Chemical Etching Services
Etching is a process where chemicals are used to produce text and images on the surface of metal labels and products ranging from kitchen cutlery to electronic components. Chemical etching is primarily used on stainless steel and aluminum and cuts into the material surface to produce marks. Since the marks are shallow, the process is suitable for etching thin materials to produce business cards, nameplates, tags and labels.
Stainless steel etching is used to produce a variety of markings including:
- Serial numbers
- Logos
- Contact information
- Product details
- And so much more
What Is the Custom Chemical Etching Process?
Chemical etching is achieved by printing a negative version of the artwork on the material surface with chemical-resistant ink. The material is then passed through ferric acid or nitric acid to dissolve a thin layer from any unprinted areas. This leaves behind clearly etched designs that are highly wear resistant, making them ideal for industrial and outdoor applications.
Benefits of chemical etching include:
- High level of precision for small text or complex designs
- Suitable for etching thin materials including stainless steel and aluminum
- Markings with high wear resistance for industrial and outdoor applications
- More cost-effective than laser etching
- Does not alter material properties or place stress on the material
Chemical Etching Metal Services for Stainless Steel and Aluminum Materials
Sine-tific Solutions offers chemical etching and a variety of other marking services for metal and other materials. We offer competitive rates and utilize numerous types of technology and processing to accommodate even the most complex engraving and printing requests. Our team also offers services including materials and engineering assistance and design assistance to ensure your stainless steel etched labels meet your application requirements.
Request a quote for chemically etched materials or contact us to learn more about our capabilities.
What Is the Difference Between Chemical Etching and Laser Engraving?
Chemical etching and laser engraving are two popular methods of producing text and images on metal surfaces. The primary differences between the two are the type of equipment used and the depth of the markings. As mentioned above, chemical etching uses acid to dissolve the metal surface. Laser etching, on the other hand, uses high heat lasers to burn away a thin layer of the surface. The etching process produces slightly indented markings that you can feel, where laser engraving creates markings that are smooth to the touch.
Both are highly effective and compatible with etching thin materials, but the chemical etching process tends to be more cost-efficient because less tooling is required. And while it takes longer to produce stainless steel etched labels using the chemical etching versus laser engraving, the results and cost savings make it worthwhile.
