Cutting-out Technologies

Both photo-etching and laser cutting were employed since the beginning, for the cutting out of copper, plywood and steel plates, according to the physical requirement for stiff and resistant active plates.

The initial artifact of any anasculpture consists in a line drawing: the active plate cutting pattern (contours and lacuna).

Photo-etching is performed transposing the drawing to a light-sensible layer laid on the copper plate, the plate exposed to light and finally immersed in acid. The etching takes place simultaneously in correspondence of the drawing in its entirety until it goes through the plate and the active plate results.

Laser-cutting is made on heavy machines that “read” the pattern in a linear way, following digital instructions provided by a proper program.

Plate thickness depends upon materials; in anasculpture 2.0/2.5 mm is employed on stainless steel, 6/8 mm on plywood.