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The Comprehensive Guide To Photo
Chemical Machining
Industrial Applications For Photo Etched Metal Parts
Photo etching is used to manufacture an extensive variety of mechanical and electrical/
electronic parts serving many industries.
Aerospace and Defense:
Etched metal components can be found in fuel systems, avionics packages, helicopter drive
shafts, heat exchangers; RF, microwave and radar systems, space-rated batteries, fusing
systems, fire detection and suppression systems, anti-EMP arrays and many more.
Electronic and Electrical:!
Microelectronic packaging includes a multitude of leadframe configurations. Lead frames
are the conductive devices that connect the semiconductor chips to the circuit board. Some
types of electronic circuits are packaged in full metal enclosures known as “cans,” which are
then sealed with fitted lids. Photo etching is a popular method for producing both “step” and
flat lids.
Despite its cost, direct bond copper (DBC) on ceramic is gaining popularity as devices
become smaller and more powerful. Photo etching is the only practical solution for creating
circuit patterns in the bonded copper foil. DBC finds many applications in wireless
communications from the hand-held—and now worn – devices to the towers and to the
cloud beyond. It also has numerous uses in industrial, medical and scientific instruments
and controls.
RF and microwave technologies rely extensively on photo etched components. Beryllium
copper and phosphor bronze are popular alloys for making springy electrical contacts. The
ability of these alloys to be formed into resilient detents assures positive connections.
Sensors:
Sensors, in general, are both electrical and mechanical
devices. They detect a physical force and translate that
to an electrical signal. Sensors are used in an ever-
growing host of industrial, scientific and medical
systems. From smoke detectors to mass spectrometers
to seismometers and strain gauges, to name but a few,
the need for sensors will continue to expand as the
“Internet of Things” reaches 40 billion connected
devices in the next ten years.
Mechanical:
Precision metal parts made by photo etching include gaskets, seals, shims, spacers,
shields, retainers, flexures, flat springs, pressure membranes, diaphragms, clips, masks,
apertures, encoders and more.
Parts such as these are used in lasers, relays, turbines, MRI machines, PVD and CVD
systems, bearings, printers, photonics, dispensers, and measuring devices, to name a few.