Chemical Etching Formula
Al1060 with FeCl₃+HCl

Formula Summary

The table below summarizes every parameter that defines this etching formula. Values listed as ranges scale with sheet thickness across the supported band.

Why FeCl₃+HCl for Al1060?

On Al1060, the ferric chloride system attacks the alloy's oxide layer continuously while ferric ions drive dissolution. It is regenerable, compatible with standard photolithography, and produces clean burr-free edges — which is why nearly every Al1060 etch line runs a variant of this formula.

Process Window & Bath Control

Bath control for Al1060 in FeCl₃+HCl: temperature 36°C, concentration 28 °Bé, specific gravity 1.220. The recipe is tuned for through etch (double-sided). Conveyor speed is the primary throughput control, ranging 16.37-59.06 m/min across the supported thickness range. Check specific gravity each shift with a calibrated hydrometer and correct with fresh make-up or water as needed.

Design Rules & Tolerances

Feature sizes scale with sheet thickness. For this formula the minimum hole diameter ranges 46252 μm and the minimum line width ranges 100 μm across the 0.01-0.02 mm band, following the industry 1.2× (hole) and 1.0× (line) thickness rules. Single-side undercut ranges 46025 μm, and the etch factor is about 2.62. Size your photomask by subtracting twice the expected undercut from each finished feature dimension.

Yield & Production Economics

Expect a yield in the 98.8% range for Al1060 with FeCl₃+HCl, with 98.8% typical on a well-controlled line. Most rejects trace back to upstream coating and exposure rather than to the etch bath itself, so tightening photolithography control is usually the fastest path to a higher number.

Typical Applications

Typical applications for Al1060 processed with FeCl₃+HCl include lightweight RF shields, heat-spreader masks, nameplates, decorative trim, and lightweight structural lattices. The formula's tolerance band and yield make it well suited to medium-to-high-volume precision flat parts.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

This Al1060 formula is part of the standard process library running on our plasma surface treatment machine. The same chemistry can be ported to any horizontal spray-etching line of comparable nozzle layout and bath-titration discipline.

For a broader treatment of the material itself — alloy variants, surface preparation, and process limits across thickness ranges — see our Aluminum chemical etching guide. That overview complements the formula-specific bath and conveyor data on this page.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Parts produced with this Al1060 + FeCl₃+HCl formula end up in a wide range of finished products. Representative production runs we have completed using this exact recipe family include high-speed air-intake mesh for hair dryers, stainless steel shower-head filter mesh, and stainless steel mesh for aroma diffusers. Each case shares the same root sensitivity: clean photoresist edges, a tightly held bath SG of 1.220, and a conveyor speed inside the 16.37-59.06 m/min envelope.

Adjacent applications usually transfer onto this same formula with no chemistry change, sometimes only a conveyor speed tweak. Drop a drawing and a target volume and we will return a process card built off the parameters on this page.

Other Metals Etched with FeCl₃+HCl

The FeCl₃+HCl chemistry is also documented for these alloys.

More Aluminum Alloys Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions