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Laser deep etching for stainless steel press plate in wood pressing

Stainless steel press plate are manufactured using a multi-stage photochemical etching (PCE) process designed for high accuracy and repeatability.

A laser exposure system (direct imaging or phototool-based) is employed to precisely define micro-scale circuit patterns onto a photoresist-coated stainless steel substrate. This ensures excellent resolution, edge definition, and alignment accuracy.

Following exposure and development, the material undergoes controlled chemical etching, where selected areas are removed in a highly uniform manner. The remaining photoresist is then stripped, completing one etching cycle.

To achieve multi-depth profiles and complex 3D geometries, the sequence of coating → exposure → etching → resist stripping is repeated 5–6 times. Each cycle is carefully calibrated to control:

• Etching depth per layer
• Line width and tolerance
• Sidewall profile and undercut
• Surface roughness

This iterative process enables the fabrication of step-etched structures, fine channels, and variable-depth features that cannot be achieved in a single-pass etching process.

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