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Macro-etching

Macro etching of a material is used to delineate the larger coarser features of a material. An example of macro etching is examination of a weld for number of passes, weld soundness and the size of the heat affected zone. Specific components are macroetched to reveal the forming process, such as forging lines, or cast features. Hard spots within a material, or welds on a component are resolved by macroetching.