Lancaster Metals Science

Photo Chemical Etching Presentation

Since 1977, Lancaster Metals Science Corporation has met industries' need for precision metal parts and components through its photo chemical machining manufacturing services.

Processes include Metal Etching & Photo Chemical Etching.

Lancaster Metals Science has produced for applications in electronics, electro-mechanical devices, optics, medical and surgical instruments, aerospace, telecommunications, and defense.

Company

Photo Chemical Etching Continuous Reel to Reel Metal Etching Large Panel Processing Design and Production with Photo Chemical Machining EMI/RFI Shielding

Services OverviewLancaster Metals Science Provides:

1st Step – Pre-Cleaning Material◦ Cleaning metal foils for photoresist application is usually a two

step process, the first step being an alkaline cleaner to remove the organo-metallic film, and the second step being an acid to remove any remaining oxides.

Photo Chemical Etching

2nd Step – Coating Material◦ Cleaned material is then coated either on one or both sides with

a photo-resist film coating such as an acid-resist photopolymer

Photo Chemical Etching

3rd Step – Exposing Material◦ Coated material is then exposed by ultraviolet light on one or both

sides through high resolution film negatives called “tooling”. All clear areas of the photo tooling allow light through to the resist which polymerizes or “crosslinks” in the exposed areas. The black areas of the tooling prevent exposure.

Photo Chemical Etching

4th Step – Developing◦ The exposed sheets are sent to developing where they are loaded onto

a transport conveyor. The sheets then travel through a spray chamber where a tightly controlled (temperature & pH) aqueous developing solution selectively dissolves only the un-polymerized areas of the exposed sheet.

Photo Chemical Etching

5th Step – Etching◦ Spray tubes channel heated reagent (acid) to spray nozzles that disperse

the fluid evenly over the top and bottom surface of the metal sheets. As the sheets travel through the etcher, the exposed metal areas start to dissolve and at the end of the process, all unwanted metal is gone and only the finished part, still protected by the photo resist, remains intact.

Photo Chemical Etching

6th Step – Stripping Photo Resist◦ The etched sheets are processed through a stripping machine that

removes the resist using a heated solution of caustic and water. Once stripped of resist, the parts are rinsed multiple times and dried in a turbo dryer. The clean, dry parts are delivered to our Quality Inspection department.

Photo Chemical Etching

Capabilities and Tolerances

Capabilities and Tolerances

Capabilities and Tolerances Most Metals and Alloys Including Stainless Steels, Copper and

Aluminum. Secondary Operations Including Plating, Forming, Heat Treating

Prototype to Production Quantity Capability Material Thickness From .0025mm to 1.6mm

Copper, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, brass, mild steels, 300 and 400 series stainless steels, precipitation hardening steels, aluminum and its alloys, nickel, monels, inconels, kovar, molybdenum, and nickel-iron magnetic alloys with high permeabilities.

thicknesses less than .001" to metal sheets with thicknesses up to .125".

Capabilities and Tolerances Most Metals and Alloys Including Stainless Steels, Copper

and Aluminum. Secondary Operations Including Plating, Forming, Heat Treating

Prototype to Production Quantity Capability Material Thickness From .0001" to .125”

Copper, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, brass, mild steels, 300 and 400 series stainless steels, precipitation hardening steels, aluminum and its alloys, nickel, monels, inconels, kovar, molybdenum, and nickel-iron magnetic alloys with high permeabilities.

thicknesses less than .001" to metal sheets with thicknesses up to .125".

Photo Chemical Etching

Reel to Reel Photo Imaging – OLEC AX28At the heart of Lancaster Metals’ reel-to-reel etching is the ability to

image continuous strip.  In 2007, this capability was up-graded with a new reel-to-reel print line that is the only operational unit in the world outside Asia. 

Lancaster Metals is able to achieve a high degree of precision in panel to panel continuity through the use of optical targeting.  After a panel is imaged, precise linear motors advance the work to the next panel.  

Lancaster Metals has developed a system of fiducial markings that when imaged and etched on the work itself serve, with only visual inspection, to confirm alignment and to indicate, within an accuracy of 13 micro-meters (.0005”), any deviation from nominal dimensions. In double sided exposure applications, the panel locating and positioning cameras – capable of measuring down to 1 micro-meter (40 micro-inches) – also ensure top to bottom tooling registration.

Photo Chemical Etching

Reel to Reel Photo Imaging – OLEC AX28Main Features: Located in a Class 10,000 clean room with

temperature and humidity controls, the new reel-to-reel print linefeatures: Single and double sided exposure capability.

Material widths from 150 to 500 mm (6" to 20") Dual 8000 watt high intensity illumination with hybrid

collimation. Completely automatic and programmable operation

with PLC and computer control

Photo Chemical Etching

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