Photochemical etching of filters for effective light and sound management
Karl Martinson, Director of Business Development for North America, MICROMETAL ETCHING GROUP
This article looks at how the characteristics of micrometal’s photo-chemical etching (PCE) process allow for the manufacture of very thin metal filters with hole geometries that can be varied within a single pattern. Such filters can be produced for a variety of light and sound management applications.
Light management
Light transmission and attenuation, especially angle-dependent, can be difficult to manage depending on the size limitations and space constraints available. Our PCE process can be used to produce very thin metal panels that transmit, attenuate, block and even focus or re-direct light depending upon incoming angle, all with no moving parts or power requirements. Light transmission of up to 90 percent and near-complete attenuation can be achieved in the same panel, and creative design options can enable unique manipulation of light.
Thin filters with holes of varying angles, shapes and patterns crafted through PCE offer solutions for advanced light management. The ability to design holes with multiple geometries and angles within a single pattern or array on a panel enables the manipulation of light in complex and highly specific ways. For example, varying hole angles can influence the directionality of light, allowing for beams to be blocked, refracted or reflected in targeted directions. Also, different hole shapes and patterns can control the intensity, diffusion and spread of the transmitted light. A great example is lamination of these types of panels on top of or within window glass, where sunlight can be blocked at peak times of day and allowed to pass at others, minimising heating and cooling costs.
These filters can also be used in optical systems, displays or advanced lighting setups to provide tailored illumination profiles, precise beam shaping and controlled light dispersion. The ability to have diverse hole shapes and angles within one pattern can also be critical in applications such as spectrometry, where light must be separated into its constituent wavelengths in specific patterns…