Red metals are a family of metals that are known for their reddish color and are some of the most commonly used metals in the world. While each red metal differs in its properties and application, the one commonality is that they are copper based. The 3 most common red metals are copper, brass, and bronze. Boston Centerless supplies each of these red metals as well as BeCu and tellurium copper. Red metals are versatile and are utilized in a range of industries from electronics to telecommunications to automotive.
Red Metals 101
Below are more details about the 3 most common red metals: copper, brass, and bronze. In general, one of the properties that sets red metals apart is that they are considered non-ferrous. For this reason, red metals are naturally more resistant to corrosion than ferrous metals such as iron, making red metals an ideal choice for applications where corrosion-resistance is necessary. Additionally, red metals like copper are able to be recycled without any loss of quality, making red metals highly sustainable. In fact, it is estimated that 80% of the copper that has ever been mined is still in use today.
- Copper: this red metal was one of the first metals to be mined and is able to be utilized in its natural state. Copper delivers excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal properties such as conductivity, formability, and corrosion resistance that make it suitable for a wide range of applications including construction, electrical materials, automotive, electronics, and plumbing. Copper is available in a range of grades. One of the purest forms is called High Conductivity Copper which must contain at least 99.3% Cu. This grade is highly conductive and ductile, which makes it an excellent option for electrical applications. In addition to the various grades of copper, there are a number of copper alloys such as brass and bronze that are formed by combining copper with a range of other materials. Each copper alloy has a unique set of properties and usages.
- Bronze: this red metal is a copper alloy created by combining tin and other elements like phosphorus, silicon, manganese, and aluminum. Similar to copper, bronze is corrosion-resistant, highly ductile, and thermally conductive. Bronze is also known for its hardness. Bronze is versatile and is found in industrial applications like bushings and bearings, tools, musical instruments, and the marine sector.
- Brass: this red metal is also a copper alloy formed by combining zinc with copper and small amounts of other metals. The color of brass depends heavily on the level of zinc content, with more zinc leading to increased orange hues. More zinc also results in higher strength and ductility. In general, brass delivers properties similar to bronze and copper like corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. Industries that utilize brass include electrical, plumbing, musical instruments, construction, and manufacturing, in addition to architecture.
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Contact Boston Centerless today or visit our website to learn more about our precision grinding services and the range of red metals we offer our customers.
Red Metals Applications at Boston Centerless
It is essential for shops running CNC Swiss screw machines to have a reliable source that they can depend on to deliver bar stock with consistently precise diameter tolerances, roundness and straightness. At Boston Centerless, we have a selection of red metals that serve a variety of applications ranging from motors for the automotive sector to parts and components for electronics – with electronics being the primary application for our precision ground red metals.
In today’s modern world, we all rely on electronics for the vast majority of our day-to-day lives. From cell phones to laptops to cars, electronics find a place in almost every moment of our day as individuals as well as in commercial and industrial operations. Because of their comprehensive prevalence, electronics must meet a broad range of form and functions. As electronics technologies continue to advance and the demand for more functionality increases, smaller and more complex PCBs and components are being designed. Precision machined parts and the assembly of these components are becoming more challenging as technology advances - even a small machining or assembly error could lead to poor performance or failure of an electronic device in the field. For this reason, it is imperative to work with a proven raw materials supplier and precision grinding partner, like Boston Centerless.
At Boston Centerless, we offer a range of red metals including brass, bronze, BeCu, and tellurium copper. Boston Centerless supplies precision bar materials and pre-production blanks for your machining needs. We can precision grind material to your exact specifications from our extensive inventory. If we do not have the material you need in stock, our team has a strong network with established long-term relationships with various mills and material suppliers. We are committed to providing reliable precision materials and only buy materials from the US or EU to ensure the material quality meets our standards. The high-grade materials that Boston Centerless procures combined with our precision grinding capabilities will ultimately reduce your manufacturing costs. The extremely precise straightness and roundness of AccuRod® enables increased feeds and speeds, as well as longer tool life, resulting in lower per part cost.
About Boston Centerless
Boston Centerless provides solutions that enhance our customers' manufacturing processes. With over 65 years of experience with precision grinding, we grind the tightest tolerances in the industry. We have proven experience with an extensive range of materials, and our manufacturing solutions include:
- AccuRod® Precision Bar
- BC Medical Grade
- Grinding Services
- Value-Added Services
- Material Testing & Validation
- Supply Chain Management
- SwissAssist
Contact us today at (781) 994-5000 to see how we can help with your next precision bar material project, or click here for a quote.