Chemical Etching for PCBs, Chemical Machining, and Much More
Product Lines for Metal
Common Acids Used for Engraving Metal and Glass
Alkaline (printed circuit board etcher)
Etch Machine for PCB
Cupric Chloride (printed circuit board fabrication)
Etch Machine for PCB
Ferric Chloride (Photo etching process and printed circuit board etcher)
Stainless Steel etching
PCB manufacturing
Specialty metal etchant (list of specialty metals)
Hydrofluoric Acid (chemical milling and glass) Glass etcher
Titanium etcher
Molybdenum etcher
More specialty metal etchers
Other uses for Chemcut etchers
Custom semiconductor processing
Etcher for proprietary processes
Benefits of Chemical Etching Process
Accurate and Complex
Metal etching has the capability to make extremely complex designs and accurate metal components. Since all the features are being machined at the same time the complexity can be endless.
Bur Free and Stress Free
Since the etching process is chemical machining instead of mechanical machining the components will be bur free, stress-free, and will maintain all its original metal properties.
Fast Prototyping and Quick Design Changes
Metal etching has a digital tooling process that allows etcher owners to make fast changes to component designs.
Endless Metal Options
There is a list of metals that Chemcut has built chemical etchers for on our Chemical Milling Page.
Common Line Parameters
Speed range: 14 – 140 inches / minute
Max temperature: 130 °F
Options to Add to Chemical Etching Lines for Metal
Acid Controller – popular for cupric chloride etchant
Drip Pan – catch-all chemistry drops or spills
Drying
Chiller Cooling System
Inline Filtration – results in fewer clogged nozzles and fewer particles in solution
Ion Exchange – for the rinse stations. Saves water. Ability to “close loop” rinse water if needed.
ORP Controller – a popular option for Cupric, and Ferric etchers and comes with a regeneration system
pH Controller – is a popular option for the Alkaline etching process and standard on developing and resist stripping
Specific Gravity Controller (IX) with Visual Baume – never let your etchant Baume get too high or low again
Ventilation Demister – aids in condensation and recovery of evaporated process chemistry vapor
The options do not stop there. Chemcut wet processing machines are modular. That allows you to configure your machine in any order you want.
Please proceed to our products to find all the different conveyor widths you can pick from.
Why should a company add chemical etching to its capabilities?
No stress hardening
Burr free – stamping produces parts with sharp edges, requiring removal for safe handling
Unlimited complexity. Typically, chem milling companies charge for the first hole
Quick turn around on redesigns – giving the ability to produce multiple prototype designs with minimal down-time
Quick and cheap prototyping because the artwork is inexpensive
No expensive hard tooling like stamping
Etched parts are NOT compromised by contamination. Many parts are used in the medical field
Nearly any metal can be etched in a Chemcut machine
Acid Etching metal on a Chemcut machine can have a tolerance of 10% of the material thickness; even better with artwork compensation prior to resist exposure
Tolerance of 1 mil and lower is achieved by many of our customers.
Why choose Chemcut to build your PCB etcher, metal etcher, and chemical milling etcher?
Chemcut’s process engineers have over 100 years of combined acid etching experience.
Whether you are etching rigid or flexible materials, Chemcut will find a way to make your etching process a flying success. We are willing to customize our etchers to your every need.
Contact us today so we can discuss your metal etching/engraving project to determine what etching chemicals will best optimize your etching line.
Once we determine the best etching chemistry, we will start our lab testing phase. For the testing phase, we will need you to supply us with a panel that is laminated, exposed, and developed.
What if you are just starting a photo etching shop and cannot do this yourself?
No problem.
Chemcut has the ability to clean, laminate, expose, develop, etch, and strip, in-house! All you will need to supply is the artwork, lamination, and the metal that needs to be etched.
Chemcut can test unusual chemistries (organic solvents for example) for material compatibility prior to system build to verify the process will work, and that materials selected for construction are durable and robust.
Chemcut will prove our etchers can attain your goals and we will help you optimize all your wet processing steps.
In the end, the optimization really comes down to you testing your new acid etching equipment and finding what best works for you, but we will be here the whole time to help you through every step.
Ultimately the main reasons our customers love working with us are:
We are here to serve you. Our pre and post-sales support is second to none and prides itself on our customer’s success.
Etching Performance. Our etchers provide companies with the most uniform and accurate etched surface on the market today.
Durability. Our wet processing machines are built to last using USA sourced material that is the best in the world. We have hundreds if not thousands of etchers, developers, and strippers that are well over 30 years old still providing high-quality metal parts.
Vertically Integrated. We make over 90% of our parts so we do not rely on anyone else to make parts for us. This gives us the ability to make parts in order to support installed systems that are over 30 years old. We never have to worry about a supplier discontinuing a part and if a part is not in stock, we can start building it immediately.
Completely Customized Wet Processing Machines. You can buy a standard etcher, or you can customize every single detail.
Research and Developing Lab Testing. Our research and development lab will prove to you that our machines can etch the components you want and can help you optimize your etching process.
Scale Up. Consultation with Chemcut design and process engineers will help you scale up from prototype design to full-scale continuous production
MADE IN THE USA
