Laser-Cut Brass and Copper Parts

Grades and sheet specs: C260 brass and C110 copper

C260 cartridge brass and C110 electrolytic tough pitch copper are the two sheet grades named here. C260 is cartridge brass at 70% copper and 30% zinc (source 1). The print names the alloy, the thickness and the temper. On a print the sheet specs are ASTM B36/B36M for brass plate, sheet, strip and rolled bar, which covers cartridge brass (source 2), and ASTM B152/B152M for copper sheet, strip, plate and rolled bar, which covers C11000 (source 3), written as "C26000 per ASTM B36" or "C11000 per ASTM B152", followed by the temper. Other alloys and plastics quoted on request. Name the grade on the print.

Brass and copper are highly reflective metals, which is the first thing to know about laser cutting them. Wikipedia describes fiber lasers, at a wavelength of 1064 nm, as well suited to reflective metals and lists copper and brass among the highly reflective materials they can process (source 4). A TU Dresden study on laser welding of copper puts the absorptivity of a polished flat copper surface at 4% at a 1070 nm laser wavelength, and that of liquid copper at 11.3% (source 5). A university study measured the reflectance of copper at 1064 nm from room temperature to beyond the melting point, and found it differs with the surface condition (source 6).

Edge condition and tolerance

A laser-cut edge can carry a burr. An edge break called out on the print removes it, and the print says which faces stay as-cut.

Draw the part at finished size. The cut profile is quoted from your print, and where the print gives no tolerance, the quote states the tolerance used. A hole that takes a threaded stud is called out as tapped, and a hole for a press-fit terminal as reamed, because a reamer enlarges an existing hole by a small amount with high accuracy (source 7). Either is a second operation drawn on the same print and ordered the way laser-cut, tapped and machined parts are, as one order. Thin flat parts such as shims and spacers are inspected for flatness where the print calls it out. The rest is on laser-cut tolerances.

What laser-cut brass and copper parts are used for

Copper parts are electrical first. Bus bars, battery interconnects, grounding straps and lugs, contact blades, and heat spreaders under a component that runs hot are cut from copper sheet. Copper has high electrical conductivity, and among pure metals only silver conducts heat better (source 8). Wikipedia notes that busbars are typically copper, brass or aluminium (source 9). EMI shielding plates for electronics enclosures, and thin copper shims and washers for a stack-up, are the same cut with a different purpose. Quantities run from a single bus bar to production runs of 10,000.

Brass parts are decorative and mechanical: nameplates and signage blanks, trim and escutcheon plates, knob and bezel faces, shim stock, and parts for electrical plugs and sockets. Wikipedia’s brass page lists cartridge brass at 70% copper and 30% zinc with "good cold working properties," notes that brass is used in equipment that must be non-sparking, near flammable or explosive materials, and calls it popular for its bright, golden appearance (source 1). Turned brass parts such as standoffs and spacers come from bar; the brass grade page covers that side. Brass faceplates and nameplates sit with the other panels and faceplates.

Finishes and the tarnish question

Both metals tarnish, and the print decides whether that matters (source 10). Copper reacts slowly with oxygen to form a brown-black oxide layer, and old copper structures show a green layer of verdigris (source 8). Brass reacts with sulfur to form a brown and eventually black copper sulfide layer, which, with regular exposure to slightly acidic water, can later oxidize to a green-blue patina (source 1). A lacquer is one way a print protects a polished copper alloy surface from handling and the environment, and the Canadian Conservation Institute cautions that lacquer always alters the appearance (source 11). For a nameplate that must stay bright, the print names the finish that keeps it that way. Plating on a bus bar’s joint faces is a print callout too: tin plating is used on busbar interfaces between aluminium and copper (source 12), and silver plating on precisely machined high-current joints (source 9). A finish called out on the print is quoted with the part.

Whatever the finish, the print carries it: the type, any thickness the print needs, and the faces to be masked, drawn as hatched zones. As-cut with a light edge break suits a part no one sees. Anodizing is quoted with laser-cut aluminum, and powder coating on aluminum, steel and stainless. See finishing for laser-cut parts, and compare laser-cut aluminum when the part could be either metal.

Bending, forming, and when to pick brass or copper over aluminum

Wikipedia lists cartridge brass with "good cold working properties" (source 1) and describes copper as a ductile metal (source 8), so a formed bus bar or a bent grounding strap is a normal print: bend lines, inside radius, bend direction and flange lengths marked. The inside radius is quoted as drawn, with a note if it won’t form.

