- Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (Registration No. 91441900MA4UWT6X39), operating as Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory, established 2005.
- more than 100 machines including 20+ 5-axis centres; 100+ staff, 80%+ skilled technicians.
- Brass: The defining machining problem is minimal - free-cutting brass breaks into fine chips with no built-up edge.
- Grades in regular use: C36000 for free-machining work, C69300 lead-free where RoHS applies, C26000 and C27400 for deep drawing, C46400 naval brass for seawater service.
- Incoming stock is verified against the mill certificate before it is cut.
The notes below are written for you who wants to understand brass before the quote, so the material's real behaviour - not a brochure claim - sets your expectations on cost, tolerance and lead time.
Reading a brass specification
Brass is not one material but a family, and the grade on the drawing decides the price and the compliance before a single chip is cut. C36000 is the free-machining workhorse - its lead content is what makes the chips break cleanly and the tool last, which is why it is the cheapest brass to run. C69300 removes the lead for RoHS and drinking-water compliance while keeping most of the machinability, at a small premium. C26000 and C27400 are the ductile yellow brasses for deep drawing, and C46400 naval brass adds tin to survive seawater. If you write only "brass", you hand the shop a guess between a leaded and a lead-free grade, and the price and the certificate differ.
The machining reality
Brass is the benchmark the machinability index is calibrated against, rated at 100 percent. In the machine that means short cycle times, fine brittle chips that clear the cut, no built-up edge on the tool, and a clean surface straight off the cutter. It runs fast on the same 100+ CNC mills and lathes that cut steel and aluminium, but it moves through quicker, so the cycle time and therefore the price are lower. The one discipline is the free-machining grades can smear or leave a burr on a dull tool, so a clean edge is tooling discipline, not a given - which is why the finish and the deburring are specified on the drawing and checked at inspection.
Tolerance and inspection
Brass holds a tight band well because it is stable and does not fight the tool. The standard here is ±0.003 mm milled and ±0.002 mm turned, verified on a Hexagon CMM against the datum scheme on the drawing. A plain bore with a few tight faces is routine; you should still name the datum, because the same callout read against two different datums produces two different parts.
Cost, finishing and lead time
The metal is modestly priced, so most of a brass quote is cycle time and finishing. Plating and polishing - nickel, chrome, or a bright finish - can cost more than the machining on a decorative part, so If you need only a functional surface, you should say so. Lead time is roughly 3 to 7 days for a simple part, 30 days for a full first-article package, with MOQ at 1 piece. Send the drawing to Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 for a brass recommendation alongside the quote.
The notes below are the design and verification rules a brass buyer should check before the quote, so the drawing and the certificate are consistent.
Design rules for brass
Brass is forgiving to machine, and the design rules are mostly about not paying for strength you are not using. Fine threads cut cleanly and hold well, which is why brass is a default for fittings and valves; add a relief at the bottom of a deep tapped hole so the tap does not bind. Brass is soft, so very thin walls and tiny unsupported features are the places to add a rib or a radius. Because it cuts fast, radii, chamfers and lettering are cheap on brass, not a cost add.
When brass is the right call
Reach for brass when the part needs electrical or corrosion performance and machinability, and does not need the strength of steel. Against stainless steel, brass conducts far better and machines far faster, so a brass part is usually cheaper and better for a conductive or non-structural fitting. Against aluminium, brass trades a little weight for better corrosion resistance and a cleaner thread. If you need a structural or high-wear part, you should step up to steel and not ask brass to do a job it cannot hold.
Verifying a brass supplier
Two things travel with a brass part: the mill certificate and, where lead matters, the proof of grade. If the part is for drinking water or an EU-sold electronic, ask for the lead-free grade C69300 and the RoHS evidence; if it is a general fitting, C36000 is the economical default. Incoming stock is checked against the mill certificate - composition by XRF, hardness where specified - so the brass in the part is the brass on the drawing. Ask for that evidence with the quote, and the supplier has to demonstrate it rather than assert it.
Lead time and how to order brass
Brass is one of the fastest materials to machine, so a brass part in a stock grade ships quickly - roughly 3 to 7 days for a simple part, 30 days for a full first-article package with a capability study. MOQ is 1 piece, so a single prototype can be cut, checked and iterated before any volume is committed. Plating and polishing add their own lead time, so If you need a mirror nickel finish, you should build that into the schedule rather than treat it as free.
The cleanest start is a STEP or IGES model plus a 2D drawing that names the grade - C36000 for economy, C69300 for lead-free - along with the tolerance, the surface finish and any plating. Send it to Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 and ask for the grade and finish recommendation alongside the quote, so the material and the finish are decided in one exchange rather than after the fact.
Every material on this floor runs through the same quality system: 100+ CNC machines including the Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 five-axis and INTEGREX I-250H S mill-turn, Hexagon CMM inspection, and certification to ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 14001:2015, with Ppk 1.67 or better initial and Cpk 1.33 or better in production on critical characteristics. MOQ is 1 piece, lead times run roughly 3 / 7 / 30 days, and the service area covers Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa - based in Dongguan, serving worldwide.
Brass at a glance
Machinability rating of 100 percent on free-cutting C36000 - the benchmark the whole index is calibrated against. Tolerance ±0.003 mm milled and ±0.002 mm turned, verified on a Hexagon CMM. Conductivity around 28 percent IACS, corrosion-resistant without coating. Grades: C36000 free-cutting, C69300 lead-free for RoHS, C26000 and C27400 for deep drawing, C46400 naval brass for seawater. Typical parts: valves, fittings, electrical terminals, gears, bushings and decorative hardware. Lead time 3 / 7 / 30 days, MOQ 1 piece, certification to ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 14001:2015.
