CHEMICAL MACHINING(CHM)

Presented by:
MANIKANDAN.K
PDM(1
st
year)
CONTENTS
Objective
Introduction
History
Steps in chemical Machining
Schematic Diagram
Advantages and Dis-advantages
Applications
Case Studies
Conclusion
References

OBJECTIVE
To give some basic idea about the chemical machining, its
history, various steps in machining ,application in Industries
,its advantage and disadvantage.
INTRODUCTION
Chemical milling or industrial etching is the subtractive
manufacturing process.
The process essentially involves bathing the cutting areas in a
corrosive chemical known as an etchant which reacts with the
material in the area to be cut
Inert substances known as maskants are used to etch specific
areas of the material.
HISTORY
Organic chemicals such as lactic acid and citric acid have been
used to etch metals and create products as early as 400 BCE.
Armor etching, using strong mineral acids, was not developed
until the fifteenth century
It became used to etch trajectory information plates for cannon
and artillery operators
STEPS IN CHEMICAL MACHINING
The Steps in chemical machining are as follows:

Part preparation: cleaning.
Masking: application of chemically resistant material
Scribing: removal of maskant on the areas to be etched
Etching: dip or spray exposure to etchants
Mask removal: stripping the maskant and cleaning the part.
Finishing: inspection and other processing
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
Schematic of chemical machining process
CLEANING
Cleaning is the preparatory process of ensuring that the
surface to be etched is free of contaminants which could
negatively impact the quality of the finished part.
For most metals, this step can be performed by applying a
solvent substance to the .surface to be etched.
The material may also be immersed in alkaline cleaners or
specialized de-oxidizing solutions.
MASKING
Masking is the process of applying the maskant material to the
surface to ensure that only desired areas are etched.
Liquid maskants may be applied
dip-masking
flow coating
Conductive Maskants is applied by electrostatic deposition
MASKANT SELECTION
The maskant to be used is determined primarily by the
chemical used to etch the material, and the material itself.
The maskant must adhere to the surface of the material, and it
must be chemically inert.
. Most industrial chemical milling use maskants based upon
neoprene elastomers or isobutylene-isoprene copolymers.
SCRIBING

Scribing is the removal of maskant on the areas to be etched
This is often done by hand through the use of a scribing knife,
etching needle or similar tool
Modern industrial applications may involve an operator
scribing with the aid of a template or use computer numerical
control to automate the process
ETCHING
Etching is the actual immersion of the part into the chemical
bath, and the action of the chemical on the part to be milled.
The time spent immersed in the chemical bath determines the
depth of the resulting etch
E=s/t
Where E is the rate of etching (usually abbreviated to etch
rate), s is the depth of the cut required, and t is the total
immersion time
Etch rate varies based on a number of factors, including the
concentration and composition of the etchant, the material to
be etched, and temperature conditions

DEMASKING
Demasking is the combined process of clearing the part of
etchant and maskant
Etchant is generally removed with a wash of clear, cold
water
A de-oxidizing bath may also be required in the common
case that the etching process left a film of oxide on the
surface of the material
MATERIALS

Aluminum
Chromium
Copper (oxygen free, rolled)
Nickel
Steel (carbon, stainless)
Lead
Zinc

ADVANTAGES

Easy weight reduction
No effect on work piece materials properties such as hardness
Simultaneous material removal operation
No burr formation
No stress introduction to the work piece
Low capital cost of equipment
Easy and quick design changes
Requirement of less skilled worker
Low tooling costs
The good surface quality
Low scrap rates (3%)
DIS-ADVANTAGES

Difficult to get sharp corner
Difficult to chemically machine thick material (limit is depended
on work piece material, but the thickness should be around
maximum 10 mm)
Scribing accuracy is very limited, causes less dimensional
accuracy
Etchants are very dangerous for workers
Etchant disposals are very expensive
APPLICATIONS

High Precision Parts
and Decorative Items
Gaskets
Washers
Sensors
Nameplates
Jewelry
Microprocessor Chips
CASE STUDIES

Eyewear Developed by CM(chemical machining)

PROBLEM:A client contacted us to manufacture an innovative
line of eyewear, with a sleek and complex design which required
assembly without screws.
SOLUTION:This particular request led us to develop a
"sandwich" structured frame, which was only feasible to
manufacture through our photochemical etching process.

CONCLUSION

Chemical machining is widely used to produce complex machine
parts for various application as well as decorative parts.

The machining operation should be carried out carefully to
produce a desired geometry.



REFERENCES
www.ieee.org
www.chemicalmachining.org
http://www.cm-italia.it/eng/case_studies.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_milling
THANK YOU !