What Fotofab does

Fotofab is a privately held, Illinois-domiciled precision metal parts manufacturer founded in 1965 and headquartered in Chicago, with a second manufacturing site in Elk Grove Village. Its core technology is photochemical machining (PCM, also called chemical etching) — a temperature-regulated chemical bath process using photoresist to selectively remove material from sheet metal without inducing stress, burrs, or heat distortion. The company invests in direct imaging (CBT Raptor 7300 with LED-based front-to-back registration, sourced through Technica USA) to eliminate physical phototools, and operates a vertically integrated capability stack spanning PCM, diffusion bonding, 4-slide forming, metal stamping, micro blanking, laser cutting, wire EDM, and in-house metal finishing (plating, electropolishing, passivation, painting, tumbling, reaming, custom packaging). Tolerances down to ±0.0005 inches center-to-center and prototype lead times as short as one business day for low-profile EMI/RFI shields are highlighted capabilities.

The company's revenue model is custom contract manufacturing priced per RFQ, sold through direct sales (website RFQ with CAD upload, phone, and industry trade shows such as SPIE Photonics West, DesignCon, SATELLITE, and The Battery Show). It serves five primary verticals — medical devices, aerospace, military/defense, electronics, and telecommunications — plus secondary exposure to energy (fuel cells, bipolar plates, batteries). Customer mix spans hundreds of OEMs and integrators across these verticals, with one publicly named defense customer (Inter-Coastal Electronics). Fotofab is AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified, ITAR-registered through February 2026, RoHS3/REACH compliant, JCP certified, and SAM-registered as a U.S. Government Vendor (CAGE 707X1), enabling it to compete for aerospace, DOD, NASA, and FAA-bound programs. Leadership is led by President Charles Cohen (also on the Photo Chemical Machining Institute Board of Directors), with Director of Sales Anthony Giampapa, Tool & Die Manager Casey Guzik, and Business Development Manager Jon Mills covering medical. The company is a member of the TPC Group advanced manufacturing network and was ranked #18 on The Fabricator's 2024 FAB 40 list of North America's top metal fabricators.

Name

Fotofab

Legal name

Fotofabrication Corporation (Fotofab)

Website

https://fotofab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fotofab is a privately held, 50-plus-year-old Chicago-based precision metal parts manufacturer using photochemical machining and complementary stamping, forming, and diffusion bonding to serve medical, aerospace, defense, electronics, telecom, and energy OEMs worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Precision Metal Parts Manufacturing: Fotofab generates revenue through the custom manufacture of precision metal parts using photochemical machining. Parts are produced in prototype and production quantities from nearly any metal or alloy. Revenue is derived from one-time purchase orders for custom parts, with repeat business from established customers across medical, aerospace, defense, electronics, and other industries.
2. Value-Added and Metal Finishing Services: Additional revenue streams include metal finishing services (plating, electropolishing, passivation, painting, tumbling, reaming), precision metal forming, diffusion bonding, laser cutting, wire EDM, and custom packaging. These services transform etched parts into ready-to-use components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fotofab is a contract manufacturer that produces custom precision metal parts through photochemical machining (chemical etching) from sheet metal, supported by direct imaging tooling. It sells custom parts in prototype and production quantities, complemented by value-added services including metal forming, metal finishing (plating, electropolishing, passivation, painting, tumbling, reaming), diffusion bonding, laser cutting, wire EDM, and soldering/welding. Customers supply CAD files and receive parts shipped worldwide from Chicago, IL.

