CHEMICAL MACHINING (CHM)

It is the process of material removal

using reactive chemical solutions through
selective and controlled dissolution of
workpiece material.

Common processing steps:

1. Preparing: pre-cleaning
2. Masking: Application of chemically resistive material
3. Etching: Exposure to etchant
4. Remove mask: stripping and cleaning
5. Finish: Inspection & post-processing

Etch Factor = Undercut/Depth of Cut

Processing Sequence of Step Etching
CHM Processes:
1. Chemical Milling
2. Chemical Blanking
3. Chemical Engraving
4. Chemical Polishing

Chemical Milling Chemical Blanking

 CHEMICAL MACHINING (CHM)
Masking Techniques
Sl Type Coating thickness (mm) Etching depth (mm) Tolerance (mm) Part size
No. (m)
1 Cut and peel 0.025-0.13 >1.5-13 ±0.13 - ±0.75 large
2 Screen printed <0.05 <=1.5 ±0.05 - ±0.18 <1.2x1.2
3 Photochemical <1.5 ±0.025- ±0.005 <0.9x1.5

Photochemical Machining (PCM)

A Clean Metal

B Photo-resist Coating

C Negative & Exposure

D Resist Developed & Partially Removed

E Partially Etched

F Fully Etched and Separated

The selection of proper maskant for a particular application is accomplished by
evaluating the job with respect to the six factors defined as follows.

The purpose of an etchant is to dissolve a metal by turning it into a metallic salt

 CHEMICAL MACHINING (CHM)

Applications of CHM
1. Chemical machining using cut and peel masks usually involves very large workpieces. Like:
– Large turbine engine containment rings,
– Aluminium aircraft spars, wing skin, structural parts with numerous surface areas are
etched to be removed unnecessary metal for better strength to weight ratio.
2. Aluminium pressure vessel bulk heads are chemically milled using the cut-and-peel masking
technique.
3. Titanium alloy turbine engine and space shuttle components are chemically milled with specific
patterns designed to greatly reduce the weight of the component without compromising structural
integrity.
4. Racing can body weight is reduced by CHM. Range of high-performance car engine and
transmission components are chemically milled to reduce weight
Because chemical milling removes material from all surfaces simultaneously, the overall
processing time is only a fraction of what it would be if done by conventional milling.
5. Chemical blanking, which is most frequently performed by PCM is often a highly cost-effective
process when compared with mechanical blanking or stamping of thin sheet metal. Because die
cost is not encountered when using PCM, a saving of 10:1 can be realized. (only a one time
change for the photo master is required with PCM. Any design change can easily be incorporated
just by changing the photo master.)
6. High detailed engraving on front panel of equipment.
7. Aluminium vent screens of helicopter.
8. Integrated circuitry.
9. In one of the variations of chemically milling, the material can be tapered by controlling the rate
of withdrawal of the part from the etchant.

ADVANTAGES
• Many work-pieces can be etched simultaneously.
• All the surfaces are exposed to the chemical at the same time simultaneously.
• No distortion.
• Externally thin & delicate material can be worked without distortion.
• Low capital investment.
• Burr free.
• Tooling cost usually less.
DISADVANTAGES
• Chemical disposal is costly.
• Limited depth of cut.
• Workpiece must have homogeneous structure (metallurgical/ physical).
• Sharp radii difficult to produce.
• Skilled operators and good photographic facilities are required in PCM.
• Etchant vapors are quite corrosive.