Chemical Etching
NW Etch is the alternative machining solution for flat, thin metal parts of complex design when other machining methods won’t suffice. We use the chemical etching process to produce burr-free and oil free parts without discoloration, warping or structural changes to the metal. Our photo chemical etching results will impress with clarity and precision not found elsewhere. Since 1978, we’ve offered quality chemical machining at competitive prices for many industries:
Industries Served
Chemical Etching Advantages
- Ideal for R&D: Minimized time loss and expense for design revisions
- Low cost tooling: Typically $200, vs $5K to $10K+ for “hard” tooling costs. Our tooling won’t wear out, while hard tooling has a limited lifetime
- Capable of handling materials up to 60” wide
- Prototype-to-production variations eliminated
- Capable of producing 1 part or millions in a single pass
- Able to produce intricate geometries not obtainable via other machining methods
- Complexity of design does not incrementally increase tooling costs
Areas of Expertise:
- Engineering support ensures fit of form & function
- CAD / in-house plotting and tooling
- Metal preparation, including lamination, exposure, developing, etching, stripping and inspection, including digital OGP
- Able to incorporate bend lines / bend reliefs / and score reliefs within design features to enhance your productivity
- Also offering forming, plating, powder coating, and heat treating among other services
NW Etch built the industry’s first waste water recycling system, utilizing the latest ion exchange technology. Our filtered water is better quality than when received from the city. And photo chemical machining uses less electricity than other machining methods.
The NW Etch Photo Chemical Etching Process Involves These Steps:
- Metal sheet is selected, cleaned & prepared.
- Metal sheet is then coated with a light sensitive resistant.
- Metal sheet is then imaged with a precise photo tool master.
- Sheet is then chemically etched. Then the resistant is stripped off leaving finished parts.
Contact Us About Your Project
We would like to learn more about your project. Please contact us online or call us at 800-343-2401.
