- Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (Registration No. 91441900MA4UWT6X39), operating as Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory, established 2005.
- over a hundred machines including 20+ 5-axis centres; 100+ staff, 80%+ skilled technicians.
- Titanium: Titanium cuts at a low speed not because it is hard but because it is a poor conductor and chemically reactive at cutting temperature.
- 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.
On a lathe, chip control and workpiece rigidity decide the outcome more than any single number. These notes are written for you specifying a turned brass part, so you can read a turning quote against the material's real behaviour rather than against a brochure.
Is brass the right material for this part?
Start with what the part must do. Brass conducts around 28 percent IACS - far above stainless steel - and it resists atmospheric and fresh-water corrosion without a coating, so it is the material for a conductive or non-structural fitting, a valve, a terminal or a bushing. What it is not is strong or hard: it is soft relative to steel and softens well below steel's limits, so a structural or high-wear part should step up to steel. If you match brass to conductivity, corrosion and machinability - and keep it out of strength-critical loads - you get the material working for you.
What the grade names mean
C36000 is the economical default for general fittings; its lead content makes it free-cutting. C69300 is the lead-free grade for RoHS or drinking-water parts. C26000 and C27400 are for deep drawing, and C46400 naval brass for seawater. The grade is a specification, not a detail, because the lead content changes both the price and the compliance - if you name the grade, you lock that decision before the quote.
How brass behaves in the machine
Brass cuts the way a machinist wishes every metal would: short brittle chips, no built-up edge, high spindle speeds, and a clean finish. That is why it is the reference material for machinability and why it is cheap to run. The shop runs it on its 100+ CNC machines at ±0.003 mm milled and ±0.002 mm turned, verified on a Hexagon CMM. You do not manage the tooling; the point is that brass's easy cutting is the reason the cycle time and the price stay low.
Cost, tolerance and finishing
Brass holds a tight band easily, and most of the cost is in the finishing, not the metal. Plating and polishing can exceed the machining cost on a decorative part, so specify only the finish you need. MOQ is 1 piece and lead times run roughly 3 / 7 / 30 days. Send the drawing to Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 and ask for the grade and finish recommendation with the quote.
On the lathe, brass chip control and bar straightness decide the run; the notes below are the design rules a turning buyer should check before locking the drawing.
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.
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.
Free-cutting brass is the fastest metal to machine on this floor, which is why a brass part is typically the quickest and most economical metal part to quote.
For a prototype or a production run alike, the same floor, the same inspection and the same certificate apply, so a single piece and a thousand pieces ship to the same standard. Ask for the capability evidence with the quote and the supplier has to demonstrate it.
What this shop actually runs
Capability evidence should come as specifics, not slogans. Behind this guide is a 6,800 m2 plant in Dongguan, China running 100+ CNC machines with 100+ staff. The machine list 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). Intended 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). Intended 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). Intended 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). Intended for shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Intended 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: ±0.003 mm CNC milling / ±0.002 mm CNC turning / ±0.002 mm grinding and wire EDM. Capability: Ppk >= 1.67 initial on key characteristics, Cpk >= 1.33 ongoing.
Certificates: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En), IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, with design clause 8.3 excluded, stated openly) and ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), issued to Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd, registration 91441900MA4UWT6X39, founded 2005.
Where we ship: 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 — plus other countries and regions worldwide, shipped from our base in Dongguan, China.
Contact: Felipe Iglesias, [email protected], +86 13126536955.
Not sure this is the right process?
Send the model and the drawing and get a straight answer on whether this route is the right one, including where a design change would cut cost. Reach Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is brass a good fit for turning?
Yes. Brass turns predictably on our Mazak and Swiss lathes at ±0.002 mm, and the chip control and speed notes below are what separate a clean part from a galled one.
What files do you need for a quote?
In short, A 3D model (STEP or IGES) with a 2D drawing carrying the tolerances, surface finish callouts, material spec and any inspection or certification requirements. The drawing defines the contract — the model alone usually leaves the tolerance scheme unspecified.
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?
Repeat orders can run against a forecast so stock and, where the part warrants it, dedicated fixturing are held ready. This is a commercial arrangement, not a standard term, so raise it at the second order rather than the first.
Is your IATF 16949 certificate valid for design work?
No. The certificate excludes clause 8.3 (product design). The plant is certified to manufacture to your design and to run the associated process controls, not to originate product 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 CNC Lathe Machining · 4 Axis CNC Lathe Machining · 5 Axis CNC Lathe Machining
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM B348/B348M-21 — Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Bars and Billets
- ASTM A582/A582M-12 — Standard Specification for Free-Machining Stainless Steel Bars
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements