Overview

custom micro mesh etching produces precision screens by dissolving a drawn hole pattern into thin metal foil rather than weaving wire or punching sheet. Stainless steel 304/316L, copper and nickel foils from 0.02 mm to 0.30 mm are laminated, exposed and etched from both sides, so hole diameter, pitch and open area are fixed by the artwork. Because there is no woven crossover and no punch deformation, the mesh stays flat, the ligaments are uniform and the open area can be specified anywhere from 15% to 65% and repeated within ±2% across a production lot. The result is a screen with a known, controllable flow area for filtration, classification and shielding.

For a buyer, custom micro mesh etching is mostly an open-area and repeatability decision. Open area is a function of hole diameter and pitch, so a 0.10 mm hole on a 0.15 mm hexagonal pitch gives a very different flow from the same hole on a 0.30 mm square pitch; the drawing should state the pattern, pitch and target open area together. Etching also allows hole size to be graded across a single sheet, or a solid rim and mounting tabs to be left unetched for clamping. Prototypes use the same film as production meshes, so a flow test passed on a sample transfers to volume without re-qualifying the hole geometry, and no die cost is added for each new pattern.

Parameter Window

• Available Materials: stainless steel 304/316L/430, copper C1100, nickel 200, nickel-iron, titanium
• Material Thickness Range: 0.02-0.30 mm foil; 0.02-0.10 mm for high-open-area micro screens
• Tolerance: ±0.01 mm on hole diameter, ±0.02 mm on pitch, ±2% on open area
• Minimum Feature: 0.05 mm hole and 0.05 mm web at 0.05 mm stock; aspect ratio near 1:1
• Surface Options: electropolished, passivated, blackened, plated, framed, laminated to a support ring
• Compliance: ISO 9001 process control, RoHS/REACH material traceability

Manufacturing Process / Workflow (8 Steps)

1. Pattern & Flow Review — Convert the mesh drawing to vector art, compute open area from hole and pitch, and check flow against the target.
2. Foil Selection — Choose 316L for corrosive filtration, copper for EMI, and nickel for fine, high-open-area screens.
3. Cleaning & Lamination — Laminate thin resist on both sides of the foil so apertures etch symmetrically and stay round.
4. Exposure — Expose the hole array through a high-resolution mask with the pattern registered to the sheet edge.
5. Development — Open the hole areas and inspect for blocked apertures before the foil enters the etchant.
6. Etching — Spray from both sides with controlled dwell, biasing the artwork undersize to offset side etch.
7. Stripping & Finishing — Strip resist, electropolish, passivate or plate, then bond the mesh to a frame or support ring.
8. Inspection & Packaging — Measure open area, hole diameter and flatness by optical scan, then pack flat with interleaving.

Core Advantages

1. Known open area: Open area is calculated from the artwork and held to ±2%, so flow and pressure drop are predictable.
2. Uniform ligaments: Chemical forming gives every web the same width, avoiding the weak spots of woven wire at crossovers.
3. Flat and burr-free: No punching or weaving means the screen stays flat and seals evenly in a filter housing.
4. Fine holes in thin foil: 0.05 mm holes at 0.10 mm pitch give high open area without a fragile woven structure.
5. Pattern freedom: Hexagonal, square, slotted or graded arrays all run on one film with no tooling change.
6. No die cost per pattern: A new mesh is a new film, so trials, spares and frequent revisions stay low cost.

Typical Applications

• Precision filtration: Screen packs for fuel, hydraulic and polymer melt filtration with a defined micron rating.
• Particle classification: Test sieves and lab meshes where open area drives cut-point accuracy.
• EMI shielding: Copper and nickel vents that balance airflow with attenuation in enclosures.
• Battery and fuel cell: Current-collector screens and gas-diffusion backing meshes.
• Acoustic and flow control: Damping screens for microphones, valves and flow restrictors.
• Printing and coating: Ink and paste metering screens with graded open area across the web.

Design Notes & Process Considerations

1. State open area explicitly: For custom micro mesh etching, give hole diameter, pitch, pattern type and target open area together; one without the others is ambiguous.
2. Hole-to-web ratio: Keep the web at least equal to foil thickness, or the screen tears during handling and framing.
3. Side-etch bias: Apertures are drawn undersize by roughly 10-20% of thickness per side to land on the finished diameter.
4. Open area versus strength: Above about 60% open area, reduce unsupported span or add a support ring to avoid sag.
5. Flatness for sealing: Call out flatness per 100 mm when the mesh is clamped in a sealed filter stack.
6. Cleanliness: Specify particle and oil limits for filtration screens and request electropolished, residue-free edges.