CNC Machining is the main process for producing copper parts in many industries. Copper has good ductility, conductivity, and thermal conductivity, and is widely used in various machined copper parts in industries such as automobiles, aerospace, and healthcare. And copper is also one of the materials that is easy to machine.

Copper 101

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

bronze

Bronze is an alloy of tin, copper, and phosphorus, with good hardness and strength, and can be used to produce bearings and gears.

brass

Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper, with good machinability and hardness. Suitable for processing low friction and complex components, such as valves, gears, bearings, and locks, and can also be used to make some outdoor components.

Advantages and disadvantages of CNC machining of copper parts

advantage

It has good machinability, ductility, and impact strength, and good formability in hot and cold processing. In addition, copper parts processed by CNC are compatible with various cost-effective surface treatment technologies.

shortcoming

When spot welding copper materials, coating metal arc welding and other processes cannot be used. In addition, different grades of copper have different corrosion resistance. Therefore, some CNC machined copper components are prone to corrosion in environments containing active substances.

Precautions for CNC machining of copper

Choose the correct copper

Copper is one of the very expensive materials, and the selection should consider the application characteristics and cost-effectiveness.

Set feed rate

The feed rate is the speed at which the cutting tool engages with the workpiece. Therefore, before processing copper parts, it is necessary to set the correct feed rate, as it will affect the quality, service life, and surface smoothness of the copper parts. In addition, copper has efficient heat conduction, and high feed rates will increase tool wear over time.

Design for Manufacturability

Before processing copper, it is necessary to organize the design requirements and specifications, which helps to achieve the functionality of copper components. This includes reducing the number of part settings, checking dimensions, and preventing deep cavities with smaller radii.

Choose the correct tool materials

Many bronze plates are processed softer than aluminum and steel of equal strength. This may lead to blade formation and tool wear. Therefore, selecting the appropriate tool material is very important. High speed steel is a tool material suitable for CNC machining of copper.

Post processing options

Generally speaking, copper is used for thermal conductivity and conductivity. Therefore, the surface finish used for other processed metals, as it suppresses these characteristics, is not suitable for many surface finishes. The surface treatment applicable to copper is as follows.

Electrolytic polishing

Copper can be electropolished to achieve a very smooth and shiny surface. This process typically removes small material layers between 0.0001 inches (0.00254 millimeters) and 0.0025 inches (0.0635 millimeters) from the surface. Electrolytic polishing can further improve corrosion resistance, but it will not affect conductivity.

electroplate

The metal electroplating of copper, while maintaining electrical and thermal conductivity, often helps to prevent oxidation of its outer surface. Especially, precious metal electroplating (such as silver or gold plating) can provide low contact resistance to maintain excellent conductivity and welding performance.