5 Reasons Why Chemical Etching is Ideal for Electronic Components

As the world becomes more connected, the demand for electronic devices and systems increases. The aerospace, automotive, medical, RF microwave, industrial, and electronics industries require components that are lightweight, machined with precision, and that will serve as a barrier to EMI and RFI emissions.

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OEMs and their Design Engineers have to decide which manufacturing process will be the most functional and cost-effective for their products.

The chemical etching process, also known as photo etching, photochemical machining, and photochemical etching is ideal for EMI/RFI board level shielding as well as printed circuit board microelectronic components found in RF microwave, optoelectronics, space level modules, interconnect, medical device, and automotive wireless connected systems.

Below are five reasons why OEM's can't afford to overlook this metal fabrication process.

1. Variety of Metal Etching Capabilities

The most common metals used in the production of electronic components are compatible with the metal etching process and not limited by the material's properties.

Copper Etching: Except for silver, copper has the best electrical conductivity, and it is highly effective in weakening magnetic and electrical waves. It also has excellent thermal conductivity, solderability, strength, and corrosion resistance.

Since copper tends to oxidize, post-plating will enhance corrosion resistance.

Copper components, such as lead frames, EMI/ RFI shielding, contacts, pins, terminals, connectors, and bus bars are widely used in the printed circuit boards found in many electronic systems.

Not to mention that copper is a more sustainable choice for manufacturers because it is 100% recyclable.

Beryllium Copper Etching: BeCu is highly conductive and the strongest of the copper alloys (also known as spring copper) which makes it easy to form and retain complex shapes such as contacts and springs.

Brass Etching: Brass is a copper and zinc alloy also known for its high electrical, thermal conductivity, strength, and corrosion resistance.

It is a highly workable metal that makes it suitable for forming and retaining shape, thus perfect for springs, contacts, connectors, and lead frames, EMI/RFI shielding, and bus bars.

Phosphorus Bronze Etching:  A bronze alloy containing copper and zinc is an excellent choice for electronic components due to its superior spring qualities, high fatigue resistance, excellent formability, and high corrosion resistance.

These properties make it an attractive option for battery contacts and springs.

Nickel/Silver Etching: An alloy made of copper, nickel, and zinc is used mainly in electrical components such as EMI and RFI shielding because of its high corrosion resistance, and solderability. Therefore, it does not require plating.

The material is also hard, malleable, ductile, and non-magnetic.

Steel Etching:  Steel is not as electrically conductive as the other metals, although the addition of tin plating makes it highly conductive and solderable in EMI/ FRI shielding components.

Cold Rolled Steel, because of its strength, has high formability, spring properties, and shape retention.

Stainless Steel Etching: This type of steel is highly resistant to moisture-related corrosion and has excellent thermal conductivity, making it a preferred choice in flat springs, filters, and EMI/RFI shielding and enclosures.

Photo etching is not limited to a metal's strength or temper.

On the other hand, stamping has issues with some hard, soft, or brittle metals, and hardness is a consideration in the wire EDM and water-jet cutting processes.

2. Resistant To Thermal Stress

The high temperatures (often present in the different metal fabrication processes) can cause thermal stress such as metal weakness or deformities.

These unfortunate effects can alter the metal component's performance by reducing conductivity and increasing surface friction between two or more circuit board elements.

How does chemical etching measure up compared to other manufacturing processes?

While heat is present in several manufacturing processes for electronic components, chemical etching is the only method where parts do not incur thermal stress and deformations.

Even though the temperature may increase in the etching of some metals, the properties remain unaffected.

The chemical etchant washes away the metal sheet parts simultaneously, in contrast to a localized point of contact from either an electrical charge or gas.

For this reason, laser cutting and wire EDM can leave thermal stress along the edges.  While the stress may not be significant, it can still interfere with functionality.

3. Metals Remain Burr-Free

Another adverse effect of the metal fabricating processes is the presence of burrs.

Laser cutting and wire EDM can leave micro burrs on the metal's surface, while stamping can leave partial burring. Any burring at all can alter the component's performance and increase the risk of malfunction in electronic systems.

Here are just some of the issues that can occur:

1. Electrical short circuits from loose burrs
2. Interference interruptions
3. Plating build-up at the component's edges
4. A decrease in the part's formability
5. Inaccurate dimensional tolerances
6. Scratches on the surface can affect mating components

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These issues are the reason that OEMs should consider metal etching as a favorable alternative. The chemical etchant dissolves and washes away any unwanted material. The results are smooth surfaces and precision-etched edges, eliminating the need for costly secondary deburring operations.

4. Capable Of Etching Thin Materials With Complex Designs

Over the past decade, electronic devices have become smaller, therefore creating a demand for smaller scale, lightweight micro components with intricate designs.

Typically, these types of microelectronic pieces are machined on thinner metals to decrease weight and require tighter dimensional tolerances.

Photochemical machining is the best method for complex patterns such as lead frames, filters, and EMI shielding components because features such as angles, holes, and slots are machined simultaneously.

This process saves time and money compared to laser cutting, wire EDM, and stamping.

Another photo etching feature is the ability to half-etch on the metal surface.

These score lines which are usually etched to 50% of the metal are useful in EMI/RFRI Shielding and other electronic parts that need to be formed into a 3-dimensional shape.  The half-etch lines make it easy to bend without deformation.

5. Easy To Modify Prototyping

The ability to test designs and make modifications is an essential step in the prototyping stage. The photo chemical etching process makes part revisions a snap with low-cost digital tooling.

Hard conventional tooling can cost thousands, whereas, digital photo tooling is only a fraction of the cost.

