Chemical Etching Metal
Chemical etching sometimes referred to as photo etching or photochemical machining is a metal machining process which uses chemical enchants to create complex and highly accurate precision components from almost any metal.
Chemical etching metal. What is the difference between the etching methods we offer. A common question we receive regarding our various production processes is. Why using chemical etching. Tolerance on etched features is typically 10.
It is mostly used on metals though other materials are increasingly important. Because copper and zinc have gone up in price many artisans who etch designs in metals have turned to etching steel. See all gauges of metal blanks for more options. Chemical etching another industry name for photo etching and photochemical etching is a cost effective manufacturing process for a variety of industrial thin metal parts.
There are two different processes we use to etch into the metal. When a part of 200 μm is chemically etched deviation can be up to 20 μm 0 02 mm. This means that unlike other processes that require bending and cutting the end product is a lot less vulnerable to damage when it comes to being used. The chemical etching process is one that involves very little stress on the metal sheets that we utilise.
Chemical milling or industrial etching is the subtractive manufacturing process of using baths of temperature regulated etching chemicals to remove material to create an object with the desired shape. Benefits of chemical etching. Chemical etching and laser etching both are available for stainless steel black metal brass finish and copper finish materials. Chemical etching is highly suitable when you want to create complex multi layer high precision metal parts.
Choosing the right etchant etchant is the chemical or mixture of chemicals that you ll use to cut into unprotected parts of your metal and create the finished etched design. Chemical etching is a method of engraving that uses a high pressure high temperature chemical spray to remove material to create a permanent etched image in metal. A mask or resist is applied to the surface of the material and is selectively removed exposing the metal to create the desired image. The photo etching process is ideal for the precision machining of parts with simple to complex designs.
24 gauge sheet metal and 24 gauge pre cut blanks will also work just be sure to leave 24 gauge items in the chemical bath for less time than you would a thicker metal. Chemical etching or photochemical etching is used to manufacture high precision metal parts.