ELECTROFORMING

DRC has refined the electroforming art to its highest level, through a patented process that employs a conductive patterned glass substrate and proprietary plating baths. Superior edge definition, 1 micron features, superior dimensional control, and near "optical" finishes are achievable. Precision metal patterns with cross-section ratios of up to 1:1 and resolutions of above 2 million holes per square inch can be provided.

In the basic electroforming process, an electrolytic bath is used to deposit nickel or other electroplatable metal onto a conductive patterned surface, such as glass or stainless steel. Once the plated material has been built up to the desired thickness, the electroformed part is stripped off the master substrate. This process allows high-quality duplication of the master and therefore permits quality production--at low unit costs with high repeatability and excellent process control.

Electroforming is an additive process and herein lies electroform's superiority over etched metal and other forming technologies. The precision and resolution inherent in the photographically produced conductive patterned substrate, allows finer geometries to be produced to tighter tolerances while maintaining superior edge definition with a near optical finish.

Etched metal, EDM, and laser machining rely on the removal of material to form the desired features. All have limitations associated with one or more of the following: resolution; tolerancing; process repeatability; or cost. In etched metal the minimum opening diameter is limited to 1.5 times the metal thickness. EDM and laser machining have resolution limits and normally are more costly than electroforming. None of these alternatives provide the surface finish within the hole or aperture that electroforming does.

A Comparison to Other Fabrication Methods:

• Electroforming is essentially insensitive to temperature or humidity

• Electroformed parts have excellent light transmission when used in optical application (encoders, aperture plates, slits etc.)

• Electroformed parts have very low mass (weight and inertia)

• Electroformed parts are electrically conductive and essentially unbreakable

To see specific parts that we have fabricated, view Electroforming Applications.

View our design guide and brochures below:

• High Precision NiCo Electroformed Parts (size: .122 MB, pdf format)

• Electroformed Parts (size: .42 MB, pdf format)

• Electroformed Inkjet Nozzles (size: .078 MB, pdf format)

• Electroformed - Micro Mechanical Devices (size: .089 MB, pdf format)

• Precision Electroforming - 2 Micron Holes in Metal (size: .088 MB, pdf format)

• 5 Micron Wide Conductors and Spaces on PZT, Alumina, Glass and Flexible Materials (size: .14 MB, pdf format)

Please contact us for more information or a free sample, which demonstrates a wide variety of structures that are available through the processes described above.

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