Method of chemical milling
AssigneeMelanesia International Trust Company Limited
InventorMilne Jurisich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of chemical milling which includes the following steps: (I) suspending an extrusion or casting formed from metal in an etching solution wherein initially the extrusion or casting is fully submerged in the etching solution by virtue of its weight and which thereafter is rendered buoyant by metal being removed from the extrusion or casting by the etching solution wherein the casting or extrusion is supported by a non-buoyant support which maintains the casting or extrusion in a fully submerged condition throughout its immersion in the etching solution; and (ii) withdrawing the extrusion or casting from the etching solution when required.
Claims22
A method of chemical milling which includes the following steps:
- (a) suspending an extrusion or casting having an external surface area substantially in excess of an internal surface area wherein the extrusion or casting is formed from metal having a peripheral wall defining an elongate open ended hollow body which has an array of fins extending outwardly from the peripheral wall in an etching solution wherein initially the extrusion or casting is fully submerged in the etching solution by virtue of its weight and which thereafter is rendered buoyant by metal being removed from the extrusion or casting by the etching solution wherein the casting or extrusion is supported by a non-buoyant support which maintains the casting or extrusion in a fully submerged condition throughout the immersion in the etching solution with said hollow body and said fins oriented in a substantially vertical orientation;
- and
- (b) withdrawing the extrusion or casting from the etching solution when required.
A method of chemically milling a metal member comprising the steps of:
- (a) fastening the member to a non-buoyant support such that the member is releasably coupled to the non-buoyant support in at least two opposed locations on the member, the member being formed with a peripheral wall defining a plurality of open-ended fluid channels separated by one or more webs or partitions, an array of fins extending outwardly from the peripheral wall;
- (b) suspending the member and the non-buoyant support in an etching solution, the non-buoyant support fully submerging the member during etching and preventing the member from raising to the surface of the etching solution;
- and
- (c) removing the member from the etching solution once etching is completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.