How to use and choose photosensitive blue oil in metal etching equipment etching

Hardware etching equipment ink is a protective ink used for hardware signs and stainless steel billboards, and can also be used for circuit etching on PCB circuit boards, also known as circuit ink. PCB manufacturers generally use automated equipment, including specialized equipment such as rolling, baking, exposure, development, etching, etc. In the hardware and stainless steel signage industry, factories are relatively small in scale and have incomplete equipment. So today we will mainly talk about how to use photosensitive etching ink in the hardware signage industry, and how to choose the appropriate etching ink.

The process of using photosensitive ink for hardware etching equipment

The usage process mainly includes seven steps: ink dilution, ink application, ink drying, exposure, development, etching, and ink removal. What tools and materials are needed during use? Let me explain in detail today.

Firstly, the equipment and tools. Although the hardware etching industry has low requirements and relatively simple equipment, there are still a few things that are necessary.

1. Spraying requires a silk press, wire mesh, and spray gun, while roller coating requires roller coating equipment.

2. Hot air circulation oven, many hardware signs use self drying photosensitive etching ink, especially large stainless steel plates, which cannot be dried in the oven. To make some small, high-precision signs, an oven is needed to quickly cure the ink, so that the dried ink will have better adhesion and stronger etching resistance.

3. Exposure machine or exposure lamp. Exposure machine is almost an essential equipment in the use of photosensitive ink, because it requires some fine patterns or text, especially for the same customer, with multiple product specifications, printing screens are not cost-effective, and film exposure must be used to save costs. This requires the use of photosensitive etching ink, followed by exposure of the pattern using an exposure machine after drying. Some small workshops without exposure machines will buy some iodine gallium lamps to make simple exposure rooms. The principle is the same as that of an exposure machine.

The second requirement is several types of etching materials.

1. Open the oil and water. There are many types of boiling oil and boiling water, which are generally used to dilute photosensitive etching ink. Like gasoline used to dilute paint, it is also a boiling oil. The photosensitive etching ink is also diluted with gasoline. There are generally three diluents used in conventional photosensitive blue oil, namely: anti white water, 783 boiled oil-water, and Tianna water. The odor of anti white water is relatively small. 783 white boiled oil-water and Tianna water are easy to buy, but there are also some issues. Ink diluted with 783 boiling oil and water is prone to producing bubbles and forming sand holes, while the water vapor of Tianna has a strong odor and evaporates quickly. If you want the ink to dry quickly, you can dilute it with Tianna water.

2. Sodium carbonate. Sodium carbonate is used to prepare developer. If developing ink is required after exposure, do not use developer prepared from the outside. The photosensitive etching ink is developed using sodium carbonate, with a concentration generally around 1%. Most supermarkets have edible alkali (sodium carbonate) that can replace industrial sodium carbonate.

3. Ferric chloride. Ferric chloride is a very commonly used etching material in hardware etching. Can be used to etch metals such as stainless steel, copper, aluminum, etc., with a concentration of around 60.

4. Sodium hydroxide or paint stripping water. Sodium hydroxide is mainly used for ink removal, also known as caustic soda. Stainless steel signs and bronze plaques are de inked using approximately 5% sodium hydroxide. Due to the different properties of aluminum plates, paint stripping water is used to remove ink.

The above is basically the basic equipment and materials required for the use of photosensitive blue oil in the hardware etching label industry. Next, let's talk about the usage of photosensitive etching ink.

Method of using photosensitive etching ink for hardware etching equipment

1. Oil adjustment: The main component of newly produced photosensitive etching ink is epoxy resin, which is relatively thick. Like knives and knives, there is pure resin photosensitive etching ink DD-2602 with a resin content of 70%, which can be used as precision etching products. more. Ink needs to be diluted before use. As mentioned earlier, the general methods for diluting photosensitive etching ink include: anti white water, 783 oil-water, and Tianna water. A small amount of ink will be diluted with gasoline, but ink diluted with gasoline is not safe enough, so few manufacturers produce it. Adding an appropriate proportion of diluent to ink can promote and improve ink application. The proportion of diluent added may vary depending on the ink application method.

2. Cleaning of the board surface: Metal plates that require etching may inevitably have some stains. These stains need to be cleaned thoroughly before ink application to prevent incomplete ink application due to unclean board surface, which may affect the etching effect.

3. Ink application: The general methods of ink application are screen printing, spray coating, or roller coating. To achieve better ink application, it is necessary to dilute the ink to a certain viscosity. It is recommended to add 1-5% diluent for silk screen printing, 10-20% diluent for roller coating, and 30-45% diluent for spray coating. Inking is the process of evenly applying ink onto the board to be etched. In order to achieve uniform exposure in the later stage, it is necessary to pay attention to uniformity during the ink application process. After drying, the thickness should be controlled within 12um.

4. Curing: Ink must be cured before exposure. It can be self drying or baked in an oven. The curing time depends on the weather temperature, humidity, and the boiling oil and water used. Ink from different manufacturers may have certain differences. The self drying time is 2-8 hours. During the natural drying process of ink, it is important to store it away from light to prevent the ink from reacting with ultraviolet rays and affecting the development effect. Baking is suitable for some small signs, usually at 70-100 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes.

5. Exposure: After the ink dries, it is best to expose it on the same day, with an exposure energy of 100-200mj/cm. Many hardware sign etching manufacturers use 2000W exposure machines, with an exposure time of generally one minute. Adjust the exposure parameters appropriately according to the ink of different manufacturers. 6. Development: The exposed metal sheet needs to be developed to create graphics or text. Developing involves using 1% sodium carbonate to remove the ink from the unexposed area, exposing the metal surface that needs to be etched. Photographic etching ink can generally develop images well as long as the exposure is good. It takes about one or two minutes to develop the graphic mode you want. The resolution of ink determines the accuracy of development. If the text or graphics are fine, high-resolution ink is required.