Chemical Etching Formula
SUS430 with FeCl₃

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 for SUS430?

Ferric-chloride-based formulas are the industrial workhorse for ferrous, nickel, and copper-bearing alloys like SUS430. The Fe³⁺ ion oxidizes the metal surface; where HCl is present it regenerates dissolved species and stabilizes chloride concentration. The result on SUS430 is anisotropic etching with predictable undercut and an easily regenerated spent bath.

Process Window & Bath Control

Hold the bath at 48°C with concentration 40 °Bé (specific gravity 1.380). Across the 0.01-0.5 mm thickness range, conveyor speed runs from 0.12-78.25 m/min — thinner sheets move faster, thicker sheets slower, in roughly inverse proportion to thickness. A typical mid-range setpoint is 1.15 m/min for 0.10 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 SUS430 at through etch (double-sided), plan for a minimum hole diameter in the 8-600 μm range and a minimum line width in the 100-500 μm range, depending on the chosen sheet thickness within 0.01-0.5 mm. The etch factor of ~2.85 and undercut range of 1-88 μm determine how much the mask must be biased to land the finished dimension on target.

Yield & Production Economics

This formula delivers a typical yield of 97.5% (range 96.4-97.8%). At that rate, per-part economics are driven mostly by fixed photomask and setup cost for small batches and by sheet utilisation for large runs. The chemistry itself does not change with quantity, so the same recipe serves prototype and production volumes.

Typical Applications

Parts produced with the FeCl₃ formula on SUS430 are common in precision shims, encoder discs, RF/EMI shields, surgical and dental components, fuel-cell bipolar plates, and fine filter meshes. 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 SUS430 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 Stainless Steel 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 SUS430 + FeCl₃ formula end up in a wide range of finished products. Representative production runs we have completed using this exact recipe family include stainless steel metal filter mesh, stainless steel shower-head filter mesh, and cold-press juicer filtration mesh. Each case shares the same root sensitivity: clean photoresist edges, a tightly held bath SG of 1.380, and a conveyor speed inside the 0.12-78.25 m/min envelope.

If your part falls into one of these classes — or a closely adjacent one — this formula is usually the right starting point. We confirm fit with a short sample run on the actual sheet stock before locking in mask artwork.

Other Metals Etched with FeCl₃

The FeCl₃ chemistry is also documented for these alloys.

More Stainless Steel Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions