What etchant does GE recommend for copper etching?

Cupric chloride (CuCl₂) is the standard — it can be regenerated in-line and gives a clean, square edge. Ferric chloride (FeCl₃) also works for one-shot etching but is rarely used for copper because the iron load becomes a waste-water problem. Our chemistry kit ships CuCl₂ + HCl + ammonium persulphate for occasional activator boost.

Can the same machine also etch PCB copper and pure copper sheet?

Yes. The standard GE PCB etching line is, at heart, a CuCl₂ etcher — it handles 0.5 oz to 2 oz copper clad laminate and pure rolled Cu sheet equally well. We typically configure line speed and chemistry concentration to the heaviest stock we expect to see.

What regeneration options do you provide?

Three: (1) in-line oxidiser (H₂O₂ + HCl) — turns spent Cu⁺ back to Cu²⁺; (2) electrolytic recovery — plates pure copper from the spent etchant onto a cathode; (3) ion-exchange polishers — final clean-up of the rinse water. Most EU/US installations now combine (1) and (3) to drop Cu in wastewater from ~50 ppm to <2 ppm.

What tolerance can a copper etching machine hold?

±0.02 mm land width on horizontal precision; ±0.01 mm positional on vertical precision. On 35 µm copper foil (typical PCB inner-layer), GE PCB lines hold ±10 µm line width. Be-Cu (beryllium copper) is etched with an added thiourea inhibitor for sharper sidewalls.

Does copper etching leave an oxide that needs cleaning?

Yes — cupric chloride leaves a thin Cu₂O/CuO film on the sidewalls. Most lines ship with an inline 5% H₂SO₄ micro-etch station right after the etch tank. For PCB inner-layers (multilayer bonding), this is critical: a low-roughness oxide-free surface is required for black-oxide or brown-oxide treatment downstream.

Home/Etching Machines/Copper & Alloys

Copper etching machine

Q: What tolerance can a copper etching machine hold?

±0.02 mm land width on horizontal precision; ±0.01 mm positional on vertical precision. On 35 µm copper foil (typical PCB inner-layer), GE PCB lines hold ±10 µm line width. Be-Cu (beryllium copper) is etched with an added thiourea inhibitor for sharper sidewalls.

Q: Does copper etching leave an oxide that needs cleaning?

Yes — cupric chloride leaves a thin Cu₂O/CuO film on the sidewalls. Most lines ship with an inline 5% H₂SO₄ micro-etch station right after the etch tank. For PCB inner-layers (multilayer bonding), this is critical: a low-roughness oxide-free surface is required for black-oxide or brown-oxide treatment downstream.

Photochemical etching for C110, C122, C194, C7025, brass & phosphor bronze. Cupric chloride (CuCl₂) etchant with built-in regeneration, optional electrolytic copper recovery — ±0.02 mm, burr-free, 0.02–1.5 mm thickness. PCB etching, semiconductor lead frames, EMI shields, EV current collectors.

Copper and copper-alloy etching is essentially the PCB etching line with a few extra tricks: in-line Cu²⁺ regeneration, a micro-etch station for the post-etch oxide, and an electrolytic copper recovery cell. GE's copper etching lines ship with all three, plus copper-clamp current-collection hardware that doubles as the bus for the recovery cell itself.

By alloy

Copper grades & their machines

Each copper alloy has a sweet-spot line.

🔹 C110 (ETP copper)

CuCl₂ etchant, regenerable. PCB etching, decor, bus-bars. PCB line

🔹 C122 (DHP / deoxidised)

H₂-reduced, high-temp. CuCl₂ + HCl. Heat-exchanger fin stock.

🔹 C194 (Cu-Fe-P)

Strength + conductivity. EMI shields & lead frames. EMI line

🔹 C7025 (Cu-Ni-Si)

High strength, age-hardenable. Power-IC lead frames. Lead-frame line

🔹 Brass (C260 / C268)

CuCl₂ + ammonia. Decor copper & nameplate. Nameplate machine

🔹 Phosphor bronze

CuCl₂ + ammonium persulphate activator. Spring contacts & connector shields.

Recommended configuration

Copper etching machines

PCB standard PCB photo etching line for copper-clad laminate

PCB Etching Line

Width650 mm × L
Stock0.5–3 oz CCL
EtchantCuCl₂ with oxidiser regen
Line speed2.5–4.0 m/min
Sidewall±10 µm on inner-layer

The same machine handles PCB inner-layers and pure copper sheet.

