Hard to Find Materials – Brass Isn’t One of Them

Brass is a material of choice in today’s new part designs and sets the benchmark standard with a 100% machinability rating, standout sustainability, and cost-effectiveness advantages compared to aluminum and steel. And even with today’s supply chain disruptions, brass is also readily available to help engineers save money and produce better parts faster.

Engineers and part designers often specify metals other than brass, and in some cases, that design provision is influenced by sourcing challenges. The fact is many brass rod solutions stand in abundant supply and are ready for quick deliveries in different alloys, shapes, and sizes.  With considerable domestic production capacity and high amounts of recycled content, brass rod can easily be sourced for new parts.

Availability and accessibility are as important as strength characteristics and performance requirements when it comes to specifying parts material. And finding a reliable and accessible material supplier for both large and small orders is crucial to the success of job shops and original equipment manufacturers.

To help engineers and material specification decision makers, the Copper Development Association maintains an easy-to-use database of over 100 copper alloy suppliers, including brass rod mills, distributors and metal servicenters on its website. The database is searchable by UNS alloy designation (e.g., C36000) and product form (e.g., rod & bar) as well as geographic location to help specifiers, engineers, and purchasing personnel find brass suppliers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

To access the supplier database, visit the following page of the CDA website https://www.copper.org/resources/suppliers/CDAFabricatorSearch.php.

Each listing contains comprehensive data detailing contact information, alloys produced and available product forms. Users can search the supplier database by company or drill down to specific alloys and forms, including virtually any shape from bars and billets to castings and extrusions.

Using the CDA database to identify and engage suppliers supports manufacturers in their pursuit of brass rod solutions used to manufacture superior, high-performance parts.