Metal etchings and metal acid etching including metal chemical etching, chemical milling, photo etching, chemical etchings, and photochemical machining.  

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About Metal Etchings

Metal etching, also known as “milling” or “machining,” is the production of a depressed design on a metal plate by cutting lines through a protective coating and then applying corrosive acid that removes the metal under the lines. Sometimes the plates are smoked so that the lines will be more visible. Etching is used to create metal industrial parts that have many small grooves or holes and also as a decorative finish on many metals. Metal etching can also help a metal to meet weight demands by dissolving an appropriate layer of the surface. While metal etching using acid remains the most common method, there are now many others that do not employ the use of acid.

The acid used in metal etching services is controlled in several ways. Most often, a hard, waxy, acid-resistant ground is applied to the plate. A design is scratched into the surface with a sharp point, exposing lines that are attacked by the acid. A soft ground is sensitive to pressure. Paper is placed on the part. A pencil is then used to make the lines of varying densities, which allows more or less acid through, depending on the pressure applied. Faux-bite results from small amounts of acid leaking through the ground, creating minor pitting and burning on the surface. It can be removed by burnishing, polishing or smoothing the surface.

A broad range of metals can be used during the acid-based processes, such as stainless steel, copper, brass, nickel and silver alloy. Other metals can be etched using gas or electric-based processes. If a metal piece is in need of fine grooves, laser etching is often used. Abrasive etching with high-compression air is another option. In this process, abrasives such as aluminum oxide or sand are sometimes blasted in place of laser technology when isolated areas are being worked. Photochemical etching, which is the most common etching method, is a low-cost process that provides high quality, fast turnaround and precision accuracy unavailable in other etching processes. This process also allows flexibility in the design of parts, as changes can be made quickly, simply and cost-effectively.

Examples of etched metal products in the medical field are stents, cathodes and implants. Brake rotors and fuel cell plates are made for the automotive industry. The sign and plaque industry heavily relies on the use of metaling etching services. Jewelry production and other artistic portions of industry use metal etching to create fine lines for intricate details. Photochemical etching produces business cards, logo name plates, panel covers and promotional items for the commercial sector. Metal etching services also create longer lasting stencils for the woodworking and art fields.

Image Provided by Photo Chem Etch Corporation	Image Provided by Advanced Metal Etching, Inc.

Featured Articles

“Process Guidelines for Alkaline Etching”
http://www.chemcut.net/pdf/Alkaline-Etch-Process.pdf
 
“Process Guidelines for Cupric Chloride Etching ”
http://www.chemcut.net/pdf/Cupric-Chloride.pdf

Types of Metal Etching

• Abrasive etching is the process of using controlled, high-pressure compressed air to direct an abrasive, such as sand or aluminum oxide, at the surface of a material to create the etched effect.
  
• Acid etching uses acid to engrave the surface of sheet metal.
  
• Chemical etching uses acids, bases, and other chemicals to etch into the surface of metal.
  
• Dry etching refers to any etching process that does not employ the use of chemicals.
  
• Electroetching is an etching process that involves the use of chemicals, along with the employment of direct electric current.
  
• Laser etching (http://www.laser-cutting-services.com) employs the use of a laser for the removal of a specified pattern on a metal piece. Laser etching is often used in the jewelry industry.
  
• Metal engravers are metal tools used to carve designs into metal surfaces.
  
• Metal engraving is the process by which metal tools are employed to carve a design into metal.
  
• Photo engraving uses photosensitive material that is resistant to acid and applies it to the surface of a metal sheet. Acid is then applied, creating an image by burning through the areas where the acid-resistant material is missing.
  
• Photo etching, the most common metal etching process and otherwise referred to as “metal chemical etching,” “chemical milling,” “photochemical etching,” “chemical etching” or "photochemical machining," is the process in which a desired image is etched on the surface of the metal part via a photosensitive template. The piece is then exposed to an appropriate acid (or etchant) that removes a layer of metal in areas left unprotected by the template, after which the piece is cleaned and the photoresist template removed.
  
• Reactive Ion Etching (REI), also known as “plasma etching,” is a dry etching technique. REI involves the use of electrical circuits and high-energy gas made up of ionized particles containing fluorine or chlorine.
  
• Sputter etching is a type of REI etching but without the employment of ions.
  
• Vapor phase etching is a dry etch technique that uses reactive gases to achieve the desired etching pattern.