Chemical etching is a manufacturing process that is used for producing highly accurate parts of metal. This method of manufacturing metal parts is also known as Electro-chemical Etching as well as Photo etching etc. due to the etching chemical used in it..
Introduction to the process of Chemical Etching
Chemical etching is a subtractive process of manufacturing metal parts in which baths of etching chemicals under controlled temperature conditions are used for producing metal parts of any shape with high precision. It is a more design flexible, cost-effective, and faster technique of manufacturing micro metal parts as compared to EDM Stamping, Laser cutting, Water jetting and CNC. Most of the manufacturers of industrial products or prototypes are using this method for manufacturing metal parts more accurately.
Working of etching chemical in the process of chemical etching
The process of chemical etching can be completed in various steps like cleaning, laminating, exposing, developing, etching and stripping. After all these steps all the components are rigorously checked to ensure their quality and precision.
A layer of light-sensitive material is first laminated on the sheet of the substrate, the material to be etched. This layer is exposed selectively to UV rays to get an image of the product you want to make. The patterned substrate is then exposed to etching chemicals to get the metal part as the chemical removes its unexposed parts. In order to produce high precision metal parts, every step is performed under strictly controlled conditions.
Benefits of etching chemical
Etching chemicals can help in producing high precision multi-layered and complex metal parts by using the process of chemical etching. The process of chemical etching can be used suitably for creating sharp edges, round holes, and profiled or straight edges while creating metal parts.
The etching chemical used in chemical etching makes this process the most affordable alternative for any manufacturing process from prototype to commercial production as compared to the traditional process of machining like electro-discharge machining, N machining, pressing, stamping, laser cutting, and wire erosion, etc. Chemical etching can help in producing a prototype from your drawings rapidly within a few days due to the flexible scalability and tooling of this process.
Materials that can be etched with etching chemicals
Etching chemical can etch a wide range of materials including various types of stainless steels, carbon steel, mild steel, spring steel, tool steel, molybdenum, aluminum of different grades, various alloys of nickel, oxygenated and oxygen-free copper, phosphor bronze, brass, nickel silver and beryllium copper along with a number of other materials.
Applications in which Etching Chemical can be used for chemical etching
Etching chemicals can be used in a wide range of industries for producing precision metal parts as per their requirement by using the process of chemical etching.
The industries in which chemical etching is used may include lead frame industry, Electronics & Semiconductor industry, RFI/EMI shielding cans industry, SMT stencil industry, and bus bar industry. It is also used for manufacturing parts for developing flexible circuits, Shim, washer, spacer, apertures, heat sinks, surgical blades, medical needles, lancets, automotive flexures, flat springs, and grilles of speakers, etc.