MICRO MACHINING | ARTICLE Successful Photochemical Etching
of Aluminium in Exacting Industrial Applications
Albert Tsang, Technical Manager, PRECISION MICRO
Despite the fact that photochemical etching has been a machining technology for over 50 years, it is still a relatively low profile process, and its practical use in a variety of manufacturing scenarios with an ever broadening number of materials is one of industry’s best kept secrets.
Commonly misrepresented as a prototyping technology, photochemical etching is in fact a versatile and increasingly sophisticated metal machining technology, with an ability to mass manufacture complex and feature-rich metal parts and components.
Using photo-resist and etchants to chemically machine selected areas accurately, the process is characterised by retention of material properties, burr free and stress free parts with clean profiles, and no heat-affected zones.
Coupled with the fact that photochemical etching uses easily re- iterated and low cost digital tooling, it provides a cost-effective, highly accurate, and speedy manufacturing alternative to traditional machining technologies such as stamping, pressing, punching, and laser and waterjet cutting.
However, for any machining technology to remain viable and relevant in modern and innovative manufacturing projects and environments, it must adapt to the needs of industry. Specifically, machining technologies these days must be able to work to extremely high tolerances, and on more ‘modern’ metals which are sought after in various industrial applications.
As such, companies such as Precision Micro that have invested in research and development in the field of photochemical etching have focused huge amounts of time and money refining the process for use on aluminium, a metal that is used more and more due to its inherent characteristics, but which is notoriously difficult to work.
Many companies that have used traditional manufacturing processes on aluminium, for example, will be familiar with some issues such as the reflective nature of aluminium (which makes laser cutting problematic), and the fact that aluminium coats dies which makes punching unreliable.
This article analyses developments in the area of aluminium machining via photochemical etching, and looks at the opportunities that are therefore opened up for product designers in various industry sectors.
16 | commercial micro manufacturing international Vol 7 No.4
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