Chemical Etching

Chemical etching uses controlled acids to create shallow textures or markings on surfaces with uniform depth, no mechanical stress, and good repeatability.

Overview

Chemical etching (acid etching) uses controlled chemical reactions to selectively remove material from exposed surface areas, creating logos, text, patterns, or uniform textures. A resist or mask protects non-etched areas, while the chemical bath sets depth and finish. It works best on flat or gently curved parts where you need consistent, shallow features rather than deep engraving.

Choose chemical etching when you want stress-free marking, minimal heat input, and even texture over larger areas—such as branding, scales, or grip patterns. It scales well for batches once fixturing and masking are dialed in, but setup is less economical for one-off parts. Resolution and depth control are good but not micron-level, and sharp inside corners may undercut slightly due to lateral etching. Chemical handling, waste treatment, and material compatibility can also limit where and how you run this process.

Common Materials

  • Stainless Steel 304
  • Stainless Steel 316
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Titanium Grade 5
  • Inconel 718
  • Borosilicate glass

Tolerances

Etch depth typically ±0.0005" to ±0.002" on flat metallic surfaces; pattern location/registration around ±0.005"

Applications

  • Logos and part identification on stainless housings
  • Scale and index markings on dials and instrument faces
  • Grip textures on surgical tools and hand tools
  • Decorative patterns on consumer and industrial panels
  • Surface roughening for adhesive bonding or coating prep
  • Corrosion-resistant, low-stress part marking on medical implants

When to Choose Chemical Etching

Use chemical etching when you need shallow, uniform textures or markings on compatible metals or glass without introducing heat or mechanical stress. It’s a good fit for small-to-medium features over larger areas and for batch production where you can amortize masking and fixturing setup across multiple parts.

vs Media Blasting

Choose chemical etching over media blasting when you need defined logos, text, or patterns rather than broad, uncontrolled matte textures. Etching offers better edge definition, repeatable depth, and the ability to keep adjacent regions untouched with masking, while blasting tends to soften features and affects any exposed surface.

vs Laser Etching/Engraving

Choose chemical etching when you want stress-free, heat-free markings on sensitive or thin parts where laser heat-affected zones or discoloration are a concern. It’s also advantageous for evenly texturing larger areas in one shot, while laser is better for very fine, high-resolution graphics or variable data serials.

vs CNC Engraving

Choose chemical etching when you need shallow, fine detail on thin or delicate components that might distort under cutting forces. Etching eliminates tool wear and toolpath constraints, making it more efficient for dense artwork or many small features, while CNC engraving is preferable for deeper, high-precision mechanical features.

Design Considerations

  • Specify required etch depth as a range (min/nominal/max) and whether depth or visual appearance is the primary acceptance criterion
  • Keep critical dimensions and sealing surfaces away from etched regions or clearly call out no-etch zones on the drawing
  • Avoid extremely sharp internal corners and ultra-thin lines; allow some width for undercutting and lateral etch, and confirm minimum feature size with the shop
  • Provide vector artwork (DXF, AI, EPS) aligned to a fully dimensioned drawing so the shop can accurately place and scale the pattern
  • Call out surface finish requirements before and after etching, including any post-cleaning or passivation needed for corrosion performance
  • Discuss material and alloy specifics with the shop; slight chemistry differences can change etch rate and appearance, affecting cycle time and consistency