View full line →

Reel-to-reel Reel-to-reel etching machine for copper strip

Reel-to-Reel Copper Etching Line

Strip width25–650 mm
Strip thickness0.05–0.50 mm
Line speed3.0–4.0 m/min
EtchantCuCl₂ + electroytic Cu recovery
Inline modulesMatte-Sn / Sn-Pb / Ag spot

For EMI shields, lead frames, current-collector strip.

View specs →

By application

Copper parts on GE lines

PCB etching

Inner-layers & outer-layers, 0.5–3 oz. CuCl₂ at 50 °C. →

Lead frames

QFN / DFN / SOP, C194 & C7025. Half-etch downsets. →

EMI shields

Board-level shields & RFI strips, 0.05–0.30 mm. →

EV current collectors

0.10–0.30 mm Cu strip, half-etch bend. →

GE-JM & GE-AE Series — the lineup

Copper etching: pick the right machine

Three GE machines cover the bulk of copper work: PCB etching, sheet etching & reel-to-reel lead-frame etching.

GE-JM650-W GE-JM650-W PCB copper etching line

GE-JM650-W — PCB / Sheet Production

The reinforced wide-chamber line for CuCl₂ inner-layer etching and copper sheet processing.

Power	15 kW / 380 V / 50 Hz
Etching width	650 / 1000 / 1220 / 1550 mm (order)
Tolerance	±0.02 mm
Temperature	RT – 65 °C
Heater	3 kW titanium pipe
Machining thickness	0.05–2.0 mm
Etching motors	4 kW × 2 sets
Etching system	Double-spraying & oscillate nozzles
Tank volume	800 L
Chemical	CuCl₂ + HCl + ammonium persulphate (optional)
Cabinet	PP, high-temp resist to 100 °C
Dimension	3850 × 1650 × 1550 mm
Weight	850 kg

Process flow: Load → 2-chamber etch → recycle-water wash → city-water rinse → Unload. Inline micro-etch for oxide removal included.

GE-RTR650

GE-RTR650 — Reel-to-Reel Strip Line

Continuous Cu / Cu-alloy strip etching for lead frames & EMI shields. Inline plating-ready.

Strip width	25–650 mm
Strip thickness	0.05–0.50 mm
Line speed	1.5–4.0 m/min
Pad-width tolerance	±0.02 mm
Half-etch accuracy	±0.005 mm
Inline modules	Laminate, expose, develop, etch, strip, rinse, plate
Ag spot plating	Optional cyanide-free Ag module for wire-bond land
Cabinet / controls	PP / FRP, full HMI + PLC

GE-AE650 (Cu) GE-AE650 ammonia copper inner-layer etching line

GE-AE650 — Ammonia PCB Inner-Layer

Ammonia-based alkaline etching for PCB inner-layer copper at 35–55 °C.

Power	40 kW / 380 V / 50 Hz
Working width	650 mm
Working height	850 mm (+/-50 mm)
Min / Max board	120 × 80 mm / 650 × 650 mm
Workpiece thickness	0.2–3.2 mm
Conveyor speed	0.5–6 m/min
Temperature	35–55 °C
Cabinet	German PP, ≤100 °C

Built-in regeneration: CuCl₂ + NH₃ loop holds chemistry without daily make-up.

Copper — the oxide problem

CuCl₂ leaves a thin Cu₂O/CuO film on the sidewalls of any freshly-etched copper part. For decorative copper it's invisible; for PCB inner-layers it's a dealbreaker, because multilayer bonding needs a low-roughness oxide-free surface for the brown-oxide or black-oxide treatment that creates the mechanical bond to prepreg.

Every GE copper etching line ships with an inline 5% H₂SO₄ micro-etch station right after the etch tank. This removes the residual oxide and passivates the copper for the next process. Without this station, multilayer PCB yields crash — we've seen this at multiple customer sites. The micro-etch adds about 8% to the line cost; if you're bidding a copper line for PCB, insist on this module.

Related etching lines & guides

Six things to read next — same chemistry, similar tolerances, or the next step in your process.

Planning a copper etching line?

Tell us your alloy, stock thickness and annual volume. We'll spec the etch module, regeneration loop and inline plating.

Request a Quote FeCl₃ vs CuCl₂ →