Custom Copper Parts Manufacturing
Copper and copper-beryllium alloys serve two distinct categories of precision machined parts. Pure and near-pure grades—C11000 (ETP copper) and C14500 (tellurium copper)—are specified when electrical or thermal conductivity drives the design. Beryllium copper grades (C17200, C17300, and C17500) are specified when the part needs high strength, spring properties, or non-sparking characteristics while still conducting electricity better than steel or stainless alternatives. We machine all five grades across CNC milling, turning, multi-spindle, and Swiss platforms, holding tolerances from ±0.001" to ±0.005" depending on alloy and part geometry.
The standard commercial purity copper (99.90%+ Cu). Highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any commonly machined metal. Soft and prone to producing stringy chips, which requires specific tooling and technique. This alloy is used when maximum conductivity is the primary design requirement.
Material Cost: 6
Machining Cost: 6
Durability: 5
Corrosion Resistance: 7
Temperature Resistance: 6
Strength-To-Weight Ratio: 3
Typical Tolerances: ±0.001" to ±0.003"
Magnetic: No
Tellurium Copper contains ~99.5% copper with a small tellurium addition (0.4–0.7%) that dramatically improves machinability while retaining approximately 93% of pure copper's electrical conductivity. Produces clean, broken chips instead of the stringy chips typical of pure copper. The go-to alloy when a part needs both good conductivity and tight tolerances.
Material Properties (Scale 1-10)
Material Cost: 7
Machining Cost: 4
Durability: 5
Corrosion Resistance: 7
Temperature Resistance: 6
Strength-To-Weight Ratio: 3
Typical Tolerances: ±0.001" to ±0.003"
Magnetic: No
Beryllium Copper (Alloy 25) is the highest-strength copper alloy available. Contains 1.8–2.0% beryllium and can be age-hardened to increase tensile strength. Non-sparking and non-magnetic, makes it standard in explosive environments and sensitive electronic applications. Machining produces fine beryllium-containing dust that requires proper extraction and handling per OSHA standards.
Material Properties (Scale 1-10)
Material Cost: 9
Machining Cost: 6
Durability: 9
Corrosion Resistance: 7
Temperature Resistance: 7
Strength-To-Weight Ratio: 7
Typical Tolerances: ±0.001" to ±0.005"
Magnetic: No
Beryllium Copper (Alloy M25) is a lead-modified version of C17200, designed for high-speed screw machine production. It retains the high strength and hardness of C17200 with improved chip formation and surface finish quality. The lead addition reduces machining time on complex, small-diameter parts.
Material Properties (Scale 1-10)
Material Cost: 9
Machining Cost: 5
Durability: 9
Corrosion Resistance: 7
Temperature Resistance: 7
Strength-To-Weight Ratio: 7
Typical Tolerances: ±0.002" to ±0.005"
Magnetic: No
Beryllium Copper (Alloy 10) is a lower-beryllium variant (0.2–0.6% Be) that trades some strength for higher electrical conductivity. It fills the gap between the high-conductivity pure coppers and the high-strength beryllium coppers. Often specified when a part needs moderate spring properties and better conductivity than C17200.
Material Properties (Scale 1-10)
Material Cost: 8
Machining Cost: 6
Durability: 7
Corrosion Resistance: 7
Temperature Resistance: 7
Strength-To-Weight Ratio: 6
Typical Tolerances: ±0.001" to ±0.004"
Magnetic: No
Copper's primary value in precision machining comes from two properties that no other metal matches: electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. Pure and near-pure grades like C11000 and C14500 handle the conductivity-driven applications.
Beryllium copper grades (C17200, C17300, C17500) cover a different set of needs: high-strength springs, non-sparking components, and wear-resistant tooling, while still conducting electricity far better than steel or stainless.
Pure copper (C11000) and tellurium copper (C14500) carry current more efficiently than any other commonly machined metal. C11000 delivers 101% IACS conductivity, while C14500 retains ~93% IACS with significantly better machinability. These grades are standard in power distribution hardware, switchgear, and any application where resistive losses translate directly to wasted energy or excess heat.Beryllium copper grades also appear in electrical systems — particularly where a component needs to carry current and act as a spring simultaneously, such as in relay contacts and circuit breaker internals.
Common applications:
• Bus bars and power distribution blocks
• Electrical terminals and ground conductors
• Heat sink bases and thermal spreaders
• Switchgear components
• Resistance welding electrodes
• Circuit breaker parts
• Motor and generator components
Beryllium copper (C17200) is one of a small number of alloys rated as non-sparking and non-magnetic while still providing high hardness and strength. This makes it a standard material in oil refineries, chemical plants, grain elevators, and any facility classified as a hazardous location. Tools and components that might strike or be struck — wrenches, scrapers, valve stems, plunger rods — are often specified in C17200 to eliminate ignition risk. Pure copper grades serve a different role in chemical processing: their thermal conductivity makes them effective in heat exchanger tubes, cooling jackets, and thermal management components where rapid heat transfer determines process efficiency.
