Its greatest advantage lies in its excellent machinability, made possible by a lead content of around 3%. The lead is not dissolved in the microstructure but acts as a chip breaker, so that machining on machining centres and automatic lathes produces short, crumbly chips. This prevents the formation of dangerous flowing chips that could wrap around the tool and interrupt the automated process. Another decisive factor for turned parts is cost-efficiency: the lead particles act as an internal lubricant that massively reduces friction and therefore the thermal load on the cutting edge. This leads to a significantly longer tool life while allowing extremely high cutting speeds. For series production, that means shorter cycle times and high process stability.

Its fields of application are extremely varied. Thanks to its good mechanical strength and outstanding surface quality, the material is the preferred choice for electrical contacts, connectors and fittings, as well as for components in mechanical engineering and the automotive industry. It is also ideal for decorative purposes, since the turned parts can easily be electroplated (e.g. chrome- or nickel-plated). Despite the trend towards lead-free alloys, CuZn39Pb3 remains the “workhorse” of turning, thanks to its unbeaten machining properties.