Resources

Photochemical Machining Design Resources

Fotofab uses the photochemical machining process to produce a wide variety of precision parts from thin metal sheets. Not many are familiar with the process, so our “Design Guide to Photochemical Machining” was created specifically for those who are involved with the designing and/or purchasing of metal parts.

The Design Guide provides you with:

• Engineering advantages of photochemical machining.
• Overview of our photochemical machining process.
• Considerations for the design of your thin metal parts.
• Considerations for your engineering drawings/sketches.

Fotofab offers free consultation and quotation for your specific designs and is available to assist you with your metal parts requirements. By designing with an awareness of our process capabilities, you will minimize the cost and delivery time of your metal parts, whether for prototyping or production.

Design Advantages

• Many intricate part geometries, like those found in fine resolution screens, can be photochemically machined easily and economically.
• Extremely thin metal can be machined without distortion; dimensional accuracy actually increases as metal thickness decreases.
• Physical properties of the metal, such as hardness, strength, and formability, are not changed by the process.
• Brittle metals, which often fracture during conventional stamping, are machined without difficulty.
• Magnetically soft materials can be fabricated while retaining their optimum permeability.
• Parts are inherently free of burrs.

Tooling and Delivery Advantages

• Tooling and set-up costs are extremely low compared to hard tooling.
• Initial quantities of newly designed parts can be produced on short notice – sometimes within days after the design is conceived.
• Revisions to part designs are similarly implemented quickly and economically.

Design Considerations

As you proceed with the design of your metal part, the following considerations will help you take full advantage of the Fotofab process.

• Material Selection
• Part Geometry Considerations
• Tolerances and metal thickness
• Selective Etching
• Tabs