Overview

Custom gasket etching fabricates metal sealing gaskets directly from customer drawings rather than from a fixed catalog. A photoresist mask is exposed with the customer's exact outline, bolt holes, slots and any lettering, developed, and the unprotected metal is dissolved in a matched etchant. Because the gasket is cut chemically instead of stamped or lasered, the finished part leaves the bath flat, burr-free and free of the rolled edges and heat-affected zones that compromise a sealing face. Materials run from stainless steel 304/316L to copper, nickel, titanium and beryllium copper, in thicknesses between 0.05 mm and 1.0 mm.

For buyers, custom gasket etching removes the two biggest obstacles in sealing procurement: tooling cost and lead time. A new gasket design is simply a new phototool, so short runs, one-off prototypes and frequent revisions stay economical, and a drawing change does not mean throwing away a die. The process also preserves flatness naturally — there is no punch-and-die deformation or laser recast layer — so the gasket seats evenly against both mating flanges and holds pressure without a soft filler layer.

Parameter Window

• Available Materials: stainless steel 304/316L, copper, nickel, titanium, beryllium copper
• Material Thickness Range: 0.05–1.0 mm
• Tolerance: ±0.05 mm on outline and apertures, ±0.03 mm on bolt-hole pitch
• Minimum Feature: 0.1 mm hole diameter and 0.2 mm slot width at 0.2 mm stock
• Surface Options: as-etched, passivated, nickel-plated, gold-plated, annealed for flatness
• Compliance: ISO 9001 process control, RoHS/REACH material traceability

Manufacturing Process / Workflow (8 Steps)

1. Drawing Review — Convert customer files to vector artwork, confirm outline, bolt-hole pattern and slot widths against material thickness, and lock the drawing revision.
2. Material Selection — Match alloy and temper to the service condition; stainless for corrosion, copper for soft crush sealing, beryllium copper for spring-loaded joints.
3. Cleaning & Lamination — Degrease the sheet and laminate dry film resist under heat and pressure so no bubbles sit under fine slots or holes.
4. UV Exposure — Expose through high-resolution film with the artwork registered to the sheet edge, keeping bolt holes on pitch across the panel.
5. Development — Wash out unexposed resist to open the outline and aperture areas, then inspect for under-developed fine features.
6. Etching — Spray or immerse in chemistry matched to the alloy; time, temperature and conveyor speed control profile accuracy and sidewall quality.
7. Stripping & Finishing — Remove resist, neutralize, then passivate, plate or anneal; annealing restores dead-flat sealing faces where needed.
8. Inspection & Packaging — Verify outline, hole pitch, thickness and flatness against the approved drawing, then pack flat on liners or in trays.

Core Advantages

1. No tooling, no minimums: Each gasket design is a new phototool, so prototypes and small batches run without a stamping die or a costly setup charge.
2. Burr-free sealing faces: Chemical removal leaves no roll-over, so the gasket sits flat against both flanges and seals without a filler coating.
3. Stress-free, flat parts: Etching introduces no mechanical or thermal stress, so thin gaskets stay flat and do not curl after blanking.
4. Complex outlines at no extra cost: Multi-hole, slotted and irregular gasket shapes etch in one pass, with no premium for complexity.
5. Fine holes and slots: Bolt holes down to 0.1 mm and narrow slots hold crisp edges that punching would distort or tear.
6. Material flexibility: Stainless, copper, nickel and titanium run on the same line, so one order can mix alloys without separate tooling. Custom gasket etching is therefore the fastest route from drawing to a sealing part that actually fits.

Typical Applications

• Flange gaskets: Round and rectangular sealing gaskets with bolt-hole rings for pipe and valve flanges in 0.5 mm stainless.
• Sensor sealing rings: Thin crush gaskets in copper or nickel for pressure sensors and transducer housings.
• EMI/RFI gaskets: Conductive beryllium copper gaskets with fine spring fingers for shielding enclosures.
• Battery contact gaskets: Nickel gaskets with precision apertures for cell-to-pack sealing in battery modules.
• Vacuum sealing washers: Flat titanium gaskets for vacuum chambers that demand clean, burr-free faces.
• Gearbox shim gaskets: Layered stainless gaskets with cut-outs that double as both spacer and seal.

Design Notes & Process Considerations

1. Slot width versus thickness: Keep the narrowest slot at 0.2 mm or 1.0 × material thickness, whichever is larger, or the slot will etch unevenly.
2. Hole pitch tolerance: State bolt-hole pitch as a true tolerance — ±0.03 mm is realistic — and keep pitch dimensions referenced from a single datum.
3. Flatness callout: For dead-flat sealing faces, specify flatness per 100 mm and request annealing when stock is thinner than 0.1 mm.
4. Edge profile: Confirm whether a straight or slightly tapered edge is acceptable; specify edge squareness if the gasket bears on its thickness.
5. Surface and plating: Name the finish — passivation, nickel or gold — and state the service fluid, since plating thickness changes the crush behavior.
6. Drawing revision control: Freeze the drawing revision before the phototool is made; any later change means a new film, not a new die. Custom gasket etching keeps revision changes cheap precisely because tooling is film, not steel.