Precision Micro can now offer titanium etched components

In 2012, Meggit's acquisition of Precision Micro opened up new possibilities for the company, not least due to the scale of investment in new processes and opportunities that is now taking place.

One such was the development of the photo-etching process for the volume production of components produced from sheet titanium and its alloys, made possible by a €1m investment in the plant and premises in 2014

Today, the company is able to offer scalable production of photo-etched titanium parts in quantities from one to millions, bringing all the inherent advantages of photo-etching to this versatile material. 

Photo-etching is well known for producing burr free parts with clean profiles and no heat-affected zones, and stress free parts with metal properties remaining unaffected. As the process relies on digital tooling, the process allows for multiple design iterations quickly and at low cost, with no effect on product time-to-market.

The process itself is fast and economical with lead-times measured in days not weeks, and it is precise down to the most exacting micro levels, accuracy even on the most complex of parts being a key attribute.

Titanium’s biocompatibility fits perfectly with the production of technical medical implantable devices such as reconstructive meshes, antennas, and anode and cathode battery current collectors. The company expects interest from the aerospace sector, where titanium is used to strengthen carbon fibre.

Titanium can withstand comparable loads better than aluminium and has minimal fatigue concerns; its corrosion resistance also making it the material of choice for the chemical industry where oxidising agents are often present. 

Applying photo-etching to titanium eliminates stress and burr related problems associated with alternative manufacturing technologies, and opens up an array of possibilities in the areas of medical implants, numerous applications in the aerospace sector, military applications which require a combination of light-weight, strong, heat resistant, and corrosion resistant parts, and hydrogen fuel cells.