Photochemical Etching

The first step in any etching process is creation of tooling specially designed with the parameters of etching in mind. We also have an Etching Design Guide available for your use. This can be created from a variety of file types and allows us to produce an exact recreation of your part. This tooling looks very much like a black and white film negative. Once tooling has been created, an almost infinite amount of parts can be produced, saving costs from normal tooling wear in other processes.

Next we start with a selection of high quality metals to meet any specifications needed for the part. Then we thoroughly clean the metal, making it free of any oils or contaminates.

We then apply a light sensitive photoresist to the plate using a hot lamination process to ensure proper adhesion.

After lamination, the plate is ready for imaging. The tooling and plate are then exposed to high intensity UV lights. This sets the laminate in areas according to the tooling. This process ensures an exact copy every time.

The plate is now ready for etching. We use specialized machinery to etch any areas of exposed metal, leaving just your part. This is done in a controlled environment, with in-process operator quality checks to assure the final part matches your exact specifications. 

Quality Control checks that all dimensions and specifications are met, providing the appropriate documentation and/or any additional testing reports required. 

Tooling consists of a high quality image, printed by a photoplotter to a Mylar sheet using an extremely dense black silver ink. This allows us to create an exact replication of your drawing. Not sure where to start with your drawing? We have an Etching Design Guide available to help clarify the many parameters involved in determining etching tolerances.

From this one tool we can create an almost limitless amount of parts. The tooling can be quickly printed, easily replaced, and doesn’t wear out, which makes it very cost effective. Our tooling can cost 10% of other methods such as die cutting and stamping. We can also produce multiple, distinct parts on a plate using one tool. Our customers find this helpful when prototyping or for multiple part assemblies.