Etching Stainless Steel: Which Technique Works Best?
Posted by freemexy on March 17th, 2021
The integrity of every design is impacted by material selection. Choose the wrong material, and your application is subject to an unpredictable, potentially short life. Choose the right material, and your application has a much higher probability of success.To get more news about etching stainless steel, you can visit stainless-steel-supplier official website.
For many projects, stainless steel is the correct answer. While higher in initial costs, this material delivers long-term value to the applications it serves. In addition to being low-maintenance, 100% recyclable and aesthetically appealing, stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and ductile.
It’s characteristics like these that have made stainless steel a staple across various industries. In the automotive industry, stainless steel is used to fuel the development of durable parts that help vehicles run at their optimal performance. Meanwhile in chemical and food processing, plants rely on this material to resist corrosion.
When it comes to the techniques for etching stainless steel, there are a number of options available. Here are some of the more common methods.Laser etching, also called laser engraving or laser marking, is used to create a visible mark on the surface of many substrates, including metal, plastic, stone and glass. The process involves the use of a high-heat laser to modify the surface of the substrate.
Depending on the substrate and energy involved, the modification to the material can vary. Typically, though, the goal is to create a legible or aesthetic mark on a product.Electrolytic etching has the same goal as laser etching: to create an aesthetic mark on an object. However, this type of etching can only be done on metal.
In electrolytic etching, a metal piece is connected to a positive and negative pole of a direct electric current source. When the current flows, ions penetrate through the material surface to selectively etch the intended areas. Other complex electrochemical effects can take place based on the level of voltage used, as well as the concentration of the electrolyte.
