Stainless steel etching

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Stainless steel etching takes stainless steel laminated with a photoresist mask printed with a CAD image of the component, which is then selectively etched with ferric chloride, a safe to use, recyclable etchant chemistry.

As a production stainless steel etching specialist, we supply high-tech companies with millions of etched stainless steel components each month, making us one of the world’s largest chemical etching companies.

Suitable steel and stainless steel grades

We chemically etch ferritic/martensitic, austenitic, duplex and precipitation hardened stainless steel grades from stock.

We also machine specialist grades, including Sandvik Chromflex strip steels, and work with customer-supplied steels.

Benefits of etching stainless steel

• Low set-up costs and fast lead times make etching economical in batch sizes of one to multiple millions.
• The tooling for etching is digital, low-cost and can be adapted quickly
• No heat or force is used when etching stainless steel, meaning steel properties and characteristics remain unaltered and parts are free from stresses and burrs.
• As component features are etched at the same time there is almost almost limitless part complexity

Typical etched stainless steel components and applications

• Safety-critical springs and flexures used in satellites, ABS braking, biosensors and fuel injection can now flex millions of times because chemical etching does not alter fatigue strength, recoil and flatness of spring steel.
• Complex, corrosion-resistant micro-filters used in showerheads and insect meshes can be manufactured in economical production volumes as chemical etching only charges for the first hole.
• Chemical etching does not alter the surface finish of stainless steel and is specified for premium automotive interior trim applications including speaker grilles, tread plates, badges and inlays.