We mill and turn National NA14 brass blanks from C36000 free-cutting brass. Cut your keyway, bow and shoulder on one setup, hold ±0.005 mm, and get one piece or 10,000 with the same drawing.
Most failures in a key blank trace back to the blank, not the cutting machine.
A stamped blank can carry a slight taper across the blade. The duplicating machine follows that taper and the copy jams in the cylinder. The locksmith blames the cutter. The real cause is a blade that is not parallel within 0.05 mm.
If the bow comes in at 2.6 mm on one run and 2.9 mm on the next, keys sit proud of the plug face or rattle. Hardware with a fixed depth stop then needs shimming on site. Consistent thickness removes that argument.
The shoulder sets how deep the key enters the plug. Cut it at an angle and the key either bottoms out early or sits too shallow. Pins then fail to reach the shear line and the lock will not turn.
Low-grade brass with lead segregation bends under the clamping force of a duplicator. The blade takes a set, the customer returns, and you replace the key for free. Alloy and temper decide whether that happens.
CNC gives you geometry a progressive die cannot hold.
We machine National NA14 brass blanks on 3-axis and 4-axis mills with a Ø400 mm rotary table for the bow profile. The blade is milled flat and parallel, the keyway is cut with a form cutter or a small end mill, and the shoulder is faced square to the blade axis. Because the blank stays in one fixture, the shoulder-to-tip length and the blade thickness come off the same datum.
Flatness on the blade face is held to 0.02 mm. Blade thickness runs ±0.025 mm on standard calls, tighter on request. The shoulder face is square to the blade within 0.03 mm over the full width. That is the number that decides whether the key seats correctly in the plug.
We run National NA14 brass blanks in C36000 free-cutting brass as standard. The lead content breaks chips cleanly, so the keyway walls come out smooth without a secondary broaching step. C27400 and C28000 are available when a customer specifies a different alloy for a lock family.
Every blank goes through a deburr cycle. Edges that touch the plug get a light tumble or a hand pass with a fine file, depending on quantity. High-gloss polish suits retail key blanks; a light brush finish hides handling marks on bulk orders. Laser engraving starts at 1.5 mm character height, which is the practical limit for a legible mark on a bow this size.
Hardness matters more than people expect. Brass that is too soft deforms in the duplicator clamp. We keep the alloy to a consistent temper so the blade holds its shape through repeated cutting.
Pick by volume, profile complexity and how much geometry control you need.
| Method | Best for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| CNC milling (3-axis) | Flat blades, simple bows, 1–500 pcs | No undercut bow profiles |
| CNC milling (4-axis) | Contoured bows, side features | Higher setup cost per profile |
| CNC turning + mill-turn | Round-head and barrel blanks | Rectangular blades need a second op |
| Stamping (outside process) | Very high volume, one fixed profile | Taper and thickness drift between runs |
Most blank projects need two or three of these, not just one.
Flat blade profiles, keyway slots and shoulder facing. The workhorse for standard NA14 geometry on runs from one piece upward.
Adds a rotary table for contoured bows, side grooves and angled features that a 3-axis setup cannot reach in one pass.
For round-head and barrel-style blanks, plus any turned boss or shoulder detail on the bow.
Cut one blank in brass or in plastic to check fit against the cylinder before you commit to a production run.
Tumbling, brushing, polishing and plating. Deburring is included on every brass blank order.
Part numbers, keyway codes or brand marks on the bow. Minimum character height is 1.5 mm.
| Item | Standard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Material | C36000 brass | C27400, C28000 on request |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm | On critical blade dimensions |
| Blade thickness | ±0.025 mm | Tighter on request |
| Finish | Deburred as machined | Polish or brush optional |
| Marking | Laser, 1.5 mm min | Bow face only |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
| Lead time | Ship in 3–5 days | After drawing approval |
| Minimum order | None | One piece to 10,000+ |
Fifteen years on copper alloys. Chip control, tool wear and deburring on free-cutting brass are routine here, not a learning curve on your order.
Blade geometry held to ±0.005 mm on critical dimensions, verified on the bench before the run is released.
Three plants in Dongguan plus a Singapore factory. Capacity exists to absorb a 10,000-piece run without pushing your date.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection. Nothing ships without passing the last gate.
Send a drawing or a sample. You get a quotation and a manufacturability note within 12 hours.
One prototype blank or a 10,000-piece run. The setup and the inspection process are the same either way.
Blanks that cut cleanly on standard duplicating machines and seat without fitting.
Keyed cylinders and panel locks that need blanks matched to a fixed plug depth.
Custom bow profiles and engraved marks for branded lock lines built in volume.
Yes. Send the sample plus the cylinder it belongs to. We measure the blade thickness, keyway width, shoulder position and bow outline, then build a CAD model from those numbers.
You get the model back for approval before we cut metal. That step catches most interference problems before they cost you a run.
C36000 free-cutting brass is standard because it machines cleanly and holds a sharp keyway wall. C27400 and C28000 are available when a lock family calls for a specific alloy.
Tell us the alloy and temper on the drawing. We will confirm availability and note any effect on lead time in the quotation.
No. If the blank stays in one fixture, the shoulder is faced square to the blade in the same setup as the keyway. That keeps the shoulder-to-tip length tied to one datum.
Moving the part to a second machine is where squareness drifts. We avoid it where the geometry allows.
Blade thickness and shoulder squareness matter most. Blade thickness decides how the key sits in the plug; shoulder squareness decides how deep it enters.
Blade parallelism is close behind, because a tapered blade makes the duplicator cut a tapered copy. We hold the blade flat to 0.02 mm and call out all three numbers on the inspection report.
Yes. There is no minimum order quantity. A single blank is a valid order, and it is the cheapest way to check fit against a real cylinder.
The setup, material and inspection steps are the same for one piece as for 10,000. You pay for the parts, not for a minimum.
High-gloss polish suits retail blanks that sit on a display board. A light brush or tumble finish hides handling marks on bulk orders that ship in bags.
Both come after deburring, which is included on every order. Plating options are available if the customer needs a specific color or corrosion resistance.
Uploads are secure and confidential. We sign a non-disclosure agreement on request before any drawing changes hands.
Your profile geometry and customer list stay out of any reference material unless you approve it in writing.
Quotation and a manufacturability note come back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of drawing approval.
Finished blanks typically ship in 3–5 days. For a new profile, add a day for the first-article check before the run is released.
Upload a drawing or a sample key. You get a quote and a manufacturability note within 12 hours, and no minimum order stands between you and a first article.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum orderNDA on request
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