Photochemical Etching Technology
We have been developing a highly automated and continuous production process for decades and are thus considered the inventors of fully networked INLINE etching technology (reel-to-reel etching).
We are a complete provider for
precision-etched metal parts
Our etching technology is state of the art and we have decades of experience. This enables us to find the right solution for every challenge you face.
Perfect parts guarantee smooth further processing steps and safety in your end application.
100% quality control upon customer request
The micrometal inspection systems ensure the inspection of every single part.
Complete traceability and documentation
We document more—to your advantage—and offer batch traceability of our products.
Immutability of the material
The chemical and physical properties remain unchanged, as thermal and mechanical influences are avoided.
Residue-free and grease-free parts
No additional cleaning costs, which is reflected in a more cost-effective part price.
You benefit from cost-effective components, savings in further processing, and reduced product development time for the fastest possible market launch.
Wear-free tools with low acquisition costs
Very low one-time tool investment for the entire lifecycle of your product and minimal effort for design changes
Delivery of parts freely definable
Delivery of parts on reels, in sheets, or individually
Efficient further processing
Design of “secondary areas,” e.g., etched areas, for simplified and fast removal of parts and further processing
Burr-free
Optimized further processing steps, drastic reduction of post-processing, as well as integrity and safety in the end application
Fast tool production and delivery of sample parts
Short and flexible product development steps and times
You benefit from a partner who accompanies you throughout the entire process.
Long-standing technology and solution expertise
We have many years of technical and application expertise and support you with material consulting and design.
Partnership-based collaboration
We understand the customer relationship as a trusting, sustainable, and long-term partnership in which your product is at the center. Only in this way can we jointly achieve an optimized, outstanding result.
Product development begins at a very early stage. We accompany you from product conception to series delivery.
Partner in product development
From the first inquiry to series delivery
Expertise in material consulting
We support you in selecting the right materials, e.g., material type, material properties (e.g., spring properties, magnetizability).
Support with design layout
To achieve the optimal component geometry and the optimal manufacturing process
Network for upstream and downstream value creation
We offer a very broad partner network for various processing technologies such as surface treatment, forming technology, and injection molding technology.
Service portfolio photochemical etching process
Find out for yourself whether our capabilities are right for you.
| micrometal | HP Etch | Etchform | |
| Standard materials | stainless steel, copper and nickel and their alloys | stainless steel, copper and nickel and their alloys | stainless steel, copper and nickel and their alloys |
| Special materials* (others upon request) | amorphous materials | aluminum | titanium, molybdenum, Elgiloy, gold, silver |
| Production “sheets” | 760 × 315 mm² | max. 610 × 610 mm² | 400 × 300 mm² – max. 600 × 600 mm² upon request |
| Production “coils” | coil width: max. 315 mm | ||
| Material thickness | 0.025 to 0.4 mm | 0.015 to 1.5 mm | 0.003 to 1.5 mm |
| Tolerance | min. +/- 0.007 mm | min. +/- 0.01 mm | min. +/- 0.01 mm |
| (Guideline values for stainless steel) | from 0.1 mm: 10% of material thickness | from 0.1 mm: 12% of material thickness | from 0.1 mm: 12% of material thickness |
| Minimum web width | 0.5 × material thickness | 1 × material thickness | 1 × material thickness |
| Minimum hole/slot width | 0.8 × material thickness | 1.2 × material thickness | 1.2 × material thickness |
*These are guideline values. For detailed information, we are happy to assist.
Service portfolio photochemical etching process
Find out for yourself whether our capabilities are right for you.
*These are guideline values. For detailed information, we are happy to assist.
| Standard materials | Stainless steel, copper and nickel and their alloys |
| Special materials | Amorphous materials, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, Nitinol, gold, silver. Others upon request |
| Production “Sheets” | 760 x 315 mm², 400 x 300 mm² – Max. 610 x 610 mm² upon request |
| Production “Coils” | Coil width: max. 315 mm |
| Material thickness | 0.015 to 1.5 mm |
| Tolerance | min. +/- 0.01 mm |
| (Guideline values for stainless steel) | from 0.1 mm: 10% of material thickness |
| Minimum web width | 0.5 x material thickness, 1 x material thickness |
| Minimum hole/slot width | 0.8 x material thickness, 1.2 x material thickness |
For every requirement the right solution
Whether you need small quantities, want to etch special materials, or require etched metallic endless belts, within our Micro Component Group we always have the right solution.
Unique worldwide:
The continuous etching process
Our developed know-how differs significantly from conventional photochemical etching processes, laser processing, or fine blanking. Customer data is individually processed via CAD to create a glass tool. The metal alloy desired by the customer—available as a coil—is first cleaned and then coated on both sides with photoresist. Our etching technology already differs from the standardized procedure at this point.
Using a self-developed wet resist system, the thinnest photoresist layers are created, which allow significantly higher precision during etching. As known from printing technology, the metal strip is exposed through a glass tool individually manufactured for the customer. The highly accurate contours and structures are then created in the developer bath.
The metal strip then undergoes an etching process that allows a wide variety of geometries. After cleaning and drying, coordinated control steps follow, which can be based on both random samples and comprehensive automatic inspections. Depending on customer requirements, the etched parts in the metal strip are then assembled on reels (reel-to-reel) or in individual units.
To meet the highest accuracy requirements, glass templates plotted on a laser imagesetter are used. Compared to flexible photo film templates, these glass tools have significantly higher imaging fidelity, fine structure, and dimensional stability. This is essential for the necessary double-sided, mutually referenced imaging (top to bottom glass). Our glass tools are
more cost-effective compared to other tools used, such as punching dies, while offering short delivery times and far longer service lives.
