The Watt Laser SE12 PRO and NEVIS support the next chapter for Metal Etch Services as more than two decades of stencil manufacturing expertise expands into a new facility in Motor City, Michigan.
Founded in 2005, Metal Etch Services has grown from a modest 1,500 sq. ft. facility specialising in chemically etched stencils into an established stencil manufacturer serving customers across the United States. Laser cutting capabilities were introduced shortly after the company’s inception, complementing its chemical etching expertise. In 2015, Elias Malfavon Jr. stepped into the role of President at Metal Etch, continuing the legacy established by his father, Elias Sr., and helping drive the business into its next stage of growth.
For many years, Metal Etch was predominantly known as a trusted stencil partner throughout Southern California, and the business may well have continued to grow in that market. However, changes in the US stencil supply market began opening up opportunities further afield, with an increasing number of new enquiries coming in from unfamiliar area codes. Recognising the broader appetite for high-quality stencil manufacturing and reliable customer support, Metal Etch began exploring expansion in 2025.
With plans taking shape for a new facility in Motor City, Michigan, Elias Jr. had an opportunity to look beyond replicating their existing facility and explore how the latest technology could support the next stage of the business. As Elias Jr. explained:
“Our procurement process has always involved taking a fresh look at all available options from reputable suppliers. In the case of tooling for our expansion site, there were a few unique needs we had on our shopping list.”
One of those requirements was multi-level stencil production; a capability that has long been an important part of the Metal Etch service.
“Realising that the chemical etch process, in addition to being less than eco-friendly, had run its course in terms of acceptable precision for use on modern circuit assemblies, we were seeking a better option. We found this in the SE12 PRO platform, and more!”
Having already invested in the SE12 PRO at its San Marcos headquarters in 2024, Metal Etch knew what the system could offer.
“At HQ, we had ‘other ways’ of performing the functions the SE12 PRO offers. We had multi-level stencil, stencil labelling and stencil inspection tools prior to procuring the SE12 PRO. This would not be the case in a new facility, so a tool that wrapped all three of these processes into one space-friendly footprint was huge for us. So as much as we loved it upon purchase in 2024 for our San Marcos headquarters, it has proved even more vital in our Motor City facility.”
This meant when the attention turned to finding the right laser cutting system Watt Laser and NEVIS were already on their radar.
“NEVIS then stood out immediately to us for its cutting speed and its clean, intuitive user interface. But another massive factor for us was modern connectivity, specifically the ability to integrate the machine directly with our internal MES (Manufacturing Execution System). Having that level of software integration out of the box meant we could plug it straight into our production workflow without friction.”
It didn’t take long for the investment to start paying off. Elias Jr. recalled the on-site commissioning by our team as “remarkably fast”, enabling them to be cutting live customer production stencils the very next day.
Operating in tandem, the SE12 PRO and NEVIS combination provide Metal Etch with a flexible, high-throughput manufacturing setup. NEVIS is dedicated to stencil laser cutting, while the SE12 PRO serves as its companion for laser welding, marking and inspection. Separating these processes means they can run in parallel, without interruption to cutting schedules.
And it’s not just the production team seeing the benefits. Metal Etch’s customers are noticing a different too.
“The impact at our Motor City facility has been fantastic,” Elias Jr. added. “We are getting really strong feedback from customers across the region on aperture wall quality, and most importantly, our customers are seeing that precision translates directly into superior SPI (Solder Paste Inspection) results on their SMT lines.”
While the technology itself was central to Metal Etch’s investment, the relationship between our team at Watt Laser and Metal Etch has been just as important.
“Spending time in Scotland with the Watt team went a long way to deciding this was a partner that we wanted to push forward with. Fraser Shaw was a familiar name and face to me, which provided confidence in the know-how of the company, but the fresh and forward-thinking atmosphere at Watt was also a huge draw.”
“One of the things I have appreciated most about working with Watt is that I never feel ‘stuck’ with any feature or function. Watt’s willingness to customise and adapt to what is important to me is unique and refreshing. My team and I can provide feedback and suggest features, then see them realised in an update within a short period of time.”
This is, of course, an important part of the partnership for both sides. For us at Watt Laser, there is immense value in working so closely with customers like Metal Etch. We don’t want to develop technology in isolation. The people manufacturing stencils every day understand where the challenges are, where existing processes have reached their limits and where seemingly small improvements can make a meaningful difference. Having Metal Etch working across both the SE12 PRO and NEVIS platforms gives us real-world insight and feedback across multiple stages of the SMT stencil manufacturing process. This experience helps us understand not only how our systems perform, but how they fit into the wider manufacturing environment and where they can continue to improve.
Metal Etch’s Michigan expansion marks a very exciting new chapter, taking more than two decades of industry experience and capability into a new generation of stencil manufacturing. We’re extremely excited and proud that Watt Laser technology and our team are part of this new chapter and supporting their next venture alongside them.
Contact: Kristen Rivett