Chemical Machining

Chemical Machining
Was developed based on the observation that chemicals attack metals and etch them by using chemical dissolutions. Is the oldest of nontraditional machining processes, and has been used to engrave metals and hard stones.

Applications as an industrial process began shortly after World War II in the aircraft industry

 Chemical machining is one of the nonconventional machining processes where material is removed by bringing it in contact of a strong chemical enchant. There are different chemical machining methods base on this like chemical milling, chemical blanking, photochemical machining, etc. They all use the same mechanism of material removal

Working Principle of CHM

The main working principle of chemical machining is chemical etching. The part of the workpiece whose material is to be removed, is brought into the contact of chemical called enchant. The metal is removed by the chemical attack of enchant.

Working Principle of CHM

The method of making contact of metal with the enchant is masking. The portion of workpiece where no material is to be removed, is mashed before chemical etching.

Process Details of CHM

Following steps are normally followed in the process of CHM : Cleaning
The first step of the process is a cleaning of workpiece, this is required to ensure that material will be removed uniformly from the surfaces to be processed.

Process Details of CHM

Masking
Masking is similar to masking action is any machining operation. This is the action of selecting material that is to be removed and another that is not to be removed. The material which is not to be removed is applied with a protective coating called maskant.

Process Details of CHM

Masking
This is made of a materials are neoprene, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene or any other polymer. Thickness of maskent is maintained upto 0.125 mm. The portion of workpiece having no application of maskent is etched during the process of etching.

Process Details of CHM

Etching
In this step the material is finally removed. The workpiece is immersed in the enchant where the material of workpiece having no protective coating is removed by the chemical action of enchant. Enchant is selected depending on the workpiece material and rate of material removal; and surface finish required.

Process Details of CHM

Etching
There is a necessity to ensure that maskant and enchant should be chemically in active. Common enchants are H2SO4, FeCL3, HNO3. Selection of enchant also affects MRR. As in CHM process, MRR is indicated as penetration rates (mm/min).

Process Details of CHM

Demasking
After the process is completed demasking is done. Demasking is an act of removing maskent after machining.

 The two steps in chemical machining that involve significant variations in methods, materials, and process parameters are masking and etching Maskant materials include neoprene, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, and other polymers. Masking can be accomplished by any of three methods:
(1) cut and peel, (2) photographic resist, and (3) screen resist.

The cut and peel method applies the maskant over the entire part by dipping, painting, or spraying. The resulting thickness of the maskant is 0.025 to 0.125mm(0.001 to 0.005 in).

 After the maskant has hardened, it is cut using a scribing knife and peeled away in the areas of the work surface that are to be etched. The maskant cutting operation is performed by hand, usually guiding the knife with a template. The cut and peel method is generally used for large workparts, low production quantities, and where accuracy is not a critical factor. This method cannot hold tolerances tighter than 0.125 mm (0.005 in) except with extreme care.

 As the name suggests, the photographic resist method (called the photoresist method for short) uses photographic techniques to perform the masking step. The masking materials contain photosensitive chemicals. They are applied to the work surface and exposed to light through a negative image of the desired areas to be etched. These areas of the maskant can then be removed from the surface using photographic developing techniques.

 This procedure leaves the desired surfaces of the part protected by the maskant and the remaining areas unprotected, vulnerable to chemical etching. Photoresist masking techniques are normally applied where small parts are produced in high quantities, and close tolerances are required. Tolerances closer than 0.0125 mm (0.0005 in) can be held

 The screen resist method applies the maskant by means of silk screening methods. In these methods, the maskant is painted onto the work part surface through a silk or stainless steel mesh. Embedded in the mesh is a stencil that protects those areas to be etched from being painted. The maskant is thus painted onto the work areas that are not to be etched.

 The screen resist method is generally used in applications that are between the other two masking methods in terms of accuracy, part size, and production quantities. Tolerances of 0.075 mm (0.003 in) can be achieved with this masking method.

 Selection of the etchant depends on work material to be etched, desired depth and rate of material removal, and surface finish requirements. The etchant must also be matched with the type of maskant that is used to ensure that the maskant material is not chemically attacked by the etchant. Table 26.2 lists some of the workmaterials machined by CHM together with the etchants that are generally used on these materials. Also included in the table are penetration rates and etch factors.

