Materials Expertise.

Material selection in precision turning is not a procurement decision, it is an engineering one. The wrong alloy produces parts that are dimensionally correct but fail in service. The right alloy machines cleanly, holds tolerance under thermal and mechanical load, and performs reliably in the end application for years. When a customer sends a drawing with a material specified, Gebrema confirms whether it is optimal for the process and the application, or suggests an alternative that performs better, machines more efficiently, or reduces cost without compromising function.

Brass: the core material

Brass is the alloy behind the majority of Gebrema's precision turned components across electrical, connector, plumbing and industrial applications. Free-cutting brass alloys machine cleanly on the rotary transfer fleet at full speed, producing consistent dimensional results across millions of parts. Standard grades include CW614N, CW617N and CW508L.

Lead-free brass: RoHS ready

Gebrema is a European leader in lead-free brass production. Using bismuth-brass and other RoHS-compliant alloys (CW510L, CW511L), Gebrema supplies components dimensionally and functionally equivalent to leaded brass, at the same volume, the same tolerances, with full compliance documentation. For customers subject to RoHS audits across their supply chain, this is not an option, it is a requirement. Gebrema established the capability early and has refined it across millions of parts.

Steel, aluminium and copper

Free-cutting steel (11SMnPb30, 11SMnPb37, 1.0718) is Gebrema's second primary material, used where higher strength, magnetic properties or specific cost targets rule out brass. It runs on dedicated machines to avoid cross-contamination with brass production. Aluminium (EN AW-2011, EN AW-6082) and copper (CW004A) are not run every day, but the right high-volume application will be assessed honestly: aluminium for weight-critical parts, copper for high-conductivity contacts where brass conductivity is insufficient.