Photo Etched Radial Slot Metal Disc Components in Stainless Steel Titanium 0.2mm

Photo Etched Radial Slot Metal Disc Components

A radial slot disc is a thin metal part in which a set of curved slots is arranged around a circular centre. Instead of milling each slot or punching the pattern, the whole layout is etched in one pass: the sheet is coated with photoresist, the slot pattern is exposed from the drawing file, and the exposed metal is dissolved by chemical solution from both faces at the same time. The part comes off the line with open slots, an untouched flat face and no cutting tool marks.

Discs are supplied flat, or with a shallow form, an edge flange or locating notches, depending on how the part is retained in the assembly. Outer diameter, slot count, slot width, radial pitch, bridge width, central bore and notch positions are all taken from the customer drawing. Material and thickness are matched to the slot layout, because narrow slots in thick sheet etch with a more pronounced taper and take longer to clear.

How the process compares

Design rules we review with the drawing

Specification

Inspection carried out on each lot

• Outer diameter, central bore and notch positions
• Slot width, slot count and radial pitch against the approved drawing
• Bridge width between adjacent slots
• Visual check for incomplete slots, etch step and residual resist
• Flatness on flat discs; fit check on formed discs
• Surface condition and packing check before dispatch

Packing and handling

Thin etched discs are easily bent at the rim, so they are interleaved and packed to keep faces apart, then placed in a rigid carton with the parts restrained rather than loose. Protective film can be applied to one or both faces when the part has a finished surface that must not be touched before assembly. Labelling and packing format follow the customer’s incoming goods requirement where one is specified.

Information needed for a quotation

Please send the drawing with outer profile, slot layout, central bore and any notch or tab positions, together with the material, the thickness, the surface finish, the quantity for the first order and the destination. Price and production timing follow the drawing, since slot density, disc diameter and finishing route each change the etching time and the handling involved. Nothing on this page is a fixed offer; every disc is produced to the customer’s own specification.