Also, if more than one electronic part design requires the same material and thickness, they can be arranged on the same tooling, known as, compound tooling. This available option can lower the cost and speed up the prototyping process.

The above five chemical etching advantages are essential to consider when choosing a manufacturing method that will keep electrical systems functioning at optimal efficiencies and without interference.

Advanced Metal Etching has been providing the electronics industry with electronic components for over 25 years. We have multiple etch lines to accommodate all types of metal and projects for prototyping or large production runs. Our in-house tin plating line and other secondary operations will enable OEMs to get their products out to market faster.

Unlike software, hardware development is long and costly. Hardware startups looking to bring their electronic device to mass production need to have a clear understanding of the number of key processes involved. TechDesign gives you the lowdown below:

1) Concept Refinement

The concept refinement stage is where you flesh out the basic idea of what you want your product to be and how it will meet the needs of consumers. Try to draw sketches and notes of your initial concept.

Before even starting with the technological aspects of your electrical product, you need to engage in serious problem research. For those from engineering backgrounds, you may want to jump into the ‘how’ questions regarding to the building and manufacturing of your device. However, the emphasis here should be more on the ‘what’, ‘who’ and ‘why’ questions related to your electronic device: Who are the people having this problem? What are their needs? Why will your product solve their problems? The ‘five whys’ technique is a great set of tools for startups to utilize.

After brainstorming the answers to these questions, you need to test your assumptions by doing market research. There are two main types of market research that you will need to consider:

1. Problem Research: This is where you consider the user personas and their wants and needs in regards to the areas surrounding your product. Ideally you will start with qualitative research methods such as interviews or focus groups. Remember you are trying to eradicate your own bias and to understand your consumers, rather than pitching the product. Inc.com produced an excellent primer on qualitative research for startups.
2. Solution Research: This is performed when the idea is better formed but no concrete plans have been put in place. Here you would show mockups and prototypes to get ideas from consumers regarding functionality and features.

After conducting an extensive period of research, you should have a clear value proposition to your consumers that will form the bedrock for nailing down the features for your electronics device.

2) Proposal Preparation

At this stage, the team should be able to crystalize and define the MVP (Minimal Viable Product) which will be used in the following engineering and manufacturing stages.

One of the key steps to asserting the feasibility of your device is to put together what is known as a “duct tape prototype”. These quickly put together prototypes work somewhat like the final product put look nothing like it. The emphasis is to test for basic technical viability and human economics. One way to expedite this process is to purchase a development kit from companies selling a key component.

Once you have proven feasibility for the product, you can start to put together a Product Requirements Document (PRD) which will contain all of the functional specifications for the MVP. The Silicon Valley Group have put together an excellent guide for startups writing a PRD. You don’t need a 300 page document, but your PRD should contain the following:

● Product Purpose: Who your consumers are and what are their problems and usage scenarios.
● Features: Clear specifications and requirements that are explained in enough details that the team can understand themselves.
● Release Criteria: A list of the true minimum requirements for final product release.
● Schedule: A realistic timeframe for each milestone and project completion.

3) Prototype Development

If all of your questions regarding the meeting of market needs, technical feasibility has been answered and you have a workable PRD, it’s time to create a true ‘looks-like, works-like’ prototype. A prototype allows you to have something to show to VC’s and potential customers.

4) Testing and Refinement

Your product should now be three major iterations or less from a mass-production worthy design. There are three main engineering validation stages:

● EVT or Engineering Validation and Testing
The EVT build is an iteration of the engineering prototype in which all of the functional requirements are matched and the testing results meets the requirements outlined in the PRD. The PCB for the hardware will be tested for thermal, power and EMI stresses. Units must be completely functional and testable and made from the materials intended for the final product. The final exit criteria for this stage is configuration of the design that meets the required standards for functionality, performance and reliability.

● DVT or Design Validation and Testing
In this stage, all of the hardware is complete and your aim is to make sure that your product matches your requirements in terms of cosmetics and environment. This stage is also where tools are developed and inspected. You are aiming to teach the contract manufacturer how to build your product while at the same time identifying remaining DFM (design for manufacturing) issues. You will be producing small batches of your product and putting it under real stresses such as dropping from a height, burning it or seeing if it is waterproof.

In this step, you will make sure that your product meets the certification and standards procedures for target countries that you plan to sell your electronic device to. Certifications include CE, RoHS, FCC and UL.

● PVT or Production Validation and Testing
Your product is nearly ready for mass production, but there is one final stage of testing. The PV iteration will see tests of the manufacturing processes devised in the course of the EVT and DVT phases. In PVT, the units you are building should be ready to sell to customers if they pass all of the test stations. A pilot production line will be established to check if there are any failures at any stage of the production line. At the end of the PVT, the hardware startup and contract manufacturer will decide whether or not to move on to mass production.

5) Mass Production

Finally, you have reached your target! You still need to be actively looking for fixing issues in the design and manufacturing process. Over the following six to nine months, continue testing of your product at a high sampling rate and put ongoing reliability tests programs in place. As soon as you are certain that quality issues have been largely addressed, you can ramp up the production capacity to match your original unit forecast.

Let TechDesign Simplify the Process of Manufacturing an Electrical Device

TechDesign allows hardware startups to simplify the hardware development cycle by aggregating all the listed steps through its platform. Circumvent many of the problems associated with bringing an electronic device to market by allowing TechDesign to help match you with an appropriate manufacturer. Rather than having to be bogged down with dealing with multiple companies and people, with TechDesign we offer a single contact window for managing all of the complex development cycles involved with developing your electronics device.

Get a free quote for your project today.

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