Thanks to the exceptional size of the glass photo templates, the design area can be up to 760 mm long and 280 mm wide. The starting material—often stainless steel—can be up to 330 mm wide.
While conventional dry resist film is used in the etching industry, we achieve the thinnest photoresist layers by using a special wet resist system. The formulation of the wet resist is closely guarded. After all, this enables us to achieve the world’s smallest features, e.g., hole diameters in relation to material thickness—an absolute unique selling point.
Liquid resists are better suited for high-precision mass production in continuous processes due to their significantly lower resist thickness (2 to 8 µm) compared to dry resists (10 to 50 µm). The result is higher imaging accuracy.
The INLINE etching process enables etching in a quasi-stationary state through the linking of individual process steps. This makes it possible to achieve the highest accuracies while maintaining the tightest tolerances.
The minimum hole diameter achievable with our continuous etching technology is approximately 80% of the material thickness. 25 µm is the thinnest standard material thickness we work with. The metal etching process thus enables adherence to tolerances in the single-digit micrometer range.
Photo etching enables the realization of diverse structures. Using our specially developed mask technology, we can control the etching progress in the third dimension in a defined manner. This allows specific breakthrough geometries to be produced three-dimensionally. As a result, micrometal can, for example, also manufacture complex geometries for lancets, scalpels, and blades on a large-scale production basis.
Variety of etchable hole shapes: The position of structures applied on both sides can be coordinated very precisely with each other. Partial etching (so-called half etch) and openings can be combined as desired. By introducing defined microfine channels, capillary effects can be specifically utilized, for example.
Frequently asked questions about metal etching
Photo etching (also called photochemical etching) is a process in which metals or other materials are coated with a light-sensitive material—a photo or masking resist. This can be done on one or both sides. The dry or liquid photoresist is then exposed through a template or mask with the desired pattern. The exposed areas of the photoresist are chemically altered and harden. All unexposed areas are removed using a developing solution. The metal is then brought into contact with the etching solution. The unprotected areas of the metal are dissolved and the desired structure is created.
Photo etching is used for various applications, such as the production of metallic precision parts, circuits, artworks, or model components. Photo etching offers advantages over other processes, such as:
- Extremely complex and delicate structures possible
- High precision and repeatability
- No mechanical stresses in the material
- No change in the properties of the materials
- Burr-free components
- Fast and cost-effective production
Etching technology is a photochemical process in which metals or other materials are treated with an acid or another chemical to create delicate and complex structures, patterns, and contours. Etching technology is used for various applications, such as the production of metallic precision parts for industry, electronic circuits and components, and decorative objects.
In etching technology, a pattern is first applied to the material to be etched. In industrial etching technology, this is done using a liquid or solid photoresist that is applied on one or both sides. This is covered with a mask. Depending on the required precision, this consists of glass or film. The photoresist is then exposed and the unexposed parts are removed using a developer. The material is then brought into contact with the etching solution. The etchant dissolves the unprotected areas of the material and leaves the desired depressions, holes, and structures in the material. The depth and width of the structures depend on the concentration, temperature, and exposure time of the etching medium.
A major advantage of etching technology is that it does not cause burrs or deformations in the material, as can be the case with mechanical processes such as punching or thermal processes such as lasers. The cleanliness of the components is also higher, as no metallic particles can be generated during etching and the surface is also oil- and grease-free.
Etching technology is a photochemical process in which metals or other materials are treated with an acid or another chemical to create delicate and complex structures, patterns, and contours. Etching technology is used for various applications, such as the production of metallic precision parts for industry, electronic circuits and components, and decorative objects.
In etching technology, a pattern is first applied to the material to be etched. In industrial etching technology, this is done using a liquid or solid photoresist that is applied on one or both sides. This is covered with a mask. Depending on the required precision, this consists of glass or film. The photoresist is then exposed and the unexposed parts are removed using a developer. The material is then brought into contact with the etching solution. The etchant dissolves the unprotected areas of the material and leaves the desired depressions, holes, and structures in the material. The depth and width of the structures depend on the concentration, temperature, and exposure time of the etching medium.
A major advantage of etching technology is that it does not cause burrs or deformations in the material, as can be the case with mechanical processes such as punching or thermal processes such as lasers. The cleanliness of the components is also higher, as no metallic particles can be generated during etching and the surface is also oil- and grease-free.
Our developed know-how differs significantly from conventional photochemical etching processes, laser processing, or fine blanking. Customer data is individually processed via CAD to create a glass tool. The metal alloy desired by the customer—available as a coil—is first cleaned and then coated on both sides with photoresist.
Steel etching is a process in which an acid or another chemical is used to create controlled, defined depressions in the metal. Steel etching can be applied for various purposes, such as the industrial production of precision parts, jewelry, or decorative embellishments on objects such as knives or containers.
To etch steel, the type of steel and the appropriate acid or chemical must first be selected. There are different types of steel, such as ferritic, austenitic, or martensitic steel, which react differently to acids. In photochemical etching, strong oxidants such as ferric chloride are used.
After the steel and acid have been selected, the metal must be prepared by cleaning and degreasing it. In industrial etching of stainless steel, a photoresist is then applied. This is exposed through a mask and developed to create the desired pattern. The steel is then brought into contact with the etching medium and the steel part is etched out.
Industrial processes allow for the repeatable, highly accurate production of delicate patterns, structures, and contours in large quantities during steel etching.
Together
to the right solution
The metal specialists of the Wickeder Group combine their strengths to offer you the best in metal. On three continents—Europe, America, and Asia—a wide range of standard and customized solutions is available. Through the product- and service-oriented business model, the highest quality standards, the necessary flexibility, and fast response times can be consistently maintained.
Do you need further information about our etching processes or do you have a specific task? We look forward to your inquiry.