Electro chemical etching green stencil

[Rangarajan Saravana kumar]

Hi,I recently purchased an Electro Chemical etcher.Along with that we received one green long lifeStencil. Need to know how this stencil is made and It's technology?Thanks in advanceRegardsSaravana kumar

[AL Ursich]

I too have this equipment but have not used it much.

The earlier version of the film could be printed with designs and text with a old Dot Matrix Printer.

The Film was a very fine mesh like silk screening. It had this green plastic stuck to both sides. The hammers or pins of the Dot Matrix Printer punctured the film letting the juice contact the metal with the electro head.

Newer Versions of the film have the same mesh, then both sides have a coating very much like Photo Resist used to make Circuit Boards. Then there is 1 or 2 sides covered with clear film to protect the Resist as it is more like a gel.

So you make your artwork and Text and print it on a Laser Paper Printer or Quality Ink Jet Printer. You use a contact frame and black and white Litho Film that will be either clear or black with no half tones.

You may need to place another piece of Litho Film in the frame so you end up with BLACK TEXT and Clear Background. You can now use a black marker to fix any clear holes in either Litho.

Next you place the Negative on top of the Green Resist Film in a contact frame, the Text will be BLACK. You expose it to UV Light and it "Sun Burns" the Clear Negative Areas as in the background leaving the BLACK Text not getting Exposed.

You remove the clear film on both sides of the Green Film. This lets the Chemical Developer reach the Resist. You Develop the Film and the Text area that was NOT Hardened or as I call it, Sun Burned.. Will wash out.....

The mesh will keep the center of the "A" and "D" in place and act as a screen door for the juice to get to the metal....

Looking up on how Circuit Boards are made will help clear up how this is done.

The Head puts out AC Current and when you touch the Ground wire to the metal, the Current Flowing through the Screen Mesh makes the Black Marks. You will see them attach a DIODE or a One Way Valve for Current.... This makes the Head AC Current into DC or Direct Current like a Battery. THIS is told to make a DEEPER ETCH and a DARKER ETCH.

If you search for "Etch-o-matic", you will find the Website. It has links to You Tube Videos explaining everything I typed above.

Good Luck,

AL

[Rangarajan Saravana kumar]

Hi,

Thanks first of all and apologies for late reply....

1. Here the Green Stencil material is not available...
2. We had a porous blue material used for the screen printing , but not got good success because, its quality detiorates once electrolyte contacts

Electrolyte is a hidden secret like green stencil long lasting.. thru the website tried to find out some matching electrolytes , but clear form of those need to search

Expect any good material used for that with source. Typically is its the laser printed over the high density tissue paper ?

Regards,
saravanakumar