Copper Machining Services

DEK's copper machining services cover CNC milling, turning and EDM for electrical and thermal parts, with tolerances to ±0.005 mm. Sharp tooling and tuned feeds stop smearing and burrs.

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±0.005mm
Best-Case Tolerance
3 Days
Prototype Lead Time
98.6%+
On-Time Delivery

ISO 9001:2015 Certified AS9100D and ISO 13485 certified

What Our Copper Machining Services Control

Copper’s softness makes it easy to shape and hard to machine well: without sharp tooling, tuned feeds and tight chip control, it smears, gums up cutters and throws burrs into features that must stay clean.

DEK builds that control into every job, from prototype through production, with no minimum order quantity. We machine copper with CNC milling, CNC turning and EDM for electrical and thermal parts.

ISO 9001, AS9100D and ISO 13485 certified
20+ years in precision machining
2,300+ global OEM clients served
Prototypes in as fast as 3 days, no MOQ

Copper Grades We Machine

Copper 101 and 110 are stocked grades; beryllium copper and tellurium copper (C145) are quoted per order, since sourcing stock adds lead time.

Copper 101
99.99% purity
Highest electrical and thermal conductivity for waveguides, bus bars and RF parts. Rod, plate, sheet. See the C101 datasheet.
Copper 110
99.90% purity
High conductivity at lower cost for connectors, terminals and electrical hardware. Rod, bar, sheet. See Copper C110.
Beryllium copper
Alloyed for hardness
Beryllium copper machining for springs, contacts and wear-resistant electrical parts; moderate conductivity traded for strength. Request-only.

CNC milling cutting a solid copper block for copper machining

±0.05 mm
Typical tolerance
±0.01 mm
Precision tolerance
~1000 mm
Max part size

Copper CNC Machining Capabilities

Copper CNC machining depends on process discipline more than raw horsepower: dedicated tooling, tuned feeds and steady chip evacuation.

1

Multi-Axis Milling

3-, 4- and 5-axis milling centers with multi-axis machining for complex copper geometry, holding ±0.01 mm on controlled features.
2

CNC & Swiss Turning

CNC and Swiss-type turning for connectors, terminals and fittings, with chip control that stops copper re-welding to the edge.
3

EDM Machining

EDM for fine copper features, reaching ±0.005 mm on select micro features without dragging burrs across finished surfaces.
4

CMM Inspection

In-house CMM inspection with full traceability through IQC, IPQC, FAI, OQC, SPC and CAPA under our quality system.

What Makes Machining Copper Different

Key factors our engineers control so soft, gummy copper holds tolerance and finish from prototype to production.

1

Sharp, Dedicated Tooling

Copper smears and gums up dull cutters. Sharp tooling reserved for copper keeps edges clean and stops material re-welding to the tool.
2

Speeds and Feeds for Copper

Lower cutting speeds with higher feed rates keep copper from dragging, the same control that holds tight tolerances on thin walls and small features.
3

Chip Evacuation

Steady chip evacuation stops chips dragging burrs across finished surfaces, critical on features that must stay clean.
4

Plating Lot Minimums

Plating runs against a shop minimum lot size, so a single prototype costs more per unit to plate than a production batch. Plan for it when scaling.

Copper Grades Machined at DEK

Datasheets for our stocked copper grades: Copper C101 (OFE, 99.99%) and Copper C110 (ETP, 99.90%), with composition and property data.

Copper vs Brass and Bronze for CNC Parts

Compare copper against brass and bronze before you lock in a spec.

Criteria	This MaterialCopper	Brass	Bronze
Choose it for	Conductivity	Lower cost	–
Conductivity	Highest (C101)	Not deciding	–
Cost per kg	Higher	Lower	–
Cutting speed	Tuned, controlled	Cuts faster	–

Applications for Copper Machined Parts

Connectors, bus bars, heat sinks and RF parts machined in copper for electronics, semiconductor, automation, energy and more.

CNC Machining + Finishing for Copper Parts

Pair copper CNC machining with a finish for solderability, corrosion resistance or a clean surface before assembly.

Copper Finishes

Tin or nickel plating
Electropolishing
Passivation

Need a different finish? See all surface finish options

Copper FAQs

Common questions about machining copper parts, finishes and grade selection.

How do you prevent burrs and smearing when machining soft copper?

Sharp, dedicated tooling, lower cutting speeds with higher feed rates, and steady chip evacuation keep copper from dragging or re-welding to the tool edge. These are the same controls that hold tight tolerances on thin walls and small features.

Which finish works best if the part needs to be soldered?

Tin or nickel plating is the standard choice for solderable copper parts. Both protect the surface from oxidation while keeping it wettable for solder joints during assembly.

Should I choose Copper 101 or Copper 110?

Pick Copper 101 when you need maximum electrical or thermal conductivity. Copper 110 covers general electrical applications at a lower cost, with only a small conductivity trade-off.