Why Brass Works Well for Turned Components
- Excellent machinability for threads and grooves
- Good dimensional consistency for repeat production
- Suitable for small-diameter down to 0.01mm turned components
- Low friction for bushings and shafts
- Good conductivity for terminals/connectors
What are brass turned parts?
Brass turned parts are custom parts machined from brass bar, tube, or other stock materials using CNC turning, Swiss turning, or automatic turning processes. These processes produce cylindrical and rotational features such as diameters, threads, grooves, holes, and shoulders.
As a China-based brass CNC turning manufacturer, Shanghai Yecheng can machine parts to your specified brass grade and drawing requirements. Depending on the application, we combine milling, knurling, deburring, polishing, electroplating, and other surface treatments to meet assembly, tolerance, appearance, and functional specifications.
Brass Turned Parts By Function
Brass-turned parts are usually designed based on their function, geometric structure, and assembly method. From rotating supports and positioning connections to fluid interfaces and electrical connections, different parts have different requirements for dimensional tolerances, coaxiality, thread accuracy, surface roughness, and material properties.
For the bushings that need to be mated with a shaft, we can process them according to the mating tolerance and size requirements specified in the drawings.
They are mainly used for positioning, limiting, connecting, or assembling. We can carry out deburring and size inspection after turning machining.
For slender shafts, multi-step shafts, and high-precision mating shafts, we will assess the parts to reduce vibration and dimensional deviations.
For the joints involving sealing, we can control the threads, sealing surfaces, hole diameters, and key dimensions according to the requirements in your drawings.
They are particularly suitable for custom adapters that need to integrate different threads, hole diameters, or mechanical interfaces into a single part.
According to the application requirements, different brass grades can be provided by us, and subsequent surface treatments such as nickel plating and tin plating are also carried out.
For thin-walled and deep-hole sleeves, we will focus on the clamping method, processing sequence, and chip removal to reduce the risk of machining deformation.
We can do different metric, imperial, and special threaded structures to ensure threaded connections, locking, and mechanical assembly.
For terminal-type parts, we can provide a complete solution that takes into account the material, size, tolerance, and surface treatment requirements.
Common Features We Machine
We can machine both internal and external threads.
Through holes and blind holes can be machined to the required diameters, depths, and tolerances.
Counterbores can be machined to create flat-bottomed recesses for socket head screws, fasteners, and other components.
Countersinks can be machined to accommodate flat-head screws and achieve a flush or recessed assembly.
Internal and external grooves can be machined for retaining rings, O-rings, seals, and functional clearances.
Straight, diamond, and other knurling patterns can be added to improve grip or provide a press-fit surface.
Chamfers can be added to edges and holes to improve assembly, remove sharp edges, and support deburring.
Radial cross holes can be machined for pins, locking mechanisms, fluid passages, and other functional requirements.
Brass Turned Parts: Control of Deformation
Although brass has excellent cutting performance, for thin-walled, slender, small-diameter, and high-precision mating parts, the material is relatively soft and is prone to deformation during clamping and turning processes.
We assess the deformation risk before turning based on the wall thickness, length-to-diameter ratio, structural features, and tolerance requirements of your parts, and then optimize the clamping method, processing sequence, cutting parameters, and allowance control to reduce the influence of clamping deformation and processing stress on the dimensions.
For precision parts, we mainly control the outer diameter, inner diameter, roundness, coaxiality, and mating dimensions to ensure that brass turned parts still meet the assembly requirements after processing.
Send us drawings now and get DFM feedback!
Company Advantage
From machining capabilities to quality systems, Shanghai Yecheng offers complete quality assurance for brass turned parts, covering the entire process from production to delivery.
We are ISO 9001 certified and hold RoHS and CE certifications.
Common Surface Finishes for Brass Turned Parts
Brass has excellent processing properties and metallic luster. However, in many brass turned parts, surface treatment usually needs to be selected based on factors such as appearance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, electrical performance, and the usage environment.
Tell us the desired finish, and we will help you recommend the most suitable surface treatment method for your brass turned parts.
Polishing is one of the common appearance treatment methods for brass turned parts. It can remove some processing textures and make the surface acquire a brighter and smoother metallic luster.
It is suitable for knobs, decorative pieces, exposed hardware, consumer product parts, and parts that require the natural color of brass.
Plating can form a protective layer on the surface of brass, enhancing corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and surface stability, while also achieving a uniform metallic appearance.
It is commonly used in brass joints, valves, connectors, mechanical parts, and exposed hardware.
Brushing can reduce the visual impact of machining marks and create a consistent directional surface texture. It is suitable for knobs, decorative rings, enclosures, consumer electronic parts, and other exposed brass components.
