Powderless Etching Explained

What the machine controls

Three things, all set from the front panel. Rotation, from 0 to 450 r/min. Temperature, between 15 and 30 degrees C. Time, from 0 to 60 minutes.

Those three settings plus the additive concentration are what make one plate come out like the last one. A bath with no temperature control gives a different etch depth on a cold morning than on a hot afternoon.

Sizing the bath to the plate

SGZ supplies ten BS models. Plating size runs from 250 x 350 mm on the BS20 to 900 x 1200 mm on the BS200, with bath capacity from 20 to 200 litres.

Size the machine from your largest plate, not your average plate. A bath that cannot take your biggest job forces that job out to a subcontractor.

Power and footprint

Power runs from 3.2 kW on the BS20 to 12.4 kW on the BS200, on a 220 V or 380 V supply.

Footprint runs from 920 x 600 x 1100 mm on the BS20 to 1950 x 1650 x 1200 mm on the BS200. Check the door and the floor before the machine ships.

One machine, three metals

The BS machine is specified for zinc, copper and magnesium plate. Switching metal means switching additive, not switching machine.

Where the machine sits in the line

Plate, then exposure, then KY161 developer, then the powderless bath, then rinse and dry. SGZ supplies every one of those items except the exposure unit.