If a part can be made from brass, brass is usually the cheapest way to make it. C3604 free-cutting brass machines faster than any other metal we run, produces short broken chips instead of tangles, and holds tolerance without fighting back. It is also electrically conductive, non-magnetic, and naturally resistant to corrosion.
That combination is why brass dominates our shop — threaded inserts, fittings, contacts, nuts and turned hardware of every description. On simple brass parts, our capacity exceeds a million pieces a month.
Grades We Run
Brass Machining Capabilities
| Grade | C3604 (free-cutting), H62, H59, copper |
|---|---|
| Machining tolerance | ±0.01 mm standard |
| Surface roughness | Ra 1.6 |
| Processes | CNC turning, turn-mill compound, automatic lathe (high volume), Swiss-type (slender parts) |
| Typical parts | Threaded inserts, fittings, connectors, contacts, nuts, spacers, terminals |
| Surface finishing | Nickel and zinc plating, polishing, passivation, electro-coating, PVD |
| Volume | 1,000,000+ pcs per month for simple turned parts |
Machining notes
Chips are not a problem. C3604 breaks into short chips that clear the tool easily, which is why it tolerates high feed rates and long unattended runs. It is the material that makes automatic lathes genuinely economical.
Watch the lead content if the part touches people. C3604 contains lead for machinability. For parts in contact with drinking water or skin, tell us — there are lead-free alternatives and we would rather raise it than have you discover it downstream.
Plating changes dimensions. If a diameter has to fit a bore after nickel or zinc plating, say which dimension is functional and we will machine to a pre-plate size that lands correctly once coated.