INDUSTRY FOCUS AUTOMOTIVE
HOW CHEMICAL ETCHING CAN HELP CREATE HIGH-IMPACT INTERIOR TRIM
When it comes to creating luxurious interior trim for the modern driver, every detail must be
taken into consideration – right down to the last micron. Mike Bylina, managing director of Vestatec, explains why chemical etching outshines alternative machining techniques when manufacturing interior metal components
a visual wow factor on the forecourt to the heightened sensory experience whilst driving and interacting with the vehicle, metal components offer a touch of luxury that cannot be replicated with plastic. However, ensuring pinpoint accuracy and repeatability in the manufacturing process is more challenging with metal components, which is why design engineers should consider chemically etched components when developing interior trim.
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WHAT IS CHEMICAL ETCHING? Chemical etching is a subtractive machining process which uses acids to create complex and highly accurate precision components. An alternative to traditional techniques like stamping and laser cutting, the etching process works by printing a component design onto a photoresist which is then laminated onto sheet metal and exposed to UV light which hardens the pattern. The areas of photoresist around the pattern are subsequently removed and the unprotected material is etched away. Crucially, the process can selectively dissolve precise areas of the chosen metal and allow
54 DESIGN SOLUTIONS NOVEMBER 2024
etallic components are generally the go-to preference when designing premium vehicle interiors. From evoking
design engineers to create aesthetically pleasing patterns within the metal. For the intricate requirements of interior trim, the process
enables design engineers to achieve accuracies of up to ±0.025mm, which is ideal for creating complex patterns or hole geometries in parts like speaker grilles.
CHEMICAL ETCHING VS STAMPING AND LASER CUTTING Even the smallest of blemishes can create significant disparities when it comes to the appearance and function of the final component. In automotive manufacturing, imperfections are non-negotiable on A-surface parts, therefore processes which can ensure repeatability and accuracy are paramount. Traditional techniques like lasering and
stamping risk the component being subject to thermal stress, which causes the metal to expand
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