COST ANALYSIS
After factoring in the advantages of cost savings in etching bath life and time savings in the overall process, magnesium proves to be the most cost effective metal for making high-quality dies:
1. Etch 5 times as many Magnesium plates as Zinc plates per bath.
2. Save 67% on amount of additive and 40% on amount of nitric acid used per plate etched.
3. No need to dump bath every day—Magnesium baths hold over till spent.
4. Etch Magnesium plates 3 times faster than Zinc to required depth.
5. Virtually eliminate routing of pimples with cleaner etching.
6. Magnesium Magnesium is lighter, easier to handle and less expensive to ship finished dies.
7. Magnesium is more environmentally friendly than zinc (zinc is a “heavy metal”).
8. Magnesium offers a wider variety of sizes and gauges than zinc.
