Photochemical Etched Filters: notes from the factory floor
If you work in aerospace, medtech, or electronics, you’ve probably run into Photo Chemical Micro Etched Screens. These aren’t the loud heroes of the line; they’re the quiet parts that keep flow stable, keep particles out, and—frankly—save headaches. Origin-wise, TOMAIFilter’s production sits in the East Development Zone, Anping County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province. I visited once; lots of sunlight, lots of tooling, surprisingly calm.
Where the demand is headed
Trends? Finer apertures, thinner foils, and cleaner edges—because flow modeling is now baked into product dev. Automotive sensors, catheter vents, satellite propulsion micro-sieves… all want tighter Cp/Cpk on apertures and flatness. Many customers say lead time predictability beats raw price. I get it.
How the parts are made (short version)
- Materials: 304/316L stainless, nickel, nickel-silver, copper, titanium; thickness ≈ 20–300 μm.
- Clean + laminate photoresist; UV expose through high-res phototools.
- Etch (ferric or cupric chloride, tightly controlled chemistry), then strip, passivate, rinse DI.
- Optional: electro-polish, Ni/Au flash, flatness leveling, frame bonding.
- Testing: aperture metrology, thickness mapping, burr inspection (SEM if needed), surface roughness (Ra), salt-spray as required.
Key specifications (typical)
| Product | Photo Chemical Micro Etched Screens (Photochemical Etched Filters family) |
| Aperture size | ≈ 15 μm–1.0 mm (±5–15 μm, real-world use may vary) |
| Thickness | 20–200 μm standard; up to 300 μm upon request |
| Flatness | ≤ 0.05 mm over 100 mm (after leveling) |
| Materials | 316L, 304, Ni, Cu, Ti; RoHS/REACH compliant |
| Service life | 3–10 years depending on media, ΔP, corrosion |
| Origin | East Development Zone, Anping County, Hebei |
Who uses them and why
Applications: catheter vents, lab analyzers, fuel-cell humidifiers, UAV fuel strainers, MEMS protection, camera modules. Advantages? Burr-free edges, repeatable apertures, and complex shapes without tooling dents. In fact, for low-to-mid volumes, PCE wins on total cost of ownership.
Vendor snapshot (my quick notes)
| Vendor | Aperture tolerance | Lead time | Certs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOMAIFilter (CN) | ±5–10 μm | 10–15 days | ISO 9001; REACH/RoHS | Strong on stainless and quick custom jigs |
| Vendor A (US) | ±7–12 μm | 2–4 weeks | ISO 13485 option | Good for regulated medtech lots |
| Vendor B (EU) | ±10–15 μm | 3–5 weeks | ISO 9001 | Competitive on nickel foils |
Customization, testing, and real-world data
- Shapes: slots, hex, conical micro-holes, multi-zone patterns.
- Metrology: optical CMM + SEM spot checks; Ra ≈ 0.4–0.8 μm (post-polish).
- Corrosion: 316L passed 240–480 h neutral salt spray per ISO 9227, no red rust.
- Thermal: -40 to 200°C cycling (20 cycles) with no aperture drift beyond ±3 μm.
- Flow: ΔP @ 100 ml/min water (25°C) for 40 μm apertures ≈ 6–8 kPa (fixture-dependent).
Two quick case notes
Medical analyzer: a 60 μm slot pattern in 100 μm 316L stabilized reagent flow. Customer feedback: “Lot-to-lot variance basically vanished,” which, to be honest, is what makes lab managers sleep.
UAV fuel system: nickel 80 μm with graded apertures. After 300 h vibration test (MIL-STD style), no crack propagation; ΔP rise under clogging was predictable, so maintenance alerts were reliable.
Compliance and documentation
Typical doc pack: material certs (EN 10204 3.1), RoHS/REACH statements, dimensional report, and, if you need it, IQC/FAI per ISO 9001. Medical buyers often ask for ISO 13485 alignment—available through partner lines. For aerospace, GD&T to ISO 1101 keeps drawings sane. And yes, Photochemical Etched Filters ship cleanroom-bagged on request.
Bottom line
If you’re balancing fine filtration with sane lead times, these etched screens hit the sweet spot. Ask for a pilot lot with multiple patterns on one sheet—it’s a cheap way to learn fast.
Authoritative citations
- ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems.
- ISO 13485:2016 Medical Devices – QMS.
- ISO 9227:2017 Corrosion Tests in Artificial Atmospheres (Salt Spray).
- ISO 1101:2017 Geometrical Product Specifications (GD&T).
- RoHS Directive (EU) 2011/65/EU and amendments.
- REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.
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