Springy Metal Devices Produced by Photo Etching

Popular alloys for etched flat springs include:

• Tempered Stainless
• Carbon Steels
• Tempered Copper, Brass and Phosphor Bronze including Beryllium Copper
• 17-7 Stainless,
• C1075 and 1095 Carbon Steel and Beryllium Copper (can be heat treated after etching and forming)

Flat springs are resilient devices formed from flat strip material with a multitude of applications, both mechanical and electrical. Most commonly as battery contacts flat springs are also used as retainers, shields, clips, detents, contacts, wipers, brushes, and more.

Photo chemically etched metal blanks produce economical, complex shaped and very thin flat springs. Flat spring components often require forming sometimes heat treating and plating are also required. Conard provides turn-key service for multiple processing requirements, frequently working with spring manufacturers and stamping houses to photo etch flat blanks for designs that are in development. For the developed (pre-bending) blank design a CAD file is all that is necessary.

Many flat spring forms are chemically etched in tempered alloys of copper, including beryllium copper and brass and phosphor bronze. Spring steels such as C1075 and C1095, in the annealed state, are readily etched as well. Heat treating annealed spring steels after forming produces desired spring characteristics.