Ordering brass: a buyer checklist
Before you send the RFQ, lock four things. Name the grade - C36000 for economy or C69300 for lead-free - because it changes both the price and the compliance. State the tolerance and the datum, because the same callout read against two datums produces two different parts. Specify the finish only if you actually need it, because a bright polish or nickel plating can cost more than the machining. And state the volume and the lead time you need, so the quote reflects the real batch. Send the STEP model and the 2D drawing to Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 and ask for the grade and finish recommendation alongside the quote.
The quality system behind every part
Every job, whatever the material, runs through the same control. Incoming stock is verified against the mill certificate before it is cut - composition by XRF, hardness where specified - so the metal in the part is the metal on the drawing. The first article is inspected in full against the drawing, with the critical characteristics tracked by statistical process control: Ppk 1.67 or better at the initial study and Cpk 1.33 or better in production. In-process inspection holds the tolerance on a Hexagon CMM, and the final report travels with the parts so you receive the product and the quality evidence together. The plant is certified to ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 14001:2015, and the certificate numbers are published and verifiable.
What this shop actually runs
If you ask for capability evidence, you deserve a specific answer. This facility operates 100+ CNC machines across 6,800 m2 in Dongguan, China, staffed by 100+ people. The machines, listed by category:
- 5-axis machining centres (10+) - Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 (510/910/510 mm travel, 12,000 rpm, 22 kW, 71.6 N·m, 30-tool BT40) and Mazak INTEGREX I-250H S (B-axis 0.0001°, 24 kW, 124 N·m, 38-tool HSK-A63). Chosen for compound-angle parts, single-setup multi-face prismatic work, and aerospace fittings where datum transfer loss is unacceptable.
- 3-axis / 4-axis machining centres (50+) - Brother SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N (10,000 rpm, 14/21-tool ATC, 0.7 s tool-to-tool, Z-axis 2.2 G) and Mazak VCE-430A L / VCE-570C L (10,000 rpm, 118 N·m, 24-tool ATC). Chosen for prismatic parts, plates, brackets, housings.
- Swiss-type turning centres (10+) - Citizen Cincom A20-3F7 (Φ20 mm, 10,000 rpm), TSUGAMI B0206-III / B0205-III (Φ20 mm, 0.1 µm), STAR SR-32JII / SR-32J Type N (Φ32 mm, 8,000 rpm). Chosen for long, slender rotational parts at ±0.002 mm.
- CNC turning centres (20+) - HEADMAN T70M/1250 (720 mm swing, 117 mm bore, 3,000 rpm, BMT75 12-station turret). Chosen for shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Chosen for hardened tool steel, internal splines, sharp internal corners that milling cannot reach.
- Inspection: Hexagon CMM + 20+ gauges - Hexagon CMM for coordinate measurement, plus vision system, profilometer, hardness tester, coating thickness gauge, XRF for material verification. The 10:1 rule (gauge 10x more accurate than the band) is applied to every feature.
- Machine highlights - VARIAXIS I-600: one-setup multi-face 5-axis + MAZA-CHECK auto-calibration; INTEGREX I-250H S: DONE-IN-ONE mill-turn, B-axis 0.0001° + Ai thermal shield; SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N: Z-axis 2.2 G + 0.7 s ATC; Swiss-type: guide-bush switchable + 0.1 µm resolution.
Tolerance bands: ±0.003 mm milled, ±0.002 mm turned, ±0.002 mm ground or wire-cut. Capability indices: Ppk >= 1.67 at the initial study; Cpk >= 1.33 ongoing in production.
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En) · IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, design clause 8.3 excluded) · ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), held by Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (USCC 91441900MA4UWT6X39, since 2005).
Service area: we supply Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa, with worldwide delivery from China.
Contact: Felipe Iglesias, [email protected], +86 13126536955.
Get a quote with the cost drivers named
Send your drawing to [email protected] or call +86 13126536955. We will tell you which tolerance or setup is driving the number, not just the number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I start with brass?
Send the drawing and the volume to Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955, and ask for the material recommendation alongside the quote. MOQ is 1 piece.
What files do you need for a quote?
Send a 3D model (STEP or IGES) plus a 2D drawing that names the tolerances, surface finishes, material spec and any inspection or certification needs. The drawing is the contract; the model alone typically leaves the tolerance scheme open.
Can you work to ASME Y14.5 as well as ISO?
Yes. Both geometric dimensioning conventions are used. The important thing is that the drawing states which one applies, because the same symbol can mean different things under the two standards.
Do you certify brass material?
Yes. Material certificates are supplied with the parts and incoming stock is checked against the mill certificate — composition by XRF, hardness where specified. Traceability is per heat or per batch as the certificate defines it.
Do you hold stock or consignment for repeat orders?
On repeat orders, a forecast lets the shop hold material and, where justified, dedicated fixturing in readiness. It is a commercial arrangement rather than a standard term, worth raising at order two rather than order one.
Is your IATF 16949 certificate valid for design work?
No — clause 8.3 (product design) is excluded. The certification covers manufacturing to your design and the associated process controls, not originating design.
What materials do you machine?
Aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, brass, copper, and Inconel for metals; PEEK and Delrin (POM) for plastics. Material certificates are verified on incoming stock.
How is an engineering change handled mid-production?
The change is documented against a revision, the affected parts in process are identified, and the revised drawing is confirmed in writing before work restarts. The important part is that the revision in force at any moment is a single, written one.
Continue reading: 3 Axis Micro CNC Machining · 4 Axis Micro CNC Machining · 5 Axis Micro CNC Machining
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM A582/A582M-12 — Standard Specification for Free-Machining Stainless Steel Bars
- ASTM B211/B211M-19 — Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Rolled or Cold Finished Bar, Rod, and Wire
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements