Elcon has been known for its advanced photochemical machining process since 1967. We are able to produce even extremely difficult requirements by tightly controlling every aspect of the process. Elcon utilizes a variety of etchants, some proprietary, to process a wide variety of materials including molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, and gold. We utilize both dry and liquid resist depending on your application. Even the size of the metal sheet is optimized based on the tolerances and geometry. As a result, Elcon is able to produce finer geometry with greater precision than a standard etching process.

The process of photochemical machining uses a photosensitive polymer called photoresist to produce a mask that is highly precise and selectively protects the sheet from acid. Our engineers create a tool containing a negative image of the part step and repeated throughout. This tool is used to expose that image onto the photoresist. Specialized etching equipment then uses acid to selectively remove any material left unprotected by the mask, precisely cutting all the features of your part. The mask is then stripped from the metal, resulting in a burr free sheet of precision parts. Elcon’s tight process controls offer the ability to achieve a tolerance as tight as +/-.0002” on some parts.

With this process, part complexity does not increase part cost, giving you the flexibility to produce highly intricate configurations reliably and cost effectively. Tooling is fast and inexpensive, making the process ideal for prototyping; however, the flexibility, repeatability, and precision mean it is ideally suited for medium and high volume production as well. Typical lead times are 3 weeks and expedited service can be turned around in a few days.