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Photo etching vs laser cutting — which is right for your part?

Q: What's the minimum feature for photochemical etching vs laser cutting?

On a 0.05 mm 316L sheet, photochemical etching holds features down to about 0.04 mm. Laser cutting is kerf-limited — a typical 100 W fibre laser cuts 0.10 mm kerf, so the minimum reliable feature is ~0.20 mm. For very fine meshes (<0.20 mm hole) etching is the only viable option.

Q: Does photochemical etching create heat-affected zones?

No. Etching is a room-temperature chemical dissolution — the metal grain stays annealed and the surface has no recast layer. The micro-roughness left by etching is Ra 0.5–1.0 µm, ideal for subsequent coating or bonding. Laser cutting, by contrast, locally melts and re-solidifies the cut edge, creating a hard but brittle recast layer of typically 50–200 µm depth.

Q: When should I choose stamping instead of etching or laser?

Stamping wins for very high volume (typically > 1 million identical parts per year) once the die cost is amortised. Below that, the die setup cost ($5k–$50k) makes stamping uneconomic. Stamping also creates a defined burr which needs deburring — etching and laser both avoid that step.

Section 1

What photo etching does well

Three structural advantages that laser cannot match.

Burr-free square edge

A chemical-dissolution edge is flat, parallel and square. No further deburring. Critical for RFI strips, bipolar plate flow fields, sealing gaskets, wire-bond lead-frame tips.

Fine features & meshes

Down to 0.04–0.05 mm on 0.05 mm sheet. Laser kerf bottoms out at ~0.20 mm — etching is the only answer for photo-etched meshes, stents and lead-frame half-etch pads.

No heat-affected zone

Chemical dissolution at room temperature — grain stays annealed. Important for aerospace Ti heat-shield shims and medical devices where a brittle recast edge is a fatigue-crack seed.

Quick answers

Common questions

Is photo etching cheaper than laser cutting?

Photo etching is cheaper per part above ~50 m²/year of the same design — chemistry and resist are inexpensive, no laser-gas or lens-replacement cost, no heat-affected-zone scrap. Below that volume, laser cutting is cheaper because it needs no upfront film or resist process. The crossover depends on geometry complexity — parts with internal holes or fine meshes favour etching; parts with simple outlines favour laser.

Which process produces sharper edges — etching or laser?

Photo etching produces a flat, square, burr-free edge. Fiber laser cutting produces a recast edge with a heat-affected zone and a small radius at the kerf. For parts where the edge is a sealing surface (gaskets, BPPs, RFI strips) etching wins clearly. For parts where the edge quality doesn't matter (structural pieces) laser is fine.

Can you laser cut titanium?

Yes — with a fibre laser (1 µm wavelength) titanium absorbs the beam well and cuts cleanly through thin stock. But the cut edge recasts and oxygen contamination makes it a fatigue-crack seed. Aerospace heat-shield shims < 0.5 mm are typically photochemically etched instead for that reason.

What's the minimum feature for photochemical etching vs laser cutting?

On a 0.05 mm 316L sheet, photochemical etching holds features down to about 0.04 mm. Laser cutting is kerf-limited — a typical 100 W fibre laser cuts 0.10 mm kerf, so the minimum reliable feature is ~0.20 mm. For very fine meshes (<0.20 mm hole) etching is the only viable option.

Does photochemical etching create heat-affected zones?

No. Etching is a room-temperature chemical dissolution — the metal grain stays annealed and the surface has no recast layer. The micro-roughness left by etching is Ra 0.5–1.0 µm, ideal for subsequent coating or bonding. Laser cutting, by contrast, locally melts and re-solidifies the cut edge, creating a hard but brittle recast layer of typically 50–200 µm depth.

When should I choose stamping instead of etching or laser?

Stamping wins for very high volume (typically > 1 million identical parts per year) once the die cost is amortised. Below that, the die setup cost ($5k–$50k) makes stamping uneconomic. Stamping also creates a defined burr which needs deburring — etching and laser both avoid that step.

Can I combine photo etching and laser cutting on the same part?

Yes — and it is a common pattern. Use photochemical etching for fine holes, meshes, internal cutouts and areas where burr-free edges matter; use laser cutting for the outer profile, through-holes >1 mm, and any features >0.5 mm that don't need tight tolerance. Many of our medical-device customers run a hybrid line: etch first, then laser-cut the outline.