The best way to etch stainless steel

Etching stainless steel is an important process, widely used in a variety of decorative, industrial manufacturing and other fields. In order to obtain the best etching effect, it is necessary to choose the appropriate etching method and operate in strict accordance with the process flow. This article will discuss in detail the best way to etch stainless steel, in order to provide guidance for practice.

1, etching pretreatment

Etching pretreatment is to ensure that the etching effect of the key steps. First of all, the stainless steel surface must be thoroughly removed from the oil and oxide film to ensure that the screen printing ink and metal surface has good adhesion. For the treatment of oil contamination, the program should be developed according to the oil contamination of the workpiece, and electrolytic degreasing can be used to ensure the effect of oil removal. At the same time, in addition to the oxide film should also be based on the type of metal and film thickness of the selection of appropriate etching solution to ensure that the surface is clean.

In addition, the drying before screen printing is also critical. If there is moisture, it will affect the adhesion of the ink, which in turn affects the effect of subsequent pattern etching. Therefore, before screen printing must ensure that the stainless steel surface is dry.

2, screen printing and plate making

Screen printing is an important part of etching stainless steel. According to the printing needs, need to make a standard pattern screen printing screen plate. Screen printing mainly play a protective role, the number of times when the photopolymer should be coated more, in order to make a thicker screen template, thereby improving the masking performance, to ensure that the etching of the pattern of high clarity.

In the process of plate making, screen plate film in the role of light will produce photochemical reaction, making the light part of the crosslinking into insoluble film, and not the light part of the water is dissolved and exposed screen space. In this way, coated with adhesive film on the screen plate can be photolithographed to meet the requirements of the leakage pattern.

3, etching operation

Etching operation is a key step in the etching of stainless steel. Commonly used etching methods include immersion etching method and spray etching method. For stainless steel, because it is not easy to oxidize in the air, the etching solution usually uses ferric chloride and other strong oxidizing substances for corrosion.

In the etching process, the part of the stainless steel metal that needs to be protected needs to be formed into an anticorrosive layer by photographic ink, and then put into the etching solution. For the immersion etching method, the stainless steel workpiece is completely immersed in the etching solution, and different etching effects are realized by controlling the immersion time and the concentration of the etching solution. While the spray etching method is through the spray equipment will etching liquid evenly sprayed on the stainless steel surface to achieve the etching effect.

4, desmear and post-treatment

After the etching is completed, the protective film needs to be retreated. This is usually done through the use of cleaning agents to ensure the clarity and integrity of the etching pattern. After desmearing, it is also necessary to post-treatment of etched stainless steel, such as cleaning, drying, rust prevention, etc., to ensure that it has good performance and appearance.

5, Precautions

In the process of etching stainless steel, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points: firstly, the concentration and temperature of the etching solution should be controlled within the appropriate range, in order to avoid excessive corrosion of the stainless steel surface or insufficient corrosion; secondly, the etching time should be adjusted according to the depth of the desired pattern; finally, attention should be paid to the safety of the operation process, to avoid splashing etching solution on the skin or eyes.

To summarize, the best way to etch stainless steel needs to comprehensively consider a number of aspects such as pre-treatment, screen printing, etching operation and post-treatment. By strictly following the process and precautions, high quality etched stainless steel products can be obtained to meet a variety of decorative and industrial manufacturing needs.