Custom Stainless Steel Photo Etching Service SUS304 SUS316L Thin Metal Parts 0.02mm-1.5mm

Custom Stainless Steel Photo Etching Service SUS304 SUS316L Thin Metal Parts 0.02mm-1.5mm

Xinhaisen etches thin stainless steel parts as a contract service, from a single prototype sheet to serial production. The shape is transferred from artwork with a phototool, so the outline, slots and fine patterns come from the digital file, and a design change means a new phototool instead of a new die.

Because the process removes metal chemically rather than by cutting force, thin parts come out flat and without the mechanical stress, the rolled edge or the local hardening that press work leaves behind. That makes the process practical for foil-thin components where a stamping die would distort the part.

Stainless Steel Parts We Etch

• Shims, gaskets, washers and spacing plates
• Filter screens, sieves and perforated plates
• Speaker grilles and acoustic covers
• Encoder discs, gratings and aperture plates
• EMI and RFI shielding covers and masks
• Thin brackets, cover plates and decorative panels
• Half-etched marks, step-etched recesses and identification plates

Service Capability

Design Notes Reviewed Before Production

Feature size is reviewed against material thickness, because a slot that etches cleanly in 0.1mm foil behaves differently in 0.8mm sheet. Sharp internal corners and undercuts are redirected to a small radius or an open corner at drawing review, and thin parts are held with connecting tabs so the part stays flat through etching and packing. Where a part needs a recess, a step or a marking, the depth is defined on the drawing and checked on the first article.

From Drawing To Delivery

1. Drawing review and DFM feedback. We check material, thickness, feature size and tolerances, then reply with feasibility comments and a quotation.

2. Phototool and first article. Artwork is converted to a phototool and a first article is etched for your dimensional and functional check, supplied with material certificate and inspection data.

3. Approval and production. After the first article is approved the process parameters are fixed for the run and etching values are held under process control.

4. Inspection and packing. Parts are checked against the drawing and inspected visually, then packed interleaved with anti-corrosion protection for shipment.

Quality System

Incoming material is inspected before production and finished parts are inspected before shipment, so the quality of each batch is assured.

Industries Served

Automotive, consumer electronics and acoustics, optical instruments, medical devices and diagnostic equipment, industrial equipment and filtration, aerospace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which stainless steel grades do you etch?
SUS304 and SUS316L are the standard grades. If the application calls for a different etchable metal, send the drawing and working conditions and our engineering team will confirm feasibility.

Can you supply a single prototype part?
Yes. Prototype and development quantities go through the same process as serial parts, so the first article represents what production will deliver.

What files do you need?
DWG, DXF, PDF, STEP, IGES, Gerber, CorelDraw or AI, with material, thickness, tolerance and finish stated on the drawing or in the enquiry.

How is tolerance agreed?
+/-0.02mm is the typical value. Where the design needs a tighter value, the part is evaluated by engineering before the tolerance is confirmed in the quotation.

How is the delivery date set?
Each part is custom, so the schedule depends on material, structure, quantity and the first article approval step. Timing is confirmed with the quotation and again when the first article is approved.

Send your drawing and our engineering team will review it and reply with a quotation as soon as possible.