Copper cuts fast, moves after cutting, and burrs if the tool rubs. We machine C101, C110, C36000 and beryllium copper on 5-axis centers and mill-turn lathes, holding ±0.005 mm with finishes down to Ra 0.2–0.8 μm.
Copper is soft and conductive. That combination causes specific failures on the shop floor.
Pure copper and C110 relieve stress after the cut. A bore that gauges 10.00 mm at the machine can close or open overnight. Without a stress relief step before the finish cut, the mating pin no longer fits and the lot goes back through rework.
The material grabs the tool edge instead of shearing cleanly. Thin walls, slot edges and cross-drilled holes come back with rolled burrs that hand deburring cannot reach without changing the geometry.
Thermal parts live or die on flatness. A base that bows 0.05 mm across a 100 mm face leaves an air gap, and the component runs hot. This is a fixturing problem as much as a cutting problem.
Copper oxidizes within hours of machining. If parts sit in the open before nickel or silver plating, the oxide layer traps contamination and adhesion fails in the field. Wrapping and a defined window between machining and finishing solve it.
One process plan per alloy, not one plan for all copper.
Copper work hardens slowly but moves easily. We take a roughing pass, leave 0.3–0.5 mm on the walls, then let the part sit before the finishing cut. For C110 and pure copper we insert a low-temperature stress relief between the two operations so the dimensions settle at the bench, not after shipping.
Beryllium copper behaves differently. It is stronger and holds form better, but the dust needs control. We machine it wet, contain the chips, and keep the tool path away from sharp internal corners where heat builds.
A dull edge rubs copper instead of cutting it. That is where the burr and the work hardening start. We keep polished carbide and PCD tools for long runs, replace them on a count rather than on feel, and run flood coolant to flush chips away from the cut zone.
Chip evacuation matters as much as the tool. Copper chips are stringy and pack into pockets. Programmed peck cycles and through-spindle coolant on the mill-turn centers keep the pocket clean, so the tool is not recutting the same chip twice.
Conductivity, machinability and cost trade off against each other.
| Alloy | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| C101 / C110 | Busbars, heat sinks, RF cavities | Gummy chips, post-cut movement |
| C36000 brass | Fittings, connectors, turned parts | Lower conductivity than pure copper |
| C27400 / C28000 | Valve bodies, threaded hardware | Zinc smear on fine threads |
| Beryllium copper | Spring contacts, current-carrying clips | Dust control, higher tool wear |
Milling, turning and finishing under one roof in Dongguan.
Simultaneous 5-axis work for heat sinks, RF housings and complex electrodes. One setup reaches five faces, which matters when you need bore-to-bore alignment.
Mill-turn centers handle bushings, pins, terminals and threaded connectors from bar stock. Live tooling cuts cross holes without a second op.
Cost-effective routing for plates, busbars and flat gaskets. Good for prototypes and for parts that only need two or three faces machined.
One-off copper prototypes in days so you can test conductivity and fit before committing to a production run.
Nickel, silver and gold plating on copper. Bead blasting and polishing for cosmetic faces. Laser marking down to 1.5 mm character height.
From a single prototype to 10,000+ part runs with the same process plan, so the tenth thousand matches the first article.
What the machines can actually take.
| Capability | Specification |
|---|---|
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm processing envelope |
| Large travel | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Medium travel | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm; 600 × 600 × 600 mm |
| Compact travel | 500 × 500 × 450 mm; 500 × 310 × 200 mm |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm |
| Achievable tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm on request |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment, reports on request |
Fifteen years of copper, brass and beryllium copper work across three wholly-owned plants and 150 technicians.
Tight bores and flat faces on heat sinks and RF parts, checked on the machine and again at final inspection.
Drawings reviewed and a free DFM note back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval.
No MOQ. One prototype or 10,000 parts run on the same process plan.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every lot.
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 27001:2022.
Busbars and RF housings need flat, oxide-free faces for good contact.
Battery and inverter copper needs consistent wall thickness for current capacity.
Wear parts and bushings must hold bore size across the full run.
We machine C101, C103 and C110 pure copper, beryllium copper, and the brass grades C27400, C28000 and C36000. Tell us the temper if you know it. Half-hard and hard tempers cut differently from annealed stock, and the temper changes how much the part moves after machining.
Pure copper and C110 carry residual stress from the mill. Removing material releases it, and the part moves over hours. We rough with 0.3–0.5 mm of stock left, apply stress relief where the geometry calls for it, then take the finish cut. This costs one extra step and saves the lot.
Yes, on features that can be reached in one or two setups. Beryllium copper is stiffer than pure copper, so it holds form better, but it wears tools faster. We account for that in the tool change count and in the inspection plan. Send the drawing and we will confirm which features are realistic.
Sharp tooling, flood coolant and a light finish pass. Dull edges rub the material and roll it over instead of shearing. For walls under 1 mm we also adjust the entry path so the cutter does not exit through the thin section.
We coordinate electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating, plus bead blasting, tumbling, brushing and polishing. Copper oxidizes fast, so we wrap finished parts and keep the gap between machining and plating short.
None. We run single prototypes and 10,000+ part production orders on the same process plan. That means the first article and the last part come off the same setup logic.
Quotation and a free DFM analysis come back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval, and parts typically ship in 3–5 days. Our historical late-delivery rate is below 2%.
Yes. Uploads are secure and confidential, and we sign an NDA on request before any file changes hands. Many copper parts are custom geometry, so we treat drawings as customer property from the first email.
Upload CAD files and we return a quotation plus a free DFM analysis. One prototype or 10,000 parts, same process plan.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQ
Trusted by engineers and manufacturers worldwide
Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
CNC Metals 13 grades
CNC Plastics 10 grades
Machines & processes 12 options
Surface & post-processing 10 options
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