HI Folks
Bit of a long shot - but I know there's folks here who have experience of photo-etching in the context of PCB manufacture...
I'm looking to use a photo-etching process to produce stencils which are then used for glass etching, like a tiny screen-print process...
An exhaustive search of the net suggested that only one company sells this kit - it's called 'Dura-Film'. Process is: - create positive image on transparency film, use pos image to uv-expose the Dura-Film stencil, then develop the stencil, which then 'loses' the unexposed areas and can be used to screen-print the etching cream onto the glass.
Only slight fly in the ointment is that the company is in the USA, and they're rather over-enthusiastic with the markup on their shipping costs - so I'm wondering whether the two fluids (a Developer and a Stencil Activator) could be procured over here in Ireland - so saving on shipping costs.
Question is - how to find out what these liquids are ? I've seen CSI - where they put a few drops of 'something' into a mass spectrometer and it tells them exactly what it is - but how does it work in real life ? (Presumably an analytical lab report is going to cost a few quid ?)
The Developer is a clear liquid with no odour - so no clues there. The 'Activator' is used to adhere the stencil to the piece to be etched, and stinks of acetone.... but what else...? I guess it's possible that the same chemicals are used in the PCB or metal label business..? - and might be available over this side of the water..?
I have asked the supplier 'what's in the bottles' - but fully expect them to tell me where to go!
Anybody got any experience in this area please ?
Thanks Adrian