Xinketching is a precision photochemical etching manufacturer in Dongguan, China, producing flat etched metal parts since 2005. We etch precision shims, spacer washers and etched metal filters in stainless steel, titanium, copper, brass and nickel from 0.05 to 2.5 mm thick — any profile, any hole pattern, burr-free and flat, with no hard tooling. Our shim and filter work is aimed at aerospace, hydraulic, pneumatic and analytical-instrument applications, where a burr or a thickness error becomes a system failure, not a cosmetic defect.

Specifications

  • Materials: stainless steel (304, 316L), titanium, copper, brass and nickel
  • Thickness range: 0.05–2.5 mm — shim stock is stocked in standard steps of 0.1, 0.12, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm; thicknesses above 0.5 mm up to 2.5 mm are sourced to order
  • Minimum through-feature: holes and slots at least roughly the material thickness (design rule ≈ 0.8–1.2× thickness) — this sets the finest filter aperture at a given thickness
  • Edge condition: burr-free — a burr on a shim falsifies its thickness in the stack; a burr on a filter sheds debris downstream. Etched parts have neither
  • Flatness: no mechanical stress and no heat input, so thin shims stay flat and stack predictably
  • Part marking: part numbers and thickness codes can be surface-etched into the part itself — surface etching is partial-depth (half) etching, part of the etching process itself and done in-house
  • Dimensional tolerance: ±10% of material thickness (e.g. ±0.01 mm on 0.1 mm stock, ±0.10 mm on 1.0 mm stock); the raw stock’s own thickness tolerance is separate, at ±0.02 mm

Typical parts & applications

  • Precision shims and tolerance-compensation shims for gearboxes and rotating equipment
  • Spacer washers and thrust washers in non-standard sizes
  • Shim packs with mixed profiles on one sheet for maintenance kits
  • Etched filter discs and screens for hydraulic and fuel systems
  • Aperture discs and calibration orifices for analytical instruments
  • Perforated discs, strainer plates and guard screens
  • Valve plates and port plates for pneumatic and hydraulic manifolds

Why etching for this part

Any profile, no die. Shims exist because every assembly is slightly different — odd outlines, offset holes, tabbed washers. Stamping each variant needs its own die; etching needs a drawing. Maintenance and low-volume OEM shim sets are economical precisely because the tooling line is zero.

Burr-free means the thickness is the thickness. A stamped shim’s burr adds uncontrolled height at exactly the point the shim is meant to control. Etched shims measure the same at the edge as at the centre, so stack-up calculations hold.

Mixed thicknesses and parts on one order. Shim packs combine several thicknesses and profiles; filter discs combine aperture sizes. Etching panels can mix parts freely, so a full kit comes from one setup instead of several die changes.

Fine apertures for filters. Filter holes follow the thickness rule — choose thin stock and the apertures go fine, with thousands of identical holes defined photographically and no punch wear opening them up over a run.

When etching is not the best fit

Woven-wire mesh applications (where the woven structure itself is the filter medium), sintered filters, and thick machined spacer rings above 2.5 mm belong to other processes. Etching covers flat shims and perforated-metal filters in thin stock. Aluminium is also outside our range: we do not etch it.

FAQ

What thicknesses can I order shims in?

Any thickness within our 0.05–2.5 mm etching range. Gauges from 0.1 to 0.5 mm are stocked in standard steps (0.1, 0.12, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mm); thicknesses above 0.5 mm up to 2.5 mm are sourced to order. For shim packs, list each thickness and quantity per thickness on your enquiry.

How small can filter holes be?

At least roughly the material thickness (≈0.8–1.2×). A 0.1 mm stainless sheet supports apertures around 0.1 mm; a 0.5 mm sheet needs holes around 0.5 mm. Pick the thinnest sheet your pressure and handling requirements allow, and the aperture follows.

Can you etch identification marks into shims?

Yes — thickness codes and part numbers can be etched into each part as part of the artwork, surface-etched rather than cut through so the shim’s calibrated thickness is unaffected, which ends the classic problem of unmarked shims being mixed in a kit.

Are etched shims accurate enough for tolerance compensation?

The shim’s functional accuracy is its stock thickness plus a burr-free, flat profile — both inherent to etching. Dimensional tolerances on outline and holes: ±10% of material thickness as standard — ±0.02 mm on a 0.2 mm shim, ±0.03 mm on a 0.3 mm shim. State any critical dimension on the drawing and we will confirm it at quotation.

What do you need for a quotation?

A drawing or DXF (or even a dimensioned sketch for simple washers), material, thickness, and quantity per part. For filter discs, add the hole size, pitch pattern and open-area target if you have one.

CTA: Send your drawing to sales@xinketching.com — Xinketching, Dongguan · since 2005 · xinketching.com