Overview

Etched 316 stainless steel shim parts are made by photochemical machining, a low-stress subtractive route that images the shim outline, slots and any relief holes onto dry-film resist laminated to 316 sheet, then dissolves the unprotected metal in a chemistry tuned to austenitic stainless steel. Outline, thickness and edge quality are governed by the artwork and etch dwell rather than punch force, so thin precision spacers are cut without burrs, work hardening or the rolled edge that would falsify a clamped stack height. Substrates are 316 / 316L in 0.02–1.0 mm gauges, with 304, 301 or 17-7PH available for mixed builds. Because the process is chemical, each shim leaves the line flat and dimensionally repeatable.

For assembly and maintenance buyers, etched 316 stainless steel shim production solves three recurring problems. Stamping thin shims leaves a burr and a dished edge that change the effective gap and wear dies quickly; alignment and bearing-preload duty needs thickness held to ±0.005 mm and flat, burr-free faces that mechanical blanking struggles to guarantee; and 316 is chosen for corrosion resistance that must not be spoiled by heat tint or embedded iron. Chemical machining forms every feature at one time, keeping outline and thickness consistent from first article through volume, while the passive film is preserved. New thicknesses and outlines need only a new film, which suits graded shim kits and frequent revisions.

Parameter Window

• Available Materials: 316 / 316L austenitic stainless; also 304, 301 and 17-7PH for mixed spring builds
• Material Thickness Range: 0.02–1.0 mm (common 0.05 / 0.1 / 0.2 / 0.5 mm)
• Tolerance: ±0.005 mm on thickness, ±0.02 mm on outline, ±0.01 mm on hole position
• Minimum Feature: 0.10 mm hole, 0.10 mm slot/line width, 0.15 mm web
• Surface Options: nitric passivation, electropolishing, deburring, thickness sorting & color coding, ultrasonic cleaning
• Compliance: ISO 9001 process control, RoHS/REACH material traceability

Manufacturing Process / Workflow (8 Steps)

1. Artwork & Nesting — Vectorize the shim outline and relief holes, allow for etch undercut, and plan panel layout with tie bars and registration marks.
2. Material Certification & Prep — Verify 316 grade, mill certificate and thickness lot, inspect for scratches and flatness, then shear to exposure size.
3. Cleaning & Lamination — Degrease and laminate dry-film resist under matched heat and pressure so no bubbles sit under fine webs.
4. UV Exposure — Expose through high-resolution film with the outline registered to the sheet edge for panel-level consistency.
5. Development — Wash out unexposed resist to open the cut areas and inspect for residue that would block etching.
6. Controlled Etching — Spray stainless-matched chemistry, tuning time, temperature and conveyor speed to hold sidewalls and avoid edge ragging.
7. Stripping & Deburr — Remove resist, neutralize, then passivate, electropolish and deburr so no edge burr changes the stack height.
8. Inspection & Packaging — Measure outline, thickness and flatness on a vision and micrometer station, sort by thickness, then pack in labeled clean trays.

Core Advantages

1. Burr-free flat faces: Chemical removal leaves no rolled edge or burr, so clamped stack height and preload stay true to the nominal thickness.
2. No die cost: Each new shim outline or thickness is a new film, keeping prototypes, graded kits and frequent revisions economical.
3. Corrosion-resistant 316: Molybdenum-bearing steel resists pitting in chlorides and wash-down chemicals, keeping shims serviceable in wet duty.
4. Repeatable fine relief: 0.10 mm holes and slots form together across a panel with tight positional spread and uniform outline.
5. Stress-free flatness: With no shear or heat input, thin sheet stays flat, so shims seat fully and do not rock in the joint.
6. Fast kit tuning: With etched 316 stainless steel shim parts, outline, thickness and relief can be tuned item by item to a target gap and preload.

Typical Applications

• Precision alignment shims: Gap-setting spacers for machine bases, couplings and optical mounts.
• Bearing preload shims: Thickness-critical shims that set axial preload in bearing and gearbox assemblies.
• Valve and pump gap shims: Clearance-setting spacers for valve trains and pump stacks.
• Shim kits and assortments: Graded thickness sets, color-coded and sorted for field maintenance.
• Spacer washers and laminations: Flat insulating or spacing washers and laminated shim stacks.
• Tooling and fixture setup: Setup and leveling shims for jigs, fixtures and precision stages.

Design Notes & Process Considerations

1. Feature-to-thickness ratio: Keep slots and webs at or above material thickness; too fine a feature distorts from undercut and weakens the spacer.
2. Thickness and flatness callout: State nominal thickness, thickness tolerance, outline tolerance and flatness, and define relief geometry rather than only a part number.
3. Grade and lot selection: Choose 316 for corrosion or 301 / 17-7PH for spring temper, and note thickness-lot and certificate needs.
4. Nesting and tie bars: Leave enough tie bars and process borders, and specify the final cut method so thin webs survive stripping and cleaning.
5. Thin-foil handling: For foil below 0.05 mm, specify a carrier or liner and call out flatness and cleanliness to avoid creases and fingerprints.
6. Surface and stack control: With etched 316 stainless steel shim parts, define deburr, electropolish and thickness-sorting limits, especially for preload-critical stacks.