Leaded and Unleaded Brass: Everything You Need to Know Cutting and Machining Them

Brass is a metal alloy, meaning that it is made from a combination of certain independent metals. Primarily, copper and zinc are the two metals used to fabricate brass. The percentage of each component can be varied to produce a variety of brasses that can meet various demands in terms of strength, ductility, workability and resistance to corrosion. One thing you must know about brass is that it is different from many other metals, especially when it comes to cutting. There are metals that you can cut easily with hand-held devices powered by electricity or hand. However, this is not the case with brass because there is a high likelihood of damaging the material. Here are some of the important things you need to know about brass cutting:

What is the Purpose of Adding Lead to Brass?

Do you know why lead is added to brass? Well, it is used to make brass easy to machine and work on using different tools. This is because brass is softer than copper, zinc and steel. Lead also acts as a lubricant within brass considering that it has a very low coefficient of friction. This means that the fabricator can machine and cut the brass without producing too much heat. It also quickens the process of cutting or machining because the metal can be worked at high speed without overheating and volatilisation. Without lead, it is not easy to cut brass.

How Does Cutting Work on Unleaded Brass?

Due to the significant health hazards posed by lead, many local authorities and state governments do not permit the use of leaded brass for items like plumbing pipes, cooking and kitchenware. Fabricators have to rethink how they work unleaded brass because the metal has many desirable attributes that make it attractive. This centres on the tools and machines that they can use

• Tooling

Cutting unleaded brass is very hard. It creates so much heat that can damage the tools or even injure the person working on the material. The tooling strategy calls for the use of equipment with the appropriate coating such as carbide tools coated with Tin.

• Machining

There are few machines that can successfully machine and cut through unleaded brass. Professional fabricators understand the characteristics of their machines, its maintenance and penetration limits when it comes to brass. Dig the internet for information about fabricators near for you to be sure that the have enough experience and reputation to deal with your unleaded brass.

For more information, contact companies like Intracut.