Etching technology has become an indispensable special processing technology for metal product manufacturing because of its characteristics such as no molds, high-precision and high-density group hole processing, ultra-large format processing, and processing of various material hardness. At present, domestic and foreign etching technology and equipment mainly adopt wet technology including traditional chemical etching and electrolytic etching, and the micro-processing industry includes plasma dry etching technology.
Traditional chemical etching machine technology has been applied in foreign countries as early as the early 1920s. European countries have applied traditional chemical etching technology to the occasions such as mold etching, industrial product removal and craftsmanship and jewelry. The traditional chemical etching method uses a large amount of harmful chemical etchants and causes serious pollution. It has been restricted by foreign countries and gradually eliminated.
Electrolytic etching technology emerged in the foreign military industry in the early 1950s. Because of its good processing adaptability, high etching rate, low cost, good environmental protection, low investment and zero emission, it has received increasing attention from the industry. It is used in the processing of special parts such as aerospace. There are also reports in China that related state-owned enterprises imported such equipment in the early 1960s, and the equipment is extremely expensive.
Based on the current status of the application of etching technology in my country, it can be roughly summarized into the following two types:
①Traditional chemical etching technology equipment
At present, electronic equipment companies in my country’s PCB industry are the main suppliers of traditional chemical etching equipment in the market.
On the basis of absorbing the successful experience of economically developed countries, everyone is also working hard to develop technical solutions to solve the serious environmental pollution of chemical etching: improving solution formulation; reducing solution consumption; establishing corresponding environmental protection treatment systems, etc., but my country has a vast territory and equipment use The size of the participants is extremely scattered, and the cost of building a corresponding environmental treatment system is not small, which objectively leads to the inevitable environmental pollution of traditional chemical etching technology and equipment.
②Electrolytic etching technology equipment
The electrolysis technology equipment mentioned here refers to the level (no tank) continuous electrolytic etching system that integrates the latest design and application concepts at home and abroad. According to the “201032B2505262 Technology Novelty Search Report” (National Level, Jiangsu Provincial Sci-tech Novelty Search Consultation Center), it is currently only in the state where the project has been carried out to the completion of the prototype and the pilot production is being organized. The prototype has been installed in Wananmen, Zhejiang Baijia In the application of Industrial Co., Ltd. and China Buyang Group, users fully affirmed the performance of the equipment.
(2) Development trend of domestic etching technology
Throughout the development process of etching technology, it is the development trend of etching technology to replace traditional chemical etching technology with horizontal continuous electrolytic etching technology.
①Electrolytic etching technology is developing towards self-improvement
The continuous improvement of electrolytic etching technology, the application of advanced automatic control technology and advanced technology, especially the application of many high-tech applications, has promoted the development of etching technology in the direction of high-tech.
②Electrolytic etching technology is developing in the direction of multi-function
Continuous electrolytic etching technology equipment must not only have the function of etching, but also have the functions of polishing, surface roughening, and pretreatment.
③Electrolytic etching technology is developing in the direction of resource utilization
Such as the desliming of electrolytic etching, which organically combines electrolytic etching with the recycling of renewable resources. The metal hydroxide mud obtained by electrolytic etching precipitation (such as the iron hydroxide obtained after a large amount of electrolytic etching of the iron plate of Zhejiang Yongkang·China Buyang Group’s anti-theft door industry) is a good chemical raw material and can be used as waste.
④Electrolytic etching technology is developing towards intelligence
With the application of science and technology and the continuous improvement of equipment manufacturing level, the development of artificial intelligence, the development of high-efficiency sensors, and the development of robots have made it possible to self-diagnose the continuous electrolytic etching equipment and system failures, thereby achieving low failure rates and High operating rate.
Continuous electrolytic etching technology is characterized by its high degree of harmlessness, highest production efficiency, and easy realization of resource utilization. Has gradually been favored by industry insiders, and has become an inevitable trend in the development of etching technology and equipment in my country. At present, the “intelligent metal plate horizontal continuous electrolytic etching machine” developed by our company adopts the original horizontal electrolytic electrode distribution technology, combined spray electrolytic electrode technology, surface cleaning technology, proprietary technology of neutral electrolyte formulation, and short circuit detection. And control technology, network real-time monitoring technology, etc., its continuous electrolytic etching line speed reaches 0～5.0m/min; the precision is up to 0.008mm line width, the product technical performance has reached the advanced level at home and abroad, and it is in a leading position, filling the domestic gap .
