Category: Chemical Etching

  Green hydrogen is powering the future. Hydrogen electrolysis, the process of producing hydrogen by splitting water molecules using electrical energy, is leading the way when it comes to hydrogen power. Flow field plates, also called bipolar plates, are critical to the hydrogen electrolysis process. These plates ensure efficient electrochemical reactions as materials flow through…

  Hydrogen, often hailed as the fuel of the future, is a versatile energy carrier that can be produced from a wide array of sources and processes. Depending on the production method, hydrogen is classified into several types, each characterized by its environmental impact and feedstock. Despite being a colorless gas, hydrogen production methods are…

  As hydrogen power becomes a more significant option for our future, the trailblazing companies leading the charge are in uncharted waters when it comes to optimizing your designs for maximum efficiency. While conventional manufacturing methods like CNC and stamping have long been relied on, they come with certain inflexibilities that can work against you…

For the aerospace industry, chemical milling is a subtractive machining process that reduces the weight of fuselage skins to produce pocket and channel features or achieves an overall weight reduction for a more efficient aircraft. Chemical milling, or photochemical etching, is a clean, scalable option that brings unique advantages to the aerospace industry, including: Improved…

As the global fuel cell market continues to rise, manufacturing companies are seeking more affordable and efficient ways to produce the bipolar and cooling plates that are essential to this technology. Fuel cells are produced by stacking these precise plates that are machined with elaborate channels to enable liquids and gasses to flow. The bipolar…

As the manufacturing industry deals with a lack of labor now, employers worry about the supply for future candidates. According to Deloitte, there will be a manufacturing labor shortage of 2.4 million by 2028. However, there is potential for a saving grace: Gen Z. After seeing Millennials drown in student-debt, many more Gen Zers are…

Any time you need to make a custom metal part, there’s a wide range of manufacturing methods available. The challenge can be selecting the right one that best fits your needs—including quality, cost, turnaround time and manufacturability. In many cases, chemical etching (also known as photo chemical machining) offers clear advantages over other processes.

When designing or sourcing a manufacturer for a flat precision metal component, trying to determine whether laser cutting or photochemical etching* is the best alternative method to produce it can be difficult. And as with nearly every component, the answer may not be black and white.

Short Version: Photo tools are an essential step in the etching process. They are the means by which we transfer your design from your CAD file onto the metal.

From simple parts to complex components used in modern manufacturing, a wide variety of metal parts are created through photochemical etching. A subtractive process by which small pieces are removed from sheet metal, metal etching has proven to be one of the most effective ways to produce accurate, consistent parts.