Pick copper when the part carries current or heat; an aluminium bus bar needs a larger cross-section than copper to match its conductance (source 12). Pick brass when you want a non-sparking part or a bright, golden one (source 1). Pick aluminum when weight matters and current does not, and see laser-cut titanium when the print calls for titanium.

What to put on the print and what is inspected

A quotable brass or copper print carries: the alloy and temper; the sheet spec (ASTM B36 for brass, ASTM B152 for copper); thickness; the profile tolerance; hole sizes and any that are tapped or reamed; bend radius and direction; the finish by name, with masked areas hatched; and for electrical parts, the faces that must stay unplated or flat for contact. A DXF or STEP of the profile plus a PDF print is ideal, any file type is accepted, and the quote lists anything missing rather than guessing. Vendor setup takes a day: W-9, NDA, net terms available.

Every part inspected against your print before it ships: profile and hole position, thickness, flatness on shims and contact faces where the print calls it out, tapped holes, bend angles, the edge for burr, and the finish against its callout, with coverage and masking checked against the print. If a part doesn’t match the print, it’s remade or credited. No C of C or material certifications ship with parts by default. If your PO needs them, say so before the quote. Inspection reports on critical dimensions aren’t included by default. If you need one, ask when you place the order. Start at the quote form or the laser-cut parts hub; lead time quoted per job, rush available.

Sources

All accessed 4 October 2026. Where a figure here differs from your print, the print governs.

1. Wikipedia, “Brass”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass (cartridge brass C260 at 70% copper and 30% zinc, "good cold working properties"; use in non-sparking equipment; bright, golden appearance; reaction with sulfur to a brown then black copper sulfide layer that can form a patina).

2. ASTM International, B36/B36M-23, “Standard Specification for Brass Plate, Sheet, Strip, And Rolled Bar”: store.astm.org/b0036_b0036m-23.html (Active; covers nine copper-zinc alloys including cartridge brass). Referenced by title and designation only.

3. ASTM International, B152/B152M-24, “Standard Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Rolled Bar”: store.astm.org/b0152_b0152m-24.html (Active; covers 18 coppers including C11000, electrolytic tough pitch). Referenced by title and designation only.

4. Wikipedia, “Laser cutting”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cutting (fiber lasers at 1064 nm suited to reflective metals; the ability to process highly reflective materials such as copper and brass).

5. Robert Baumann, Dominik Hipp, Andres Fabian Lasagni and Achim Mahrle, “Tailored absorptivity: Increasing the laser weldability of copper through surface structuring”, Materials Letters 283, 2021, TU Dresden research portal: fis.tu-dresden.de (absorptivity of copper at 1070 nm: 4% for a polished flat surface, 11.3% for liquid copper).

6. Manuel Mattern, Lalit Mohan Kukreja and Andreas Ostendorf, “Temperature-dependent reflectance of copper with different surface conditions measured at 1064 nm”, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, first published 15 December 2023: hss-opus.ub.rub.de (reflectance of electrolytic tough pitch copper measured from room temperature to beyond the melting point, with differences between surface conditions). Abstract only; the figures are in the full text.

7. Wikipedia, “Reamer”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reamer (precision reamers enlarge a previously formed hole by a small amount with a high degree of accuracy).

8. Wikipedia, “Copper”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper (high conductivity; thermal conductivity second only to silver among pure metals at room temperature; brown-black oxide layer; green verdigris on old structures; ductile).

9. Wikipedia, “Busbar”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busbar (busbars typically copper, brass or aluminium; joints between high-current bus sections often silver-plated matching surfaces).

10. Wikipedia, “Tarnish”: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarnish (tarnish forms on copper, brass, aluminum and other metals).

11. Canadian Conservation Institute, “The Cleaning, Polishing and Protective Waxing of Brass and Copper”, CCI Notes 9/3, 1983, revised 1988 and 2007: canada.ca (polished copper alloy objects are sometimes lacquered to protect them from handling and the environment; lacquer always alters the appearance).

12. Jonas Sunde, “How to avoid galvanic corrosion when joining aluminium to copper busbars”, Hydro, 22 June 2026: shapesbyhydro.com/en/knowledge/how-to-avoid-galvanic-corrosion-when-joining-aluminium-to-copper-busbars/ (tin-plated busbar interfaces between aluminium and copper; aluminium needs a larger cross-section to match copper’s conductance). Plain text because the publisher sells aluminium profiles.