Product overview

Fotofab is a precision metal parts manufacturing company specializing in photochemical machining (chemical etching) as its core capability. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of services including metal etching, precision metal forming, diffusion bonding, laser cutting, metal stamping, micro blanking, rapid prototyping, and metal finishing. Their product portfolio includes EMI/RFI shields (standard, low-profile, and prototype kits), fuel cell components (plates and bipolar plates), electrical contacts, connectors, encoders, lead frames, heat sinks, heat exchangers, filters, flat springs, shims, screens, busbars, battery components, semiconductor components, and custom parts. The company serves diverse markets including aerospace, defense, medical devices, medical implantables, automotive, electronics, telecommunications, energy, photonics, and industrial applications. Manufacturing is conducted in Chicago, IL with parts made from a wide variety of metals and alloys including aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, copper, beryllium copper, brass, and exotic alloys.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Etching Services Precision chemical etching (photochemical machining) service using temperature-regulated chemical baths and photoresist to selectively remove material from sheet metal, producing burr-free, stress-free precision parts from prototype to production volumes.
• Precision Metal Forming Services Metal bending and forming services on a rapid-delivery basis for small precision parts, including 4-slide multi-station forming.
• Metal Finishing Services Metal finishing services including blackening, electropolishing, painting, passivating, plating, reaming, tumbling, and custom packaging that transform etched parts into ready-to-use components.
• Diffusion Bonding Process that joins layers of sheet metal together using heat and pressure to create complex multilayer metal components with closed internal channels for fuel cells and similar applications, supporting both similar and dissimilar metals.
• Rapid Prototyping Fast-turnaround prototyping service for precision metal parts using photochemical machining, enabling quick transitions from design to production with lead times as short as one business day for prototype EMI/RFI shields.
• Metal Stamping Metal stamping services for high-volume production of precision metal parts.
• Micro Precision Stamping / Micro Blanking Ultra-precise micro stamping and blanking services for very small precision components.
• Laser Cutting

Quantifiable outcome

• Center-to-center tolerances within +/- 0.0005 inches (0.013 mm) over 6 inches (153 mm) for metal etching
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lattice MaterialsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2023Co-exhibiting partner at SPIE Photonics West 2023 (Booth #2349). Lattice Materials and Fotofab shared exhibition space to showcase combined precision manufacturing capabilities.
• OptiformsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2023Co-exhibiting partner at SPIE Photonics West 2023 (Booth #2349). Optiforms and Fotofab shared exhibition space to showcase precision metal fabrication capabilities to the photonics industry.
• CBT (Chime Ball Technologies)coreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2020CBT supplied Fotofab with its Raptor 7300 Series direct imaging machine featuring patented finger-print technology with LED lighting. This equipment enables Fotofab to directly plot images onto photoresist with front-to-back registration accuracy, eliminating the cost and time required to develop physical phototools.
• Technica, USAcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2020Technica, USA served as the equipment supplier and installer for the CBT direct imaging machine acquired by Fotofab to optimize its chemical etching process.
• TPC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFotofab is part of the TPC Group network, a comprehensive resource for manufacturing challenging medical devices. TPC leverages a robust suite of capabilities among advanced manufacturers to provide holistic and customized solutions, from prototyping to design for manufacturing to full-scale production. The TPC network facilitates knowledge sharing and collaboration among advanced manufacturers to develop the most complete, tailored solutions for customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Xometry: AI-driven marketplace for on-demand custom manufacturing including sheet metal fabrication—competes for the same precision parts RFPs though via an aggregated supplier network rather than in-house etching.
• Protolabs: Large-scale digital custom manufacturer offering sheet metal fabrication alongside CNC machining, injection molding, and 3D printing—broader portfolio with overlapping but not specialized in chemical etching.

Direct peers

• Precision Micro: Europe's largest photochemical etching specialist serving aerospace, medical, automotive, and electronics with precision etched components—directly comparable process technology and customer base, though UK/Europe-focused.
• Tech Met (Lazer-Tech): US photochemical machining and precision metal stamping shop serving aerospace, electronics, and medical—closely aligned process offering including chemical etching, stamping, and finishing.
• Vac-Hold: US photochemical machining company serving aerospace, electronics, and medical customers with etched precision parts—overlapping core process and end-markets with Fotofab.
• Tech-Etch: US-based photochemical etching manufacturer offering precision metal parts and EMI/RFI shielding across aerospace, medical, defense, and electronics—directly overlapping Fotofab's core process, end-markets, and product categories.
• Astro Manufacturing & Design: US precision metal fabricator offering chemical etching, stamping, and laser cutting for aerospace, defense, and medical customers—overlapping full process menu including photochemical machining.
• E-Fab: California-based precision sheet metal fabricator with strong chemical etching capabilities serving aerospace, medical, and electronics—closely overlapping process mix including etching, forming, and finishing.
• United Western Enterprises: US photochemical machining and precision metal parts manufacturer with aerospace and defense certifications—directly comparable precision etching capability and ITAR-aware customer base.
• Metfab: US photochemical etching job shop producing precision metal parts for similar industries including medical, aerospace, and electronics—directly comparable technology and customer profile to Fotofab.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FotofabLlc
• Facebookfacebook.com/fotofabllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fotofab

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fotofab