Materials
Copper, brass or aluminium: which should a housing be made from?
Answer
Density: 8.96 g/cm³ for copper, about 8.4 g/cm³ for brass and 2.70 g/cm³ for aluminium. The same aluminium housing weighs less than a third of the copper version, which changes mount loads, drop behaviour and freight cost as well as material price. Conductivity per kilogram, not conductivity
Sources
- Copper vs Brass vs Aluminium Housing: How To ChooseHome › Blog › Materials Material Comparison · Copper, Brass & Aluminium · Drawn Housings Copper vs Brass vs Aluminium Housing: Which Metal Fits The Function? Published September 28, 2026 · Balford Technical Team...
- Copper vs Brass vs Aluminium Housing: How To ChooseDensity: 8.96 g/cm³ for copper, about 8.4 g/cm³ for brass and 2.70 g/cm³ for aluminium. The same aluminium housing weighs less than a third of the copper version, which changes mount loads, drop behaviour and freight cost as well as material price. Conductivity per kilogram, not conductivity...
- Density of Aluminum, Copper and Steel: 2.70, 8.96 and 7.85 g/cm3Brass, CuZn37 - 8.44 g/cm³, 3.1 times aluminium. Brass is the usual material for turned sensor fittings and hex nuts, and those parts are often bought by weight, so the density is part of the price. See brass compared with bronze . Mild steel, DC01 - 7.85 g/cm³. Steel is the reference colu...
- Balford Materials | Stainless Steel, Brass & AluminiumHome › Company › Materials: Which Grade for Which Housing Company · Materials Materials: Which Grade for Which Housing Stainless steel · brass · copper · aluminium · spring steel What materials does Balford draw? Stainless steel is the default for automotive sensor housings - mainly 304,...
- Soft Magnetic Materials for Solenoid Valve Gaskets and WashersBalford's engineering reviews separate these questions cleanly for solenoid valve housing components and related precision parts — including washers documented in real programs such as the brass flat washers for solenoid valves . Representative thin magnetic and non-magnetic parts can be reviewed ph...
- Metal Brazing Services China | Furnace & Tube BrazingDirect answer: Balford brazes copper, brass, steel, stainless steel and aluminium assemblies in a continuous mesh-belt furnace, and by torch for repairs and large parts. Filler selection covers copper-based paste applied by automatic dispensing, copper rod, wire and braze rings (copper melts at 1083...
What an engineer still needs from you
- material and material condition (grade, temper)
- material thickness, plus the key diameter, height and wall thickness
- tolerances, burr direction and the visual acceptance standard
- annual volume - it decides whether tooling is single-hit, progressive or transfer
- surface finish, and any secondary machining, annealing or plating
Next step. Send the drawing for a manufacturability review, or send the part data for a process and cost route.
Submit a drawing / RFQDFM review
Submit a drawing / RFQDFM review
Related questions
- Which carbon steel grades are used for stamped parts?
- Which stainless steel grade should I choose: 301, 304, 316L or 430?
- Is stainless steel magnetic?
- What is DT4E pure iron and why is it used for solenoid housings?
- What are 1J50 and 1J79 soft magnetic alloys used for?
- Which aluminium grades deep draw well?
This page is an engineering answer, not a quotation and not a dimensional acceptance. It is generated from Balford's published material and held to the verified company fact sheet.