Photochemical machining
Photochemical machining is a special way of creating parts or products using special chemicals and light. You might have done some art projects in school where you used a stencil or a pattern to trace on paper. Photochemical machining is like that, except we use special chemicals that react to light to create our patterns.
First, a sheet of metal (like copper or stainless steel) is cleaned and coated with a special layer of chemicals called a photoresist. This layer is sensitive to light and reacts to it by getting harder or softer. A design is then printed onto a special film called a photomask, which acts like a stencil. The photomask is put on top of the coated sheet of metal and a special light shines on it. The areas that are covered by the dark parts of the photomask block the light and stay soft, while the areas uncovered by the photomask are exposed to the light and become harder.
After the light shines on the photoresist, we put the metal sheet into special chemicals that dissolve the areas that were kept soft. We rinse off the chemicals and the photoresist, leaving only the parts that were covered by the photomask. We then have a part with the exact shape of the pattern on the photomask!
This process is great because it is very precise and can make intricate designs on metal sheets that would be difficult or impossible to make with traditional methods. Photochemical machining is used to make parts for many things we use every day, like circuit boards for electronics, airplane parts, and even jewelry!
First, a sheet of metal (like copper or stainless steel) is cleaned and coated with a special layer of chemicals called a photoresist. This layer is sensitive to light and reacts to it by getting harder or softer. A design is then printed onto a special film called a photomask, which acts like a stencil. The photomask is put on top of the coated sheet of metal and a special light shines on it. The areas that are covered by the dark parts of the photomask block the light and stay soft, while the areas uncovered by the photomask are exposed to the light and become harder.
After the light shines on the photoresist, we put the metal sheet into special chemicals that dissolve the areas that were kept soft. We rinse off the chemicals and the photoresist, leaving only the parts that were covered by the photomask. We then have a part with the exact shape of the pattern on the photomask!
This process is great because it is very precise and can make intricate designs on metal sheets that would be difficult or impossible to make with traditional methods. Photochemical machining is used to make parts for many things we use every day, like circuit boards for electronics, airplane parts, and even jewelry!