Photochemical etching is a considerably fast and cost-effective method of machining metals. Various metals can be photo etched for a wide variety of applications, including special materials like molybdenum, soft magnetic alloys, and metal coated ceramics. Some of the major applications of photo etched materials in industries ranging from aerospace, scientific and research, Radio Frequency (RF) and wireless, medical, and electronics. Apart from the major industries, photo etching methods are also adapted in general machining of metals for applications like metal or photo plaques. General method of manufacturing in plaques is based on photochemical techniques, however, specifications and customizations can be added as per customer need and requirement.

Some of the advantages of photo etching over other methods are discussed in this article.

High Precision

With stamping techniques, although low feature size can be obtained it can turn out to be stressful and cause residual burrs on the substrate. This is why stamped parts require expensive post-processing techniques in order to obtain dimensional accuracy. However, in the case of photo etched parts, there are no residual burrs due to machining as it does not incur any stress on the material while manufacturing.

This is a major reason why photo etching is more popular in making plaques for various occasions as compared to stamping.

Burr-free Machining

It is considered to be one of the highest precision manufacturing processes that give priority to detailing. High dimensional accuracy can be obtained by photo etching materials. Minimum feature size can be obtained in already low thickness substrates. As a competition, stamping methods also allow for machining of low feature sizes but the dimensional accuracy obtained via photo etching is still higher than stamping methods

Photo etching is also essentially used for medical supplies including blades and surgical knives. It is because sharp edges are easier to obtain from this process as compared to other machining processes. In case of machining, the metal may be required to be post-processed to achieve the sharpness in the required part, however, for photo etching, dimensional accuracy with no additional cost can be easily achieved.

Sharp Edges

Photochemical etching methods are considerably low in cost as compared to other machining methods that require not only added costs but also resources such as a machining setup or space. In order to obtain high precision, flexible, and high accuracy parts, chemical etching is now a popular technique for various industries.

Inexpensive

Digital tooling in chemical etching is an added advantage it gets over other engraving methods. It means that parts with different dimensions and geometries can be manufactured at the same time using the same tool. This, in turn, reduces the cost massively and helps in mass production of parts. In addition, photo tools take less time to produce a part as compared to other engraving and stamping methods.

Rapid Prototyping

Another important and essential advantage of photo etching is the customization and personalization it offers in parts. Machined materials do not have the capacity to provide customization to products as they are made for a specific prototype. However, photo etched parts can be customized as per customer requirements. Not only text, but photos and signatures can also be personalized into photo etched products.

In the case of plaques, etching is considered a suitable method for intricate and complex designs and geometries. Virtually any design can be transferred onto metals like aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, and stainless steel by using photo chemical etching. Brass plaques are used for applications where corrosion can occur, usually for the nameplates. These plaques not only resist corrosion but are also cracking free. Stainless steel plaques are also popularly used for instructions at commercial arenas. Being a strong metal, stainless steel plaques possess high strength and durability. Etched copper plaques for seals are widely used all over the world because of their durability. All etched metal plaques can be customized into photo plaques for memorials and gifts.