Chemical and Laser Etching Materials - Precision Metals EU

Chemical and Laser Etching Materials

Choose premium quality surface, tension levelled and annealed strip alloys, flattened and cut to length to meet photo etching and laser etching market requirements

Available in strip

Chemical And Laser Etching Materials

Chemical etching goes by several other names, including chemical photo etching, chemical milling and photomechanical machining, though it should not be confused with laser etching. Chemical and laser processes have been used as alternatives to milling, engraving, stamping, plating, and many other metal part production processes. Both processes involve removing a proportion or all of the metal’s surface in a precise manner, capable of marking, shaping, cutting and piercing at what is often a lower cost than traditional matching methods. These processes offer many benefits over traditional matching methods, including greater accuracy and complexity in design, rapid prototyping and reproduction, no burrs or deformation of the material, and are suitable for both hard and brittle materials.

What is the difference between Chemical etching and laser etching?

While sharing many of the same benefits, one of the most obvious differences between these processes is the depth of the mark achieved. Laser etching uses the heat generated by a concentrated light energy beam to target small areas of a material’s surface. Laser etching can efficiently mark the surface and is most commonly used in the manufacturing of electronics, particularly process control boards (PCBs). Chemical etching, also known as Photochemical machining (PCM), offers a greater depth of surface removal than its laser etch counterpart. Photo etching utilises a chemical reaction between a light source and a photo-sensitive material to create the final etched product. Though this process originates from the 1940s, it has since been recognised by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers as one of the most important processes in today’s manufacturing industry. Chemical etching offers some additional benefits over laser etching, including no stresses to the material and no impact on the magnetic properties of the alloys chosen. Chemical and laser etching are used in applications across multiple sectors, including aerospace, microelectronics, automotive, fuel cells, medical, semiconductor and telecommunications.

Why choose us as your chemical and laser etching supplier of precision strip and wire?

Precision Metals EU has a longstanding relationship with our customers in the Chemical and Laser Etching industries. Both chemical and laser etchers, out of necessity, demand very high-quality standards from the strip metal industry. At the Knight Group, we have continuously met these challenging needs. As a result, we are one of the preferred precision stencil material suppliers for manufacturers around the globe.

We deliver all of our materials in mint condition with excellent clean surface quality, saving you valuable manufacturing time. When you need precision flatness and minimum distortion during etching, you can choose from tension-levelled or tension-annealed material. We specialise in the recoiling of thin gauge metals to produce low-weight coils, ideal for this industry. Using our precision foil blanking lines, the Precision Metals EU can supply material as thin as 0.08mm cut to length. We also offer small quantities, ideal for prototyping or small production runs. To satisfy surface quality and flatness requirements, we apply the same exacting Quality standard written specifically for this industry to each and every item.

In order to ensure your products arrive to you in perfect condition, we use our own in-house export packing. We have the long-term experience needed for damage-free deliveries, with specialist boxes for sea freight and lighter airfreight packing.

Key Materials for Chemical and Laser Etching Applications:

1050 / AW-1050 / A91050

1050A / AW-1050A / A91050A

1060 / AW-1060 / A91060

1070 / AW-1070 / A91070

1070A / AW-1070A / A91070A

1100 / AW-1100 / A91100

1145 / AW-1145 / A91145

1200 / AW-1200 / A91200

1230 / AW-1230/ A91230

1235 / AW-1235 / A91235

1350 / AW-1350 / A1350

3003 / AW-3003 / A93003

3004 / AW-3004 / A93004

3103 / AW-3103 / A93103

3104 / AW-3104 / A93104

5005 / AW-5005 / A95005

5050 / AW-5050 / A95050

5052 / AW-5052 / A95052

5251 / AW-5251 / A95251

5754 / AW-5754 / A95754

6061 / AW-6061 / A96061

6082 / AW-6082 / A96082

Alloy 201 / N02201

Alloy 200

HAYNES® 230 N06230

Alloy K-500 / MONEL® K500 / N05500

Alloy C22 / HASTELLOY® C-22 / 2.4602/ N06022

Alloy 600 / INCONEL® 600 / 2.4816 / N06600

Alloy 214 / HAYNES® 214 / 2.4646/ N07214

Alloy X750 / INCONEL® X-750 / N07750

Alloy 400 / MONEL® 400 / 2.4360/2.4361 / N04400

NI-SPAN-C® ALLOY 902 / N09902

1.4310 / 301 / S 30100

1.4016 / 430 / S 43000

1.4542 / 17-4PH

1.4568 / 17-7 PH / S17700

1.4462 / 2205 / S 32205

1.4662 / (LDX) 2404 / S 82441

TITANIUM GRADE 1 R50250

TITANIUM GRADE 2 R50400

TITANIUM GRADE 4 R50700

TITANIUM GRADE 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) / R 56400

Common material thicknesses for photo etching: Metal thicknesses from 0.0005″ to 0.1250″

Key Facts

Premium quality surface

Tension levelled and tension annealed materials

Low weight coils

Flattened and cut to length

Specialised export packing

All data is provided for informational purposes only. In no event will Precision Metals EU and its partners, be liable with respect to any action taken by any third party arising from using the information taken from our online or printed sources. Chemical and Mechanical Properties should not be construed as maximum or minimum values for specifications, nor should the information be used to assess suitability for a particular use or application. The information and data provided are deemed to be accurate to the best of our knowledge and may be revised anytime without notice, and assume no duty to update.