10 Reasons to Choose Photo Etching for Metal Fabricating

1. Precision and Accuracy: Photo chemical machining allows for precise and accurate metal fabrication, enabling the creation of intricate and complex designs with dimensional tolerances of +/-15% of metal thickness and feature locations within .001”. Learn more about design for etching here.
2. Cost-Effectiveness: Etching is cost-effective for production runs of dozens to hundreds of thousands, depending on the parts. Compared to traditional machining. etching requires less set up time and can be more efficient in material consumption.
3. Versatility in Materials: Photo chemical machining is compatible with many metals, including a wide range of steel and nickel alloys, copper alloys including brass, bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver and Monel; also, aluminum, molybdenum, and sterling silver. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of popular alloys for etching.
4. Complex Geometries: Etching excels at producing parts with intricate shapes and complex geometries that may be challenging or costly to achieve through other manufacturing methods.
5. Minimal Material Stress: The chemical etching process does not induce stress or alter the mechanical properties of the metal. Because of this, photo chemical machining is exempt from regulation by Nadcap. (However, chemical milling --depending on the application-- may be subject to Nadcap checklist 7108/5.)
6. Fine Detail and Resolution: Photo chemical machining can achieve high levels of detail and resolution, making it suitable for applications where fine features are crucial, such as in electronics or medical devices.
7. Scalability: The process is readily scalable. It is efficient for both prototyping and mass production, with consistent quality maintained across different batch sizes.

8. Minimal Tooling Costs: Photo chemical machining does not require expensive tooling or fixtures. Digital LED exposure equipment needs only prepared DXF files to expose patterns in the photo resist.
9. Clean and Burr-Free Results: The chemical etching process produces clean edges without the need for secondary deburring operations. There is no cold working or thermal impact on material properties.
10. Experience Matters: Conard has specialized in photo chemical machining since 1965. Our workmanship and reliability are trusted by many leading customers in aerospace, defense, and wide range of major industrial manufacturers. Here are a few you might know:

For more information, you can get the Comprehensive Guide here.

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