Overview

Etched nickel mesh is a flat nickel sheet pierced with a dense grid of identical apertures, produced by photochemical machining rather than weaving or punching. A photoresist is laminated, exposed with the grid artwork and developed, then the unprotected nickel is dissolved in a matched etchant to leave a fine, uniform lattice. Meshes are typically made from pure nickel (Ni200 or Ni201) in gauges from 0.02 mm to 0.5 mm. Because the metal is chemically removed, the grid is monolithic — no crossing wires, no weld points, no frayed ends — and every aperture is round and burr-free.

Nickel is specified where conductivity, chemical resistance and a fine, dense grid must come together. Etching holds the aperture size and pitch to a tight tolerance across the full sheet, so flow, screening and shielding behavior stay predictable. The nickel surface resists many acids and alkalis and carries current well, which suits it to filtration, screening and EMI shielding. This is why etched nickel mesh is chosen for battery current collectors, electrolysis screens, fine filters and shielding grids where a woven mesh would shed fibers or a punched sheet would leave burrs.

Parameter Window

• Available Materials: pure nickel Ni200/Ni201, nickel alloys
• Material Thickness Range: 0.02–0.5 mm
• Tolerance: ±0.02 mm on aperture, ±0.01 mm on bar width
• Minimum Feature: 0.05 mm aperture, 0.03 mm bar width
• Surface Options: bright, electropolished, gold or tin plated
• Compliance: ISO 9001 process control, RoHS/REACH material traceability

Manufacturing Process / Workflow (8 Steps)

1. Grid Design — Convert the hole pattern to vector artwork, set bar width at or above thickness, and confirm open area.
2. Material Selection — Choose Ni200 for general use or Ni201 for lower carbon and better corrosion resistance.
3. Cleaning & Lamination — Degrease the sheet and laminate dry film on both sides for even two-sided etching.
4. UV Exposure — Expose front and back artwork registered to within 0.01 mm for straight, centered walls.
5. Development — Wash out the unexposed resist to open every aperture, then inspect for blocked fine holes.
6. Etching — Spray etch from both sides at controlled temperature; aperture size is set by time and pressure.
7. Stripping & Finishing — Remove resist, neutralize, then electropolish or plate gold or tin as required.
8. Inspection & Packaging — Measure aperture and pitch on a vision system, then pack flat and dry.

Core Advantages

1. Dense uniform grid: Apertures and pitch are held to microns, giving predictable flow and screening across the sheet.
2. Monolithic construction: The one-piece grid has no crossing wires or welds to shed fibers or trap debris.
3. Good conductivity: Nickel carries current well, suiting the mesh to electrodes and current collectors.
4. Chemical resistance: Nickel resists many acids and alkalis, so the mesh survives aggressive process fluids.
5. Burr-free and flat: Chemical removal leaves no punch burrs, so the mesh seats flat and handles cleanly.
6. Fine geometry: Apertures down to 0.05 mm with bars as fine as 0.03 mm are routine.

Typical Applications

• Battery current collectors: Fine nickel grids for electrodes and fuel cells.
• Electrolysis screens: Nickel meshes for electrochemical and plating cells.
• Fine filtration: Dense grids for fluid and gas filtration in aggressive media.
• EMI shielding: Conductive nickel grids for electromagnetic shielding windows.
• Screening media: Precision sieves for particle classification.
• Sensor grids: Conductive nickel meshes for sensing and detection elements.

Design Notes & Process Considerations

1. Aperture versus thickness: Keep aperture diameter at 1.2 × material thickness or more for straight, consistent walls.
2. Bar width: Specify bar width at or above material thickness so the grid keeps its strength.
3. Open area: State the open-area percentage; it controls flow rate, strength and shielding effectiveness.
4. Purity grade: Choose Ni200 for standard work or Ni201 when low carbon content is required.
5. Surface finish: Call out electropolishing for filtration or plating when conductivity must be raised.
6. Flatness: Specify flatness per 100 mm if the mesh must bond to a substrate or seal against a frame.