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Oxygen Free Copper Vacuum Components

Vacuum copper is the one corner of this material where the grade is not negotiable and the rules matter more than the tolerances. No trapped volumes, no burrs, no free-machining substitutions, the right cutting fluid, and cleaning and packaging that keep the part vacuum clean after the machine is done.

A dimensionally perfect part machined without those rules is scrap. We match vacuum work only with shops that have done it.

Get matched with a copper machining shopQuick RFQ

What the part needs

Grade
C10100 oxygen free, no substitution. C14500 and C14700 are contaminants in this context.
Vacuum boundary
Marked on the drawing so the shop knows which side has to be clean.
Blind holes
Vented through, or vented screws called out. A blind tapped hole under a bolt is a virtual leak.
Sealing faces
Finish stated, with a note that radial scratches are not acceptable.
Cutting fluid
No sulphur bearing or chlorinated fluids. Shops that do vacuum work already know.
Cleaning and packing
Degrease, often ultrasonic, sometimes electropolish, gloves, clean bag. Say what you require.
Free for buyersShops pay for matched requests.
Up to 3 shopsOnly shops whose work fits.
NDA on requestFiles stay with us until it is signed.
Reply within 24 business hoursWith matched shops or a clear no.

Grades that fit

Published typical values for the alloy, never a promise from a shop. Each grade has its own reference page.

  • C10100
    Oxygen free electronic copper    Oxygen free. Survives hydrogen brazing, outgasses least, and is the specified grade for UHV and cryogenic service.
  • C10200
    Oxygen free copper    Oxygen free without the tighter purity control of C10100. Acceptable for some vacuum work, say which you mean.

What drives the price

If a quote looks high, one of these is usually the reason, and most of them can be changed on the drawing.

  • No grade substitutionYou are cutting the hardest copper to machine with no escape to a free-machining grade.
  • Burr free everywhereEvery edge, including inside intersections, is hand work.
  • Cleaning and handlingSeparate operations after machining, with their own time and consumables.
  • TestingLeak test requirement, criterion and who performs it, decided before the quote.

What to put on the drawing

Send these and the quotes you receive will be comparable. The RFQ builder writes the material lines for you.

  • C10100 stated, no substitution, material certificate if required
  • Vacuum boundary marked
  • Blind holes identified with vent requirement
  • Sealing surfaces with finish and scratch direction note
  • Cleaning specification and packaging
  • Brazing atmosphere and bakeout temperature if applicable
  • Leak test requirement and criterion

Send the drawing

Short version here, or the full RFQ form with tolerance, finish and plating fields. Your files go only to the shops we match. Ask for an NDA and nothing moves until it is signed.

We are a matching service, not a machine shop. How matching works.

STEP, IGES, PDF, DWG or DXF. Cannot upload from your phone? Email the files to after you send this form.
Reply within 24 business hours.

Questions buyers ask

Something else? Email .

Can I use C110 for a vacuum part to save money?

For rough vacuum that is never brazed or baked, sometimes. For ultra high vacuum, for hydrogen brazing and for sealing surfaces, C10100 is specified for physical reasons and substituting it is not a saving.

What is a virtual leak?

A trapped gas pocket inside the vacuum envelope, usually under a bolt in a blind tapped hole. It bleeds out slowly and looks like a leak that no detector can find outside the chamber. Vent holes prevent it.

Do the shops you match know vacuum cleaning?

That is exactly what we screen for on this kind of part. A shop that has not done vacuum work is not matched to it.

Can the part be electropolished?

Yes, and it is common. It removes material, so the tolerance has to allow for it. State it in the RFQ.

Read before you send