Material
Bronze
Bronze is a family of copper-based alloys valued for wear resistance, corrosion performance, and mechanical durability. It is widely used for bearings, bushings, gears, valve components, marine hardware, and industrial parts operating under sliding contact, mechanical loads, or demanding environmental conditions.
Material overview
Bronze alloys contain copper combined with elements such as tin, aluminum, silicon, or phosphorus. Their mechanical properties vary considerably depending on alloy composition, processing method, and intended application.
Common bronze grades include:
- C93200 / SAE 660: A bearing bronze widely used for bushings, sleeves, and sliding components.
- C95400: An aluminum bronze offering high strength and wear resistance for gears, bearings, and heavy-duty mechanical components.
- C51000: A phosphor bronze commonly used for springs, electrical contacts, and precision formed components.
- CuSn12: A tin bronze frequently selected for cast bearings, bushings, and industrial wear components.
Manufacturing methods include CNC turning, milling, sand casting, continuous casting, investment casting, and selected forming processes.
Bronze is often selected for components requiring favorable sliding behavior against steel surfaces. However, friction and wear performance depend on lubrication, contact pressure, operating temperature, and material pairing.
Applications include industrial bearings, hydraulic equipment, marine machinery, pumps, valves, and power transmission systems.
An RFQ should identify the alloy grade, casting or wrought material condition, dimensional tolerances, surface roughness, mechanical requirements, and production quantity.
Critical bearing components may require bore measurements, concentricity inspection, hardness verification, and material certification.
Metraxio supports structured bronze component sourcing for custom machined and cast industrial parts.