chemical dissolution of the w/p material by contact with a strong reagent. • This strong reagent is known as ‘etchant’. • The etchant dissolves the metal from the w/p by converting it into a salt. • Special coatings called ‘maskants’ protect areas from which the metal is not to be removed. • The process is widely used to produce pockets and contours and to remove material from parts having high strength-to-weight ratio. CHM setup CHM steps • Preparing and pre-cleaning the w/p surface which provides good adhesion of the masking material. • The entire w/p is coated with a maskant after cleaning and drying. • A template is placed over the w/p and the areas to be exposed to the etchant are scribed. • The scribing is done by the knife. • The w/p is then immersed into the etchant for etching. Contd… • The w/p is etched and rinsed and again the mask is removed before the part is finished. • During CHM, the depth of etch is controlled by the time of immersion. • Faster etching rates occur at high temperatures(37 - 85° C) • The etch factor is the ratio of undercut to the depth of etch.(see figure) • This factor is considered when scribing the mask using templates. Contour cuts by CHM Tooling for CHM • Four different kinds of tools are required 1.Maskants 2.Etchants 3.Scribing Templates 4.Accessories • Synthetic or rubber base materials are frequently used for masking. • Maskants should be tough enough to withstand handling and they should adhere well to the w/p surface. • The use of etchants provides 1. Good surface finish 2. Uniformity of metal removal 3. Control of intergranular attack • Accessories include tanks, hooks, brackets, racks and fixtures Process Parameters of CHM • Etch factor • Etching and machining rate • Production tolerance • Surface finish • The process is also affected by the maskant and its application and operating temperature. Advantages of CHM • Weight reduction is possible on complex contours that are difficult to machine using traditional methods. • Simultaneous material removal from all surfaces improves productivity. • No burrs are formed. • No stresses are induced in the w/p and so fragile parts can be machined. • Capital cost of equipment is relatively low. • Less skilled operator is needed. Disadvantages • Only shallow cuts are possible. (upto 12.27 mm on sheets and plates) • Handling and disposal of chemicals is difficult. • Hand masking and scribing can be time consuming. • Deep narrow cuts are difficult to produce. • Fillet radii are fixed by the depth of cut. • Porous castings yield uneven etched surfaces. Applications • In aerospace applications, large volume of unwanted material is removed from the surface to reduce weight thereby increasing stiffness-to-weight ratio. This is conveniently done by CHM. • Complex profiles made in thin sheets used in instrumentation and sensors. • Shells for missiles. • Helicopter blades. • Spherical pressure vessels.