Things to Know About CNC Brass Machining

 

 

 

CNC machining is the main process for producing brass parts in many industries. brass has good ductility, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, and various CNC machined brass parts are widely used in various industries such as automobiles, aerospace, and medical treatment. brass is one of the materials that are easy to CNC process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

brass 101

 

brass 101 is pure brass, containing 99.9% brass, and is commonly used to make bronze and brass.

 

 

Bronze

 

Bronze is an alloy of tin, brass, and phosphorus that has good hardness and strength and is used in the manufacture of bearings and gears.

 

 

Brass

 

Brass is an alloy of zinc and brass with good machinability and hardness. It is suitable for CNC machining low-friction and complex parts, such as valves, gears, bearings and locks, and can also be used to make some outdoor CNC parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advantages and disadvantages of brass CNC machining parts

 

 

Advantage

 

 

It has good machinability, ductility and impact strength, and has good formability in hot and cold processing. Additionally, brass CNC machined parts are compatible with a variety of cost-effective surface finishing techniques.

 

 

 

Shortcoming

 

 

When spot welding brass materials, processes such as plated metal arc welding cannot be used. In addition, different grades of brass have different corrosion resistance. Therefore, some CNC machined brass parts are prone to corrosion in environments containing active substances.

 

 

 

 

 

Precautions for brass CNC machining parts

 

 

Choosing the Right brass Material

 

 

brass is a very expensive material and should be selected based on application characteristics and cost-effectiveness.

 

 

 

Set feed rate

 

 

Feed rate is the speed at which the cutting tool engages the workpiece. Therefore, before CNC machining brass parts, it is necessary to set the correct feed rate, because it will affect the quality, service life and surface finish of brass parts. In addition, brass conducts heat efficiently, and high feed rates can increase tool wear over time.

 

 

 

Design for manufacturability

 

 

Before brass can be CNC machined, design requirements and specifications must be sorted out, which contribute to the functionality of the brass component. These include reducing the number of CNC part setups, dimensional checking and preventing deep cavities with small radii.

 

 

 

 

Choose the right tool material

 

 

Many bronze plates are machined to be softer than aluminum and steel of equal strength. This causes blade forming and tool wear. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right tool material. High-speed steel is a tool material suitable for CNC machining of brass.

 

 

 

 

Surface treatment options

 

 

Typically, brass is used to conduct heat and electricity. Therefore, the surface finish used for other CNC machined metal parts is not suitable for many surface finishes, because it will inhibit these characteristics. Surface treatment for brass:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polishing

 

 

brass can be electropolished to obtain a very smooth and shiny surface. This process typically removes small layers of material between 0.0001 inches (0.00254 mm) and 0.0025 inches (0.0635 mm) from the surface. Electropolishing can further improve corrosion resistance without compromising electrical conductivity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plating

 

 

The metal plating of brass generally helps prevent oxidation of its outer surface while maintaining electrical and thermal conductivity. Especially precious metal plating such as silver or gold plating can provide low contact resistance to maintain excellent conductivity and solderability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above is about the advantages and disadvantages of CNC brass machining parts, processing precautions, surface treatment. Hope it helps you.