EN 12164 is the European standard for copper and copper alloy rod intended for free machining. It specifies the alloy compositions, mechanical property requirements by temper, dimensional tolerances and test methods for round, square, hexagonal and octagonal rod produced by drawing or extrusion — the bar stock that CNC and Swiss-type turned brass parts are machined from.

Which brass grades are covered by EN 12164?

The free-machining brasses. The grades most specified for turned parts are CW614N (CuZn39Pb3) and CW617N (CuZn40Pb2), alongside CW612N (CuZn39Pb2) and CW603N (CuZn36Pb2). Dezincification-resistant CW602N (CuZn36Pb2As) and the lead-free silicon brass CW724R (CuZn21Si3P) are likewise supplied as machining rod within the EN 12164 framework.

What is the difference between EN 12164 and EN 12165?

EN 12164 covers rod for free machining — stock that goes straight onto a lathe. EN 12165 covers forging stock — material destined for hot forging, which is then finish-machined. The same alloy can exist under both standards: CW617N rod for machining is EN 12164, CW617N billet for the forge is EN 12165.

What do the R and H temper designations in EN 12164 mean?

They state which property the material is ordered against: R followed by a number is the minimum tensile strength in megapascals (for example R500 = at least 500 MPa), while H followed by a number designates a minimum hardness requirement. The temper matters for machining behaviour and for any subsequent forming operations.

How do I write an EN 12164 call-out on a drawing or purchase order?

State the standard, the grade, the temper and the size with its tolerance — for example: 'Rod EN 12164 — CW614N — R500 — Ø12 h9'. Adding the EN 10204 certificate requirement ('3.1 with each delivery') on the same line makes the material fully traceable from order to certificate.

What is the ASTM equivalent of EN 12164 brass?

The closest commercial counterpart of EN 12164's benchmark grade CW614N is C36000 free-cutting brass per ASTM B16 — both serve as their region's 100% machinability reference. The pairs are commercial cross-references rather than identical specifications: composition windows differ slightly, so the governing standard should always be named on the drawing.

Does Brassland machine EN 12164 rod?

Yes — EN 12164 free-machining rod is the everyday input material for Brassland's 79+ CNC machines, including 28+ Swiss-type lathes (Ø 2–32 mm bar capacity, tolerances to ±0.005 mm) and fixed-headstock turning to Ø 150 mm. Every shipment of finished parts carries an EN 10204 3.1 certificate with the batch analysis of the rod it was machined from.

Copper & Copper Alloys — Rod for Free Machining Purposes

EN 12164: The Standard
Behind Every Turned Part

Almost every precision brass component in Europe begins life as EN 12164 rod. What the standard actually governs, which grades live inside it, and how to write a call-out a mill can't misread.

Drawn & Extruded Rod Round · Hex · Square · Octagon CW614N · CW617N · CW602N · CW724R

01

The Short Answer

Scope in one paragraph

02

What It Governs

Composition · tempers · tolerances

03

The Grades

Mapped to our datasheets

Order text that can't be misread

06

FAQ

7 common questions answered

Scope

The bar behind the part

It specifies the permitted alloy compositions, the mechanical properties by temper, the dimensional tolerances and the test methods for rod in round, square, hexagonal and octagonal section, finally produced by drawing or extrusion.

The current edition is EN 12164:2024, superseding EN 12164:2016. When your drawing says "CW614N per EN 12164", this document is what the mill certifies the bar against — and what your 3.1 certificate reports.

Why Buyers Should Care

Bar quality is part quality

Bar-fed Swiss-type lathes live and die by bar tolerance and straightness. Oversize bar jams a guide bushing; undersize bar chatters.

Specifiesstandard + grade + temper + size

Not just"brass rod, Ø12"

Result±0.005 mm parts from clean bar

Composition & Properties

Chemistry and tempers

Each grade's element windows — copper, zinc, lead, and the functional additions (arsenic in CW602N, silicon and phosphorus in CW724R). The mill's batch analysis on your 3.1 certificate is checked against exactly these limits.

R-tempers specify minimum tensile strength in MPa (R500 = min. 500 MPa); H-tempers specify minimum hardness. The chosen temper changes chip behaviour, achievable finish and any later forming steps.

