Photo Chemical Machining Process

Chemical Etching Capabilities

The Photochemical Machining (PCM) process is ideally suited for small, intricate parts made of flat metal. The advanced metal etching process is a frequent alternative for stamping as the tooling is comparatively inexpensive and turn time is considerably shorter, enabling an etcher to prove a design or get a prototype run to the customer quickly without the long lead time required with hard tooling.

Etching Favors Design Complexity and Very Thin Metals

Photo etching readily accommodates very fine detail and unusual geometry that would be impractical, costly or impossible for stamping, laser, or EDM. With metal thicknesses routinely to .001” and capable to .0005″, chemical machining takes precision metal to extremes. Many parts such as shims must be absolutely burr-free and accurate. The chemical etching process produces completely burr-free parts and the process induces no distortion-causing stresses. Photo etching uses no oils so parts are never contaminated with lubricants, and the process is completely compatible with requirements of RoHS.

• About PCM
• The Process Photo Tour
• Photo Etching Advantages
• Photo Etching Costs
• Popular Metal Alloys for Photo Chemical Etching
• Photo Etching Aluminum
• Electroforming
• Variable Depth/3D Photo Etching