Copper CNC Machining: A Guide to Important Things to Know

Copper is a material widely used in manufacturing certain industrial and commercial parts. Machining of copper alloy parts is also widely used.

This is not surprising considering copper’s excellent mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and properties like thermal and electrical conductivity. As part designs and copper geometries become more complex, traditional manufacturing methods cannot meet all requirements. CNC machining plays a major role here.

Copper CNC machining is widely used in various industries to manufacture copper parts with precision levels, if provided. Therefore, copper CNC machining is in high demand and preferred by most OEMs and machining service providers.

This post discusses some of the popular copper grades used for CNC machining and answers all your questions about copper CNC machining. So, stay tuned.

1.Commonly Used Copper Grades for CNC Machining

Here are some common grades of copper used for CNC machining:

1)Brasses

This alloy comprises zinc and copper, thus widely used in various applications. Brasses are well-known for easy workability, excellent hardness, ductility, strength, conductivity, and more. This copper alloy is mainly machined to produce intricate and low-friction parts.

2)Bronze

This is an alloy of tin and copper. Phosphorus is added for deoxidization. This copper alloy is used to produce gears and bearings.

3)Copper 101

This alloy is the purest grade of copper, featuring 99.9% Cu. It can be used as the base for both brass and bronze alloys.

4)Copper 110

This grade features 99.9% Cu and is easier to machine than copper 101. Copper 110 is the best choice for many electrical applications.

5)Nickel-Silvers

This is an alloy of nickel, zinc, and copper. They are much similar to the brasses. However, they are more corrosion resistant than brasses.

6)Copper-Nickel Alloy

This copper grade is best for marine environments. They are known for their features, including excellent ductility and corrosion resistance.

2.Advantages of copper CNC machining

Most OEMs prefer CNC machining over conventional manufacturing processes owing to its precision, repeatability, and high productivity. This advanced manufacturing technique allows manufacturers to make the best use of material properties, increase speed, precision, and efficiency, and reduce wastage. Here are some important benefits of copper combined with CNC machining that have largely contributed to the demand for CNC machined parts. So, let’s have a look at them.

1)Copper is easy to fabricate using a CNC machine

This helps achieve complex shapes and designs with reduced effort, time and increased accuracy.As copper is soft, it is heat-treated to get desired hardness for making durable and quality parts.

The demand for CNC machined copper parts has increased over the years. Wondered why? It is owing to its capacity to resist the applied load. This property of copper makes it an ideal choice for building complex parts in industries like automotive, aerospace, and so on.

2)Copper is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity

It is non-magnetic and non-sparking, making it the preferred choice for electrical components and telecommunication parts.

3)Copper and its alloys offer good resistance to corrosion

Thus making them a good choice for oil and gas equipment parts, marine equipment, undersea telecom parts, and so on.

4)Good formability

CNC machined copper parts have good formability in both cold and hot processes. Also, these parts are compatible with many cost-effective surface finishes.

3.Applications of CNC Copper Machining

CNC copper machining has gained immense traction across sectors such as construction, electrical, consumer goods, transport, and so on. This is due to its undeniable benefits. These are some popular applications of the CNC technique using copper.

1.Gaskets

2.Clamps

3.Ball floats

4.Radiators

5.Vacuum devices

6.Heat exchangers

7.Bearings and gears

8.Gas welding nozzles

9.Sprinkler heads

10Pipes, tubings, and roofing

11.Linear accelerators

12.Electrical switches and connectors

Copper and copper alloys are known for easy machinability and other beneficial features. However, the success of your CNC machining project will largely rely on the experience and expertise of the CNC machining and fabrication service provider.