Etching
Etching Services by Shree Kamakshi Industries
Etching, in the context of metal finishing, is a controlled chemical process where components are immersed in an acidic or alkaline solution. This process slightly dissolves or removes a minuscule layer of the base metal. This action serves two primary purposes:
Removes Imperfections: It strips off residual rust, scale, and any passive oxide films that may inhibit plating.
Creates Micro-Roughness: It microscopically roughens the surface, creating an ideal texture for the subsequent metal plating layer (like Nickel or Tin) to mechanically and chemically bond to, ensuring superior adhesion.
Key Benefits
Etching is a non-negotiable step for achieving reliable, industrial-grade plating:
Maximizes Adhesion: By chemically activating and cleaning the surface, etching ensures the plating layer will not blister, peel, or flake off over time.
Uniformity of Deposit: It eliminates surface variations, allowing the electroplated metal to be deposited evenly across the entire component, including complex shapes.
Removes Oxide Layers: It effectively strips off tough, passive oxide layers (common on aluminum, stainless steel, and even copper alloys) that would otherwise prevent the plated metal from bonding.
Contributes to Purity: Ensures the surface is chemically pure, preventing contamination from leaching out of the base metal and into the plating bath.
Applications
Pre-Plating: Essential preparation for all electroplating services offered: Nickel, Bright/Dull Tin, and Zinc Plating.
High-Stress Components: Parts subject to mechanical or thermal stress where coating failure is unacceptable (e.g., aerospace and demanding automotive parts).
Difficult-to-Plate Metals: Treating metals that naturally form strong oxide layers, like aluminum and some copper alloys, before plating can commence.
Why Choose Us?
Integrated Quality Control: Etching is mandatory in our end-to-end process, working directly with Soapwash and Ultrasonic cleaning. We control the entire preparation cycle to ensure zero contamination risk between cleaning and plating.
Process Expertise: We use precisely controlled chemical concentrations and immersion times tailored to the base metal, preventing over-etching while guaranteeing the required surface activation.
Reliability Assurance: Our commitment to meticulous surface preparation is the cornerstone of our ability to deliver durable, long-lasting finishes that meet the high-performance expectations of our clients since 2012.