Brass and Copper CNC Machining
C36000 free-cutting brass, C26000 cartridge brass, C46400 naval brass, plus C11000 and C14500 copper for thermal and electrical parts. High-speed machining, clean threads, bright finishes.
Grades We Machine
| Grade | Type | Tensile (by temper) | Machinability | Wins on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C36000 | Free-cutting brass | 340 to 470 MPa | 100% reference | Complex machined parts, threads |
| C26000 | Cartridge brass | 315 to 540 MPa | 30% | Ductility, forming, decorative |
| C46400 | Naval brass | approx. 400 to 580 MPa | approx. 90% (C485 leaded) | Marine fittings, dezincification service |
| C11000 | Electrolytic copper | approx. 220 MPa | Gummy, sharp tools | Thermal and electrical conductivity |
| C14500 | Tellurium copper | approx. 230 MPa | Good | Machined electrical parts near-pure conductivity |
Full comparison: Brass and Copper Grade Comparison.
Brass and copper typical parts Grade comparison
Where Brass and Copper Show Up in Our Orders
- Connector shells, grounding blocks and RF housings in C36000 and C14500
- Valve bodies and fittings in C36000 and C46400
- Nozzle inserts and optical adjusters in C36000
- Heat sink and thermal spreader plates in C11000
Copper Alloy Cross-Reference and Density
Our domestic common copper alloy list, from the KGL engineering standard (2022-01-08), p.9 and the 2026-09 founder-reviewed grade list, cross-checked against GB/T 5231 and the Mechanical Design Handbook 6th ed. Vol. 1: the coppers, brasses and bronzes we machine or source to order, with GB, JIS, ASTM and DIN equivalents. Densities in g/cm3.
| Our designation | GB | JIS | ASTM/UNS | DIN/EN | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C11000 (T2) | T2 | C1100 | C11000 | E-Cu58 | 8.9 |
| C10100 (TU1) | TU1 | C1011 | C10100 | OF-Cu | 8.9 |
| C10200 (TU2) | TU2 | C1020 | C10200 | OF-Cu | 8.9 |
| C12000 (TP1) | TP1 | C1201 | C12000 | SW-Cu | 8.9 |
| C12200 (TP2) | TP2 | C1220 | C12200 | SF-Cu | 8.9 |
| Brass H59 / H62 | H59 / H62 | C2800 | C28000 | CuZn40 | 8.5 |
| C36000 free-cutting | HPb59-1 / HPb62-3 | C3604 / C3602 | C36000 | CuZn39Pb2 | 8.5 |
| C37700 forging brass | HPb59-1 | C3771 | C37700 | CuZn40Pb2 | 8.5 |
| C37100 leaded brass | HPb61-1 | C3710 | C37100 | CuZn39Pb0.5 | 8.5 |
| C46400 naval brass | HSn62-1 | C4620 | C46400 | CuZn38Sn1 | 8.5 |
| C51400 phosphor bronze | - | - | C51400 | - | 8.9 |
| C52100 phosphor bronze | QSn7-0.2 | C5210 | C52100 | CuSn8 | 8.8 |
| C93200 bearing bronze (SAE 660) | - | - | C93200 | - | 8.9 |
| C61400 aluminium bronze | QAl9-4 | C6161 | C61400 | CuAl8Fe3 | 7.8 |
| C95400 aluminium bronze | - | - | C95400 | - | 8.2 |
| C63000 nickel-Al bronze | QAl10-4-4 | C6300 | C63000 | CuAl10Ni5Fe4 | 7.8 |
| C17200 beryllium copper | QBe2 | C1720 | C17200 | CuBe2 | 8.8 |
| C18200 chromium copper | QCr0.5 | C1620 | C18200 | CuCr1 | 8.9 |
| C65500 silicon bronze | QSi3-1 | C6550 | C65500 | CuSi3Mn1 | 8.5 |
| C14500 tellurium copper | QTe0.5 | - | C14500 | - | 8.9 |
| CuW75 tungsten copper | - | - | - | - | 14.5 |
| C86200 cast brass | ZCuZn26Al4Fe3Mn3 | - | C86200 | - | 8.8 |
Machining Notes
- C36000 takes aggressive speeds and feeds; chip control is easy, burr control is the craft on small features
- Pure C11000 needs sharp positive-rake tooling and lubrication to avoid tearing
- Bright as-machined finish or clear coat; lacquer on request for decorative parts
Finish detail pages: electroplating (nickel, tin on contact faces), polishing, laser engraving for permanent marks.
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Brass and Copper FAQ
Is leaded brass C36000 RoHS compliant?
Machined brass benefits from current RoHS lead exemptions for copper alloys; compliance depends on your product category and destination market. Tell us the market and we confirm the applicable exemption in writing with the quote.
C36000 or C26000 for my connector?
C36000 if the part is machined and complex (100% machinability reference); C26000 if you need later forming, deeper drawing or higher ductility after machining.
Do you machine pure copper too?
Yes: C11000 for thermal and electrical parts, and C14500 tellurium copper when machinability matters; tellurium cuts far cleaner than pure copper at nearly the same conductivity.