 Depths of cut in chemical machining are as much as 12.5 mm (0.5 in) for aircraft panels made out of metal plates. However, many applications require depths that are only several hundredths of a millimeter. Along with the penetration into the work, etching also occurs sideways under the maskant, as illustrated in Figure 26.15. The effect is referred to as the undercut, and it must be accounted for in the design of the mask for the resulting cut to have the specified dimensions. For a given work material, the undercut is directly related to the depth of cut.

 Chemical Milling
It is widely used in aircraft industry.
It is the preparation of complicated geometry on the workpiece using CHM process.

 Chemical Blanking
In this application cutting is done on sheet metal workpieces. Metal blanks can be cut from very thin sheet metal, this cutting may not be possible by conventional methods.

 Photochemical Machining
It is used in metal working when close (tight) tolerances and intricate patterns are to be made. This is used to produce intricate circuit designs on semiconductor wafers.

Advantages of CHM
Advantages of CHM process are listed below :
(a) Low tooling cost. (b) Multiple machining can be done on a workpiece simultaneously. (c) No application of force so on risk of damage to delicate or low strength workpiece. (d) Complicated shapes/patterns can be machined. (e) Machining of hard and brittle material is possible.

Disadvantages and Limitations of CHM

(a) Slower process, very low MRR so high cost of operation. (b) Small thickness of metal can be removed. (c) Sharp corners cannot be prepared. (d) Requires skilled operators.

Chemical Milling
Shallow cavities on sheets, plates, etc Selective attack by chemicals on workpiece Used in aerospace industry Used to fabricate microelectronic devices

Chemical Blanking
Blanking of sheet metals Material removed by chemical dissolution Used to produce fine screens, flat springs, etc Very cheap but efficient

Characteristics of Chemical Machining

Shallow removal of material(up to 12mm) Blanking of thin sheets Low tooling & equipment cost Suitable for low production runs Material removal rate(0.1mm/min)

Photo Chemical Machining (PCM)

PCM is a material removal process using chemicals (etchants) to produce high precision parts. This process is also known as Photo Etching, Chemical Blanking and Photo Chemical Milling.

Photo Chemical Machining (PCM)

Photochemical machining (PCM) is chemical machining in which the photoresist method of masking is used. The term can therefore be applied correctly to chemical blanking and chemical engraving when these methods use the photographic resist method. PCM is employed in metalworking when close tolerances and/or intricate patterns are required on flat parts. Photochemical processes are also used extensively in the electronics industry to produce intricate circuit designs on semiconductor wafers

Sequence of processing steps in photochemical machining: (1) clean raw part; (2) apply resist (maskant) by dipping, spraying, or painting; (3) place negative on resist; (4) expose to ultraviolet light; (5) develop to remove resist from areas to be etched; (6) etch (shown partially etched); (7) etch (completed); (8) remove resist and clean to yield finished part.

PCM Process
1. Artwork- generate design using CAD systems, then plot it using a high precision laser plotter to produce photo-tool. Chemically clean the metal surface. Coat both sides of the plate with photoresist. (photoresist is a polymer that adheres to the metal when exposed to UV light).
http://web.mit.edu/ndemarco/www/chemmilling/slide6.html

2. 3.

PCM Process Cont.

4. 5. Expose plate and phototool to ensure image transfer. Spray metal with etchant or dip it in hot acidic solution to etch all material other than part covered with photoresist (1-15 min.). Rinse the plate to ensure photoresist and etchant removal.

6.

http://web.mit.edu/ndemarco/www/chemmilling/slide6.html

Advantages
Low Tooling Cost- all tooling is produced by CAD systems at a low cost with a short creation time. Low Modification Cost- short runs are possible at a low cost, thus, design can be easily modified. Burr and Stress Free. Complex Designs. Thin Plates as thin as 0.005.

 In photochemical machining, the term corresponding to etch factor is anisotropy, which is defined as the depth of cut d divided by the undercut u.

Materials
Aluminum Chromium Copper (oxygen free, rolled) Nickel Steel (carbon, stainless) Lead Zinc

Applications
High Precision Parts and Decorative Items
Gaskets Washers Sensors Nameplates Jewelry Microprocessor Chips

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