Brass Is Brilliant!
engraving metal Laser cutting
Video Description
In this video Luke explains how Engraver’s Brass or “Half-Hard” Brass is used to create brilliant architectural designs, or eye catching signage. Engraver’s Brass allows for stunning, precise details without the risk of chipping or flaking. Half-Hard Brass is ideal for projects requiring shaping and folding, such as Architectural cladding, Componentry for handrails or Bespoke folded designs with returns. This brass is robust and versatile, lending itself beautifully to both functional and decorative purposes.
Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Luke from O’Brien Engineering. Welcome to Material Mondays, where we focus on one of our speciality materials from our extensive range.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at brass. This can be purchased as a sheet, or alternatively, you can utilise our in-house cutting technology to laser cut and fabricate it to meet your specific requirements.
We stock two different types of brass – engravers’ brass and half-hard brass. The reason for this is that engravers’ brass is specifically designed for engraving. Its composition allows for beautifully detailed engraving without chipping or flaking. Half-hard brass, on the other hand, is designed for folding, making it ideal for creating specific shapes and details, such as folded returns.
Both types are excellent for laser cutting, and we stock them in thicknesses ranging from 1mm up to 10mm.
Regardless of whether you’re using engravers’ brass or half-hard brass, it’s a fantastic material for signage, plaques, plates, and awards. It’s also commonly used in architectural applications, such as cladding or handrail components – anything bespoke that requires the premium look and durability of brass.
For brass, we utilise fibre laser cutting technology, as CO₂ lasers are not suitable due to reflection issues that can damage the laser. With fibre laser cutting, we achieve excellent detail and clean cuts, from as thin as 1mm up to 10mm thick.
In addition to laser cutting, we can fold brass using our press brakes, weld studs onto the rear of components, and, as a finishing touch, apply a linished or orbital finish to create a refined, uniform surface.
Here, we have a 3mm engravers’ brass piece that has been laser cut on our in-house fibre laser. Even at 3mm thick, you can see the incredible level of detail we can achieve – for example, in the star design, where the stroke width is as fine as 0.5mm. This level of precision is achieved with great accuracy, and to complete the process, we apply a linish to give it a beautiful, even brushed finish.
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