Photo Chemical Machining

Thin Gauge Precision Metal Parts

• Ranging from .001″ to .080″ (depending on metal)
• Part Sizes from .020″ Diameter to 24″ x 60″
• Simple Production of Complex & Intricate Designs
• Many Alloys of Steel, Copper, Aluminum, Molybdenum and More

Tight Consistent Tolerances

• Typical Dimensional Tolerances to +/- 15% thickness of material

Low Cost Tooling... in One Day

• Most Tools Ranging from $185. to $350.

Fast & Flexible

• Etching Cycle 3-5 Days
• Typical Lead Time 3-4 Weeks
• Typical Prototype 2 Weeks

Additional time is necessary for secondary services.

• Quantities from Handfuls to 100,000's

Chemically etched parts are a quick, clean alternative to stamping, punching, laser cutting, water jet and wire EDM. PCM parts are free of mechanical stresses and burrs of the other processes.

Phototools replace conventional steel tools and dies generated in a matter of hours from a customer-supplied CAD drawing or data file. Most tools range in price from $185 to $350, and can be rapidly and inexpensively regenerated to accommodate revisions to parts. Prototyping cycles can be reduced from weeks to days compared to hard tooling.

Complex designs are simple to produce. Similar to a printing process the part designs can be intricate without having an impact on the tooling or production process.

Material properties remain unaltered, imparting no mechanical or thermal stresses on metal substrates. Stamping, punching and die-cutting impart shearing deformation, laser and water-jet cutting can leave ablative deformation, etching simply dissolves the unneeded metal leaving parts flat and burr-free. The photochemical machining process is not subject to Nadcap checklist 7108/5.

Tight, Consistent Tolerances

The phototool, which operates like a stencil, is the foundation of accuracy with light being its only working exposure, ensuring that there is no “tool wear” that needs to be monitored. Phototools are produced on a dimensionally stable Mylar using an 8000-dpi photo-plotter. The locational tolerances for part features typically meet the nominal dimensions of the specification.

Dimensional tolerances are a function of the thickness of the material. Typically, dimensions can be held to +/- 15% of the thickness of the material.

Ideal for Many Alloys and Gauges

Photo etching is suitable for a wide range of metal gauges. The practical range of thickness for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and molybdenum, is .0005” to .065”. Conard has developed a specialty in chemical etching aluminum alloys in gauges up to .080”

Fast and Flexible

From initial tooling to finished parts, the entire photo etching cycle can be completed in 3 to 5 days. Given a normal backlog, typical lead times for new parts are 3-4 weeks. Often, repeat orders can be processed more quickly, especially if the raw material is in stock. Prototype orders may be done in 2 weeks. Additional time is required to accommodate secondary operations such as plating, forming, heat-treating, silk screening, assembly, or the addition of surface components.