Precision Micro engineers took up the challenge from a medical device manufacturer to produce a microfilter by the photo etch process after several companies had tried and failed. The mesh had previously been manufactured by a laser process that was time consuming, prohibitively expensive and left burrs on the underside of the component.

The challenge was to pierce a 78mm diameter, 50 microns thick stainless steel disc with136,187 holes, each hole being 100 microns in diameter(approximately the diameter of a human hair) on a staggered pitch of 200 microns. A general tolerance for these features of ± 10 microns was achieved as a result of Precision Micro’s highly skilled engineers being encouraged to “push the boundaries” of the process and achieve results previously considered impossible.

By etching all the holes at one time in a single process, the customer received a burr free, stress free component part at an affordable price.