In the universe of etching techniques—whether wet, dry, or electromagnetic—one method stands out, capturing the essence of precision and innovation: Photo Chemical Etching. Buckle up as we highlight the etching process step by step.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Phototool Design / CAD Design
In photochemical etching, it all begins with your ideas that are actualized into designs.
In this step, the client submits their creative visions in the form of.DXF or .DWG files. Sometimes, the design team may even use hand-drawn sketches. These blueprints undergo a magical transformation into a phototool, the guide that orchestrates the entire symphony of creation.
Step 2: Metal Selection & Prep
Before the chemical dance begins, the spotlight turns to the selection of metals.
The metal is cut into sheets based on the selection of copper alloys, nickel alloys, stainless steel, or aluminum alloys. Thorough cleaning eliminates any remnants of oil, grease, or oxidation, preparing the surface for the dramatic chemical etching.
Step 3: Photoresist Coating – Preparation for Photo Etching on Metal
A photosensitive material, sensitive to light and resistant to acids, is delicately applied to the metal sheet. This specialized coating machine ensures a perfect embrace of the sheet, creating the foundation for precision in every etch.
Perfect metal cuts are ensured by the photochemical etching process on stainless steel, which is made possible by this photosensitive coating.
Step 4: UV Exposure
Placed within an exposure unit, the sheet is sandwiched between two film pieces, designed based on the customer’s files. UV light hits the sheet from both sides, turning the resist into a hardened masterpiece. The areas shaded from light remain soft.
Step 5: Development
It’s time for the big reveal during the development process.
The soft resist is washed away, revealing the hard resist beneath. Where the soft resist once stood, the exposed material displays. The areas with the hardened resist? They stand firm, protected from the etchant, destined to become the desired parts.
Step 6: Chemical Etching
The grand spectacle begins—the chemical etching process. A carefully curated range of etchants, tailored to the base material, dances across the metal sheet. This intricate choreography ensures a swift and effective chemical machining process, leaving no room for metal burrs.
Step 7: Photoresist Stripping and Final Inspection
What remains are the metal components, precisely etched according to the customer’s dreams and specifications.
Finally, the team ensures each part meets dimensional perfection, is free of burrs, and flaunts flawlessness.
Photo Chemical Etching Solves Problems
In the bustling landscape of business challenges—production time, cost, budget, and workforce—stands a superhero: Photo Chemical Etching. Its reputation precedes it, solving the biggest headaches with a streamlined process that requires no army of engineers. Quick, error-free, and capable of crafting custom thin metal parts, it’s the method that commands the spotlight in the manufacturing world—photo chemical etching, where problems find their solutions, and creativity meets precision.