Stainless Steel Etching
Etching is the process of using different methods to cut into a flat piece of metal to create a design. Though many different types of metals can be etched, stainless steel is becoming very popular because of the corrosion resistant nature and availability of the alloy. This special alloy is not only corrosion resistant and low maintenance, but it is also 100% recyclable. Stainless steel etching has become a favorite medium of artists as the design possibilities are endless, but not only artists utilize this handicraft. Consumers in the aerospace, defense, optical, medical, automotive, decorative, electronics and machine shop industries have discovered the benefits and capabilities stainless steel etching has to offer. The medical field will use etched stainless steel in the production of stents, cathodes and implants, while the automotive industry uses etching on brake rotors and fuel cell plates. Intricate designs and precision parts such as microchips are fabricated by stainless steel etching.
There are several different methods of etching, the two most popular being acid etching and photo etching. Acid etching is accomplished by covering the surface, foil or metal sheet to be etched with an acid resistant waxy ground. The artist or manufacturer scratches off the ground, using a point etching needle where he/she wants the design to appear in the finished piece. The piece of metal is then dipped into acid or has acid washed over the metal. The acid bites into the metal where the waxy ground was scraped away, leaving a line that is sunk into the plate. The longer the acid is left on the metal's surface, the deeper the bite will be.
Photo etching is the most popular form of stainless steel etching, due to the lower production cost and the time efficiency of the process. Photo etching is also known as metal chemical etching, chemical milling, photo chemical etching, chemical etching, and photo chemical machining. To produce a photo etched design, the design is etched onto the surface of the metal using a photosensitive template. The metal is then exposed to an appropriate acid which removes the layer of metal left unprotected by the template. After the metal has been cleaned, the photosensitive template is removed leaving the etched cutout or design.
The design and uses of stainless steel etching are essentially endless. Industrial products which use etched stainless steel parts include lead frames for regulators and rectifiers, RF and EMI shields, heater circuits and heat sinks for wireless telecommunication and electronic devices, as well as medical industries such as orthodontics and orthopedics. Stainless steel etching may be applied to a variety of shapes and thicknesses of stainless steel plates, foils and parts.