Dimensions & Conformity

Tolerances, straightness, testing

Diameter and across-flats tolerance classes plus straightness requirements. Drawn free-machining rod is commonly supplied in close ISO classes (of the order h9–h11 depending on size and section) — the standard's own tables and your order text govern the exact class.

Sampling and test methods for verifying composition and properties — the machinery behind the numbers a mill certificate reports.

Grade	Designation	Character	Choose it for
CW614N	CuZn39Pb3	The European free-machining benchmark — machinability index 100	High-volume turned parts, inserts, fittings hardware
CW617N	CuZn40Pb2	Machinability ~90; excellent hot-working — the bridge to forging	Parts that are forged (per EN 12165) then machined; rod work too
CW612N	CuZn39Pb2	General-purpose free-machining brass with some cold-workability	Turned parts needing light post-forming
CW603N	CuZn36Pb2	Lower-zinc leaded brass, good machinability with better ductility	Machining plus crimping/flaring operations
CW602N	CuZn36Pb2As	Arsenical DZR — resists dezincification per ISO 6509	Water-contact components for soft-water markets
CW724R	CuZn21Si3P	Lead-free silicon brass; inherently DZR; meets the lead criterion referenced by NSF/ANSI 372	Lead-free potable-water programmes

Machinability Index (free-cutting brass scale, CW614N/C36000 = 100)

The Four-Part Call-out

Standard · grade · temper · size

Rod EN 12164 — CW614N
— R500 — Ø12 h9

standard + grade + temper + size & tolerance class. Add "EN 10204 3.1 with each delivery" and the loop from order to certificate is closed.

Common Mistakes

Specification roulette

"Brass rod, Ø12" — no standard, no grade, no temper: quotation roulette.

Mixing systems — "C36000 per EN 12164" names an ASTM alloy in an EN standard; pick one system and cross-reference the other in brackets.

Temper omitted — R vs H changes machining behaviour and downstream forming; say which you need.

DZR assumed — CW614N is not dezincification-resistant; water-contact parts in soft-water markets need CW602N or a silicon brass, stated explicitly.

ASTM cross-reference. EN 12164's benchmark CW614N pairs commercially with C36000 per ASTM B16 — each is its region's 100%-machinability reference. They are cross-references, not identical twins: composition windows differ slightly (C36000 allows Pb to 3.7%, CW614N to 3.5%), so the drawing should name the governing system.

EN 12164 at Brassland

The daily input for 79+ CNC machines

28+ Swiss-type lathes bar-feeding Ø 2–32 mm to ±0.005 mm, fixed-headstock turning to Ø 150 mm. Every parts shipment carries the EN 10204 3.1 batch analysis of the rod it came from — certified under ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001 (DQS).

Send a Drawing Swiss-Type Turning

Materials & Alloys

CW614N — CuZn39Pb3 · machinability 100 CW617N — CuZn40Pb2 · forging brass CW612N — CuZn39Pb2 · general purpose CW602N — CuZn36Pb2As · DZR CW724R — CuZn21Si3P · lead-free C36000 — ASTM B16 · 360 brass All 20 datasheets →

Products Made From It

Threaded inserts for plastics Brass nuts — DIN 934 / ISO 4032 Hex standoffs — M2.5–M8 Set screws — DIN 913–916 Screw plugs — DIN 906 / 908 / 910 Custom CNC parts to drawing All brass products →

Standards & Quality

EN 10204 — inspection certificates EN 12165 — forging stock ISO 2768 — general tolerances ISO 6509 — dezincification test Tolerances & fits guide Swiss-type turning capability All standards guides →

Industries

Automotive Electronics & PCB Plumbing & water fittings Switchgear & electrical Pneumatic & hydraulic Instrumentation All 14 industries →

Applications

Electrical brass Automotive applications Plumbing components HVAC applications Industrial engineering Renewable energy All applications →

Machining From EN 12164 Rod?

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Quotation typically within 24 hours — grade and temper confirmed before we quote.

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Sources & scope. Based on EN 12164:2024 (Copper and copper alloys — Rod for free machining purposes), which supersedes EN 12164:2016, cross-checked against CEN catalogue records, published mill specifications and Brassland's alloy datasheets. Grade characterisations reflect our audited datasheet values. Provided as an engineering reference; the current official edition and your order text govern.

Reference Library