Thermal management
Photochemical etching is ideal for manufacturing micro heating elements and cooling plates.
Etching technology and Thermal management
Precise control and distribution of heat in micro-components is required in a wide range of applications. Examples include micro heating elements for targeted heat generation, heat exchangers for efficient heat transfer, and cooling plates to maintain optimum operating temperatures. These are essential for applications that require fine thermal control in electronic devices, medical equipment and specialised industrial processes.
Photochemical etching is ideal for manufacturing these components, as it enables intricate, detailed designs to be produced with high precision. Our process, which is essential for effective thermal management at these small scales, enables the production of complex patterns and microstructures in metals, which is crucial to the performance of micro thermal management systems.
Etched micro heating elements
When manufacturing micro heating elements, for example for PCR devices and e-cigarettes, precision and uniform temperature distribution are crucial. Processing the suitable materials is demanding. These materials must be able to withstand high temperatures and temperature fluctuations without degrading. Devices are becoming increasingly compact; consequently, their internal components, including the heating elements, are becoming smaller and more complex.
This miniaturisation pushes conventional manufacturing methods to their limits. Photochemical etching offers significant advantages here. It enables components to be produced with high precision and uniformity, which is essential for targeted heat generation in micro heating elements. In addition, it does not cause stresses in the materials and helps to preserve their integrity and properties – the component behaves as intended when exposed to high temperatures.
Photochemical etching is ideal for manufacturing complex components. It is extremely cost-effective, especially for mass production, with low tooling costs and no loss of quality. The ability to create prototypes quickly with photochemical etching enables faster design changes and innovation – a key advantage in fast-moving industries.
Heat exchangers with microchannels
Heat exchangers require complex and precise channel geometries that are essential for efficient heat transfer. Conventional machining methods can cause mechanical and thermal stresses that impair performance. Photochemical etching is ideally suited for manufacturing micro-precision heat exchangers, as it can produce complex components with fluid channels, such as plate heat exchangers, with high precision.
One of the main advantages of etching technology is that it eliminates mechanical and thermal stresses. In conventional manufacturing processes, metal is often pressed to create the desired geometry and flow channels for heat exchangers, which can be time-consuming and expensive and can lead to material stresses or burrs that require additional finishing work.
Photochemical etching enables cost-effective, quickly adaptable digital tooling and is therefore ideal for optimising designs at minimal cost. Photochemical etching can create precise microchannels with consistent accuracy, improving compactness and heat transfer efficiency. It is also compatible with a range of materials, including stainless steel, aluminium, titanium and Inconel, which are often difficult to process using conventional methods. Photochemical etching is an ideal choice for both prototyping and mass production of heat exchangers.
Chemically etched cooling plates
Manufacturing micro-precision cooling plates requires a high level of complexity and accuracy in the cooling channels and the overall dimensions of the plates. A major challenge is ensuring the uniformity and precision of the delicate features that are crucial for effective heat dissipation. Photochemical etching avoids mechanical stresses or deformation that can occur with other machining methods and can impair the function of the cooling plates.
Chemical etching enables the high level of detail required to produce microchannels, which is essential for efficient heat transfer, without the time and cost involved in conventional processes. The complexity of the design and the need for high precision at such a small scale are exactly what photochemical etching is perfectly suited for. Manufacturing micro-precision cooling plates using the etching process enables complex, detailed designs with high precision and consistency. Uniform component thickness and the avoidance of stresses or deformation are crucial to the functionality and service life of cooling plates.
Photochemical etching process for precision metal parts
Photochemical etching produces highly precise metal components with the finest structures and complex geometries. The technology works with extremely tight tolerances, very thin metal sheets, and burr-free results. This enables components that are often not possible with other processes. The finest structures are etched directly from thin sheet metal. The process is characterised by excellent repeatability, high precision, and industrial scalability.
In photochemical etching, metal is structured using a precise lithography and etching process.
The finest contours are created directly from thin sheet metal. The process enables complex geometries without mechanically stressing the material.
The result is stress-free, burr-free components with very high dimensional accuracy.
Our etching process offers virtually unlimited design freedom.
Photo-etching can be used to create a wide range of structures – for example:
• Filtered structures
• See-through structures
• Sharp and smooth edges
• Channelled geometries
With specially developed mask technology, the etching progress can also be controlled in the third dimension.
This creates defined breakthrough geometries and complex components – for example, for lancets, scalpels, or blades in high-volume production.
Photochemical etching enables maximum precision while maintaining high production capacity.
Typical features of the technology:
• Extremely tight tolerances in the hundredths of a millimetre range
• Finest structures and thinnest metals
• High repeatability of results
• Industrial high-volume production possible
The combination of precise lithography and industrial production technology ensures stable processes and cost-effective manufacturing.
In reel-to-reel etching, metal parts are manufactured continuously in an endless strip.
The components are then available as metal strips wound onto reels and can be further processed automatically.
Typical characteristics:
• Metal strip thicknesses of approx. 25 µm to 400 µm
• Easy integration into automated manufacturing processes
• Defined markings or codings possible
The components can be singulated at the customer’s site or fed directly into the next process step.
Photochemical etching can be used to process various metals and alloys.
Standard materials:
• Stainless steel
• Copper
• Nickel
• And its alloys
Additional materials (depending on location):
• Aluminium
• Titanium
• Molybdenum
• Precious metals such as gold or silver
Typical process parameters:
• Material thickness: approx. 0.003 mm to 1.5 mm
• Minimum tolerances: down to ± 0.007 mm
• Minimum web width: approx. 0.5 × material thickness
These values are guidelines and may vary depending on the application.
Together
to the right solution
The metal specialists of the Wickeder Group combine their strengths to offer you the best in metal. A wide range of standard and customized solutions is available on three continents: Europe, America, and Asia. Through the product and service-oriented business model, the highest quality standards, necessary flexibility, and fast response times are consistently maintained.
Micro Component
Here you will find an overview of additional product solutions relating to etching, laser cutting, or electroforming:
Your contact with us
Do you require further information on etching heating elements, heat exchangers and cooling plates, or do you have a specific task? We look forward to receiving your enquiry.