Sandblasting can create a more uniform matte finish, fine sand patterns, or a frosted effect on the surface of brass, while also reducing some turning machining marks.
Clear coating can help slow oxidation and tarnishing while preserving the natural color and metallic appearance of brass.
Brass Grade & Turning Capability & Quality Control
Actual capability depends on part geometry, feature depth, aspect ratio, material grade, tolerance requirements, and production volume.
- Different Grade Brass Turned Parts
- Brass Turning Capabilities
- Quality Control
| Brass Grade | Machinability | Strength | Ductility | Electrical Conductivity | Best For |
| C36000 | Excellent | Medium | Lower | Good | CNC turned parts |
| C26000 | Good | Medium | Excellent | Good | Formed / electrical parts |
| C37700 | Good | High | Medium | Good | Fittings / valves |
| C38500 | Excellent | Medium | Lower | Good | High-volume turning |
| CW614N | Excellent | Medium | Lower | Good | European industrial parts |
| CW617N | Good | High | Medium | Good | Fittings / valves |
| Capability | Typical Capability |
| Turning | CNC turning & Swiss turning |
| Minimum OD | From 0.8 mm* |
| Minimum ID | From 0.2 mm* |
| Tight tolerance | Up to ±0.01 mm* |
| Tapping | Metric, imperial & custom |
| Grooving | Internal & external |
| Knurling | Available |
| Secondary machining | Milling, drilling, tapping |
There is never a best brass, but a better brass more suitable for your project. C36000 is usually one of the most commonly used and easiest-to-machine brass grades in CNC turning.
Yes, please send us your drawings, and we will evaluate them and recommend the most suitable process for your parts.
Yes, we can do different thread types and pitches according to the drawing specifications, ensuring the accuracy of the thread fit.
The performance of brass in cutting is excellent, with high processing efficiency and the ability to produce smooth surfaces easily. Many surface finishes can be chosen.
You can check their CNC turning capabilities, machining tolerance, max and min sizes in diameters, quality inspection, secondary processing capabilities, as well as prototyping and mass production experience.
Meanwhile, suppliers who can provide DFM and material selection suggestions are more suitable for product development-oriented customers.
CNC turning is suitable for a wide range of turned components, while Swiss turning is particularly suitable for small-diameter, long, or geometrically complex parts requiring stable support close to the cutting area.
DFM Guidelines for Brass Turned Parts
For most of your companies, turned brass parts are just one component of the entire product. Sizes, tolerances, and structure at the design stage not only affect the part’s functionality but also directly influence turning machining difficulty, manufacturing cost, production stability, and lead time.
Before quoting and prototyping, we will conduct a manufacturability assessment of your brass turning parts based on your 2D engineering drawings or 3D CAD files. If not affecting your product’s functionality, we will help you identify design details that may increase machining difficulty or cost.
We will do DFM based on the following:
- To avoid deformation during turning and maintain dimensional stability.
- Evaluate the entry of the tool, chip removal, and turning depth to reduce the risk of breakage or hole diameter deviation.
- To judge if the thread structure is reasonable
- To avoid using too small or unnecessary feature dimensions for easier machining.
- Do sharp corners need to be increased to R angles?
- To avoid using overly strict tolerances which would increase processing and inspection costs.
For non-critical dimensions, we can, based on the actual processing capabilities and part structure, recommend a more reasonable tolerance range to avoid increasing processing costs due to unnecessary high precision requirements.
For functional key features such as shaft hole fits, threads, sealing surfaces, and positioning surfaces, the processing accuracy will be determined based on the actual assembly relationship and usage requirements to ensure that the dimensional tolerances truly serve the product function, rather than simply pursuing higher precision.
For example, if an ordinary outer diameter size does not participate in precise fits, we will not recommend that you bear additional machining costs for “higher precision” just because of it; but if this size needs to cooperate with bearings, pins, or other parts, we will focus on the dimensional tolerances, fit relationships, coaxiality, and surface roughness.
What we hope to help you solve is not just “can it be turned”.
Our DFM support is not merely to make processing more convenient, but rather to help without changing the core function of the product:
We plan to help with your brass precision turned parts by:
- Make design easier to manufacture
- Reduce unnecessary processing costs
- Improve sample success rate
- Reduce production risks
Your design doesn’t need to be perfect from the very beginning.
Whether it’s the completed engineering drawings or the product structure still in the optimization process, we can participate in the assessment from aspects such as materials, structure, tolerances, and processing techniques. This will help you identify potential manufacturing issues before prototyping and reduce the risks of subsequent modifications and mass production.
Shanghai Yecheng is a brass turned parts factory. Share your design of the brass parts and get our manufacturing suggestions and quotations.
