional accuracy and minimal recast.

Laser Micromachining

Ultra-fine feature machining for slots, channels, micro-holes, and complex 2D/3D geometries on metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites.

Femtosecond Micromachining

Near-athermal ablation with sub-1 µm heat-affected zone — minimum feature size 1 µm and positional accuracy ±0.5–1.0 µm.

Picosecond Micromachining

Tight tolerances on metals and ceramics with Ra < 0.1 µm surface finish — standard production minimum feature size 5 µm.

UV Nanosecond Micromachining

Cost-effective micro-features on PCBs, polymers, and UV-absorbing materials — slots, cutouts, and precision ablation patterns.

Laser Welded Pillow Plates

Custom pillow-plate heat exchangers and dimple-jacket assemblies — laser-welded channel patterns in stainless steel for process cooling, heating, and thermal management equipment.

Standard Pillow Panels

Dot, diamond, and herringbone weld patterns in SS304 and SS316L — working pressure up to 25 bar with hydrostatic test to 1.5× WP.

High-Pressure & Custom Panels

Reinforced weld patterns for up to 40 bar on 3 mm sheet — custom flow geometry and panel sizes to 3,000 × 1,500 mm.

Laser Cladding

Additive laser cladding deposits metallurgically bonded wear-resistant overlays and restores worn surfaces — alternative to replacement or conventional welding repair.

Wear-Resistant Overlays

Stellite, Inconel, and carbide-rich deposits on critical wear surfaces — extends component life in mining, oil & gas, and heavy industry.

Dimensional Restoration

Builds up undersized shafts, bores, and sealing surfaces to drawing tolerance — minimal dilution and controlled heat input vs. conventional weld repair.

Corrosion-Resistant Cladding

Nickel-base and stainless overlays for chemical and marine environments — metallurgical bond with low porosity and controlled dilution.

Build Envelope & Capability Limits

Typical process envelopes across CipherFAB special laser services — confirm specific part requirements at quote stage for feasibility and lead time.

Process Envelope

Process	Minimum Dimensions	Maximum Dimensions
Laser Drilling	0.001″ (25 µm) hole diameter	0.500″ (12.7 mm) diameter · 10 mm depth on metals
Laser Hardening	1.0 mm hardened track width	Case depth 0.2–2.5 mm · 600 HV surface hardness
Laser Micromachining	1 µm feature size (femtosecond)	±2.5 µm positional accuracy · 20:1 aspect ratio
Laser Welded Pillow Plates	200 × 200 mm panel	3,000 × 1,500 mm · up to 40 bar WP
Laser Cladding

Surface Conditioning

Deburring

Removes machining burrs from edges and drilled/tapped features, performed manually or via vibratory/tumbling finishing depending on part complexity.

Edge Breaking

Standard edge treatment to remove sharp corners per drawing callout, typically 0.005"-0.015" chamfer or radius.

Bead Blasting

Produces a uniform matte texture, removes tool marks, and prepares the surface for subsequent coating.

Vibratory Finishing / Tumbling

Batch surface finishing for small to medium machined parts, removing burrs and improving surface uniformity across high-volume production runs.

Finishing

Protective and aesthetic surface finishes including powder coating, anodising, and plating — applied after laser processing to meet drawing and environmental requirements.

Anodising

Electrochemical oxide coating for aluminium parts — Type II and Type III hardcoat options for corrosion resistance and wear performance.

Powder Coating

Electrostatic application of dry powder cured under heat to form a durable, protective finish.

Electroplating

Depositing a thin layer of metal (like zinc or nickel) onto the surface using electric current.

Passivation

Chemical treatment that removes free iron and enhances the corrosion resistance of stainless steel surfaces.

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