Chemical Etching Formula
Al6005 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 Al6005?

On Al6005, 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 Al6005 etch line runs a variant of this formula.

Process Window & Bath Control

Hold the bath at 42°C with concentration 34 °Bé (specific gravity 1.290). Across the 0.1-0.5 mm thickness range, conveyor speed runs from 0.12-1.08 m/min — thinner sheets move faster, thicker sheets slower, in roughly inverse proportion to thickness. A typical mid-range setpoint is 0.32 m/min for 0.25 mm stock. Use redundant PID temperature control to hold the bath within ±1.5°C, and titrate at least once per shift.

Design Rules & Tolerances

When laying out artwork for Al6005 at through etch (double-sided), plan for a minimum hole diameter in the 120-600 μm range and a minimum line width in the 100-500 μm range, depending on the chosen sheet thickness within 0.1-0.5 mm. The etch factor of ~2.51 and undercut range of 20-100 μm determine how much the mask must be biased to land the finished dimension on target.

Yield & Production Economics

Expect a yield in the 96.5-97.5% range for Al6005 with FeCl₃+HCl, with 97.2% 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

Parts produced with the FeCl₃+HCl formula on Al6005 are common in lightweight RF shields, heat-spreader masks, nameplates, decorative trim, and lightweight structural lattices. The burr-free, stress-free nature of chemical etching makes it the preferred process wherever flatness and edge quality matter more than raw throughput.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

This Al6005 formula is part of the standard process library running on our wet chemical etching 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 Al6005 + 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 metal filter mesh, and juicer filtration mesh etching. Each case shares the same root sensitivity: clean photoresist edges, a tightly held bath SG of 1.290, and a conveyor speed inside the 0.12-1.08 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