chemical engraving?

[manakawari]

i have a weird problem i cant seem to solve and maybe someone here can help...i work for an embelishment studio and we have lots of different machine , we have several laser cutters and a cnc milling machine, vinyl plotters , 4d printer etc...but i have been getting a lot of a specific job that none of the machine i have is ideal...its cutting complex , small shapes from thin sheet metal..(like 24 guage max but often thinner) no steel just brass, aluminum and copper.

all of our lasers are c02 lasers with a max power of 100watts so they are useless, the milling machine is a roland mdx40a , its a great machine but just not ideal for metal work, it cuts metal but its incredibly slow and if i were to do these jobs on that machine, it will tie it up all day and ill get nothing else cut on it.

a typical one of these jobs is a 1 inch or smaller complex metal shape cut from these soft metals...i will load the design and cut as many out of a 6"x6" piece of brass or copper or aluminum as i can...with my milling machine it takes all day to cut through a single job.

we have a budget for another machine if one exists but little space,,, the ideal solution would be a waterjet or metal cutting laser but all these are too expensive and way too large,

id like to find a better solution to this problem using what i have or at the most buy a new machine or equipment that wont break the bank and that can fit on my desk.

i have been wondering that since i have several laser cutters, if the solution couldnt maybe include laser cutting or using a vinyl plotter to create a mask and then using a chemical etching solution to eat through the thin sheet metal?... anyone know if this would work and where i could find out more information?

if not maybe some advice on another way to get these pieces cut? like i said, its very think sheet metal but the shapes are fairly complex...my milling machine cant really mill steel so making dies isnt an option.

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[aarggh]

With etching it's very dificult to stop leaching from the sides when using masks. If your space and/or budget can't cater for what is best here, laser or waterjet, then your simply left with etching or milling. Milling thin stock will require some sort of adhesive layer to hold the sheet flat and in place on the table, and really good quality cutters to enable a clean edge which on thin stock can be very dificult. Etching has the bleed through problem mentioned above, but also requires chemicals whioch in my opinion is not ideal.

cheers, Ian