The chemical etching technique goes back to forging swords in the 15th century and is also known from artists such as Rembrandt van Reijn. But only in the 20th century when the first photosensitive resists became available, did chemical etching develop into an important production technique for precision parts. Firstly for metals such as copper, copper alloys and for stainless steel alloys. Later also for special metals such as beryllium, gold, molybdenum, silver, tantalum and titanium. Nowadays photochemical etching is employed for the production of thin metal precision parts used in almost every industry, including mechanical engineering, aviation and space, medical and microelectronics.
Advantages
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An extensive choice of materials, also for flexible materials. |
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Hardness and brittleness will not restrict processing. |
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Due to processing at low temperatures no change in physical material properties. |
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No added internal stress or deformation. |
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Burr-free products. |
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High accuracies; depending on material thickness tolerances down to +/- 0.01 mm can be achieved. |
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Contour and relief etching are possible in the same process. |
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Limited tooling costs, independent of product complexity. |
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A relatively cheap process, for samples as well as for series production. |
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Short delivery times. |
Disadvantages
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Structures must have at least the material thickness. In for example: in 0.1 mm material holes must have a minimum diameter of 0.1 mm. |
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Relatively expensive for individual pieces. |
The correct choice of process is crucial for the quality and costs of the final product. Knowledge of the various processes is therefore important.
Based on a broad selection of suppliers with different technologies, for simple up to complex products, prices and tolerances are compared by indication.
