A Novel Process for Etching Modulated Profiles

A novel process for spot repair of damaged anodized aluminum panels is described. The process is based on etching the aluminum oxide layer using special fixtures that provide controlled, gradual transitions of the etched profile, enabling the fabrication of "borderline"-free repaired regions. The process does not require the application of etching masks. The profile of the etched region is solely controlled by the geometry of the specially developed etching fixture. Excellent agreement has been noted between experimental results and transport controlled models that predict the etching profile.