Common applications:
• Non-sparking valve components
• Plunger rods and piston components
• Heat exchanger elements
• Cooling jacket fittings
• Injection nozzle tips
• Mold inserts and cores (beryllium copper
• )Custom wear components for rotating equipment
Beryllium copper (C17200, C17300) is widely specified in precision instruments because of its combination of strength, fatigue resistance, and non-magnetic behavior. Components that function as both structural elements and electrical contacts (connector pins, spring-loaded probes, sensor housings) often require these specific properties. Where instruments operate near magnetic fields or sensitive electronics, copper alloys avoid the interference issues that steel and nickel create. C14500 is also common in instrumentation. Its machinability allows for the tight tolerances that sensor housings and small-diameter probe fittings demand, while its conductivity supports signal integrity.
Common applications:
• Electrical connectors and contact pins
• Spring-loaded test probes
• Sensor housings and fittings
• Instrument bushings and sleeves
• Signal transmission components
• Temperature probe fittings
• Non-magnetic structural components
Copper alloys range from soft, high-conductivity grades like C11000 to hardened beryllium copper that machines more like alloy steel. That spread means copper work isn't one-size-fits-all — the tooling, speeds, coolant strategy, and chip management change substantially between grades.
Pure copper (C11000) produces long, stringy chips that wrap around tooling if not managed with proper chip breakers and aggressive coolant. Tellurium copper solves most of those issues; the tellurium addition changes chip formation enough that the material runs efficiently on screw machines and Swiss lathes at production speeds. Beryllium copper grades machine cleanly but generate fine particulate that requires dedicated dust extraction and handling procedures.
We run all five grades across our CNC milling, turning, multi-spindle, and Swiss platforms. Here's how each service applies to copper work specifically.
Our vertical and horizontal milling centers (up to 6-axis) handle the larger, more geometrically complex copper components: heat sink assemblies with fin arrays, bus bar configurations with multiple hole patterns, and beryllium copper mold inserts requiring tight surface finish specifications. Flood coolant and optimized tool paths manage heat buildup in pure copper grades, where the material's high thermal conductivity pulls heat into the workpiece rather than letting it evacuate through chips.
High-volume copper production runs, particularly in C14500 and C17300, are a strong fit for multi-spindle. Both alloys were designed for screw machine work: C14500's tellurium content and C17300's lead addition produce the short, broken chips that multi-spindle operations require for unattended production. We process bars up to 1-5/8" and chucking to 6" diameter. Electrical terminals, connector bodies, and small fittings produced in quantities of 10,000+ per run benefit most from this process.
Our turning centers handle copper bar stock up to 4" and chucking to 20" diameter. Larger bus bar components, heat exchanger fittings, and beryllium copper bearing sleeves are typical work. On pure copper grades, we use positive-rake carbide tooling and high-pressure coolant to control chip formation and prevent built-up edge on the cutting tool — a common problem when turning C11000 at conservative speeds.
Small-diameter copper parts (up to 7/8" diameter, 4" length) run on our Swiss lathes. This is where C14500 and C17300 perform best. Connector pins, instrument probe fittings, and miniature electrical contacts with features that require simultaneous turning and cross-drilling operations. Swiss machining's guide bushing support is particularly useful for copper, where the material's softness can cause deflection on small-diameter, unsupported lengths.
Learn more about our machining services and capabilities
Delivering high-quality, consistent cponents is a top priority at Spex. Our quality system is built on our ISO 9001:2015 certification, guiding how we work every step of the way. We carefully check parts during production to ensure dimensional accuracy and address the specific needs of machining
We apply these same quality standards whether we're making a single prototype or thousands of parts. You can be confident in the results, as each project comes with full documentation, including material certifications, detailed measurement reports, and First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs). This paperwork clearly shows how your parts meet your exact specifications.
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Scalable production
Short lead times
Fair prices
ISO-9001 certified
Secondary processes
Range of materials
On-time delivery
75+ years in business
Advanced CNC machining
Rapid prototyping
Designing with copper's properties in mind helps ensure successful machining. Because copper is relatively soft and 'gummy', avoid designing features with very thin walls or delicate structures that could deform easily. Use generous radii on internal corners where possible, as sharp internal corners can be difficult to machine cleanly. Also, clearly specify only the tolerances and surface finishes required for function, as achieving extremely tight tolerances or mirror finishes adds complexity.
Raw material costs are typically higher than aluminum or standard brass alloys. The machining process itself can also be more costly. While copper machines relatively easily with the right techniques, managing its 'gumminess' and high thermal conductivity often requires specific tooling and potentially slower speeds or more careful process control than free-machining brass or aluminum, which can increase machining time. The cost is often justified by copper's excellent electrical and thermal performance where those properties are essential.
Copper can be machined to achieve excellent, smooth surface finishes. However, it tarnishes easily when exposed to the environment. For this reason, machined copper parts are often polished and then quickly plated with materials like tin, nickel, or silver to preserve the finish and enhance solderability or wear resistance, depending on the application.
Delivering high-quality, consistent copper components is a top priority at Spex. Despite challenges like its 'gummy' nature, our experienced team utilizes optimized processes and tooling. Our quality system, built on our ISO 9001:2015 certification, ensures careful checks during production for dimensional accuracy and adherence to specifications, applying the same high standards from prototype to high-volume production.
To provide the most accurate quote, please share detailed part drawings or CAD models, specify the exact copper alloy required, required tolerances, desired quantity, any critical features (like conductivity requirements), and details on necessary finishing operations (like plating or polishing). The more detail provided, the better we can tailor a precise and competitive quote.
