Aircraft Steel, Copper & Bronze
Aerospace carbon steel, copper, and bronze in bar, sheet, plate, tube, and forgings, with full mill traceability.
Walk through any aircraft maintenance base and a large share of the metal you'll see is plain carbon steel, copper, or bronze rather than titanium or more exotic alloys. Tow bars, jack stands, assembly jigs, bus bars, and landing gear bushings are all made from them. Shops go through a lot of it every year, and every bar still has to be the correct grade, with paperwork to prove it.
Jaco Aerospace is an authorized distributor of aerospace-grade carbon steel, copper, and bronze. We supply manufacturers, machine shops, MROs, and ground support operations working on Boeing and ATR airliners, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman defense programs, Textron Aviation business jets, and Robinson and Bell helicopters. A growing number support drone programs at Kratos and Insitu.
Most of the carbon steel in aviation never flies. Tooling departments, GSE builders, and machine shops use it because it's strong, machines well, and costs much less than specialty alloys. The right grade depends on whether the part needs to be welded, hardened, or turned out by the thousand on a screw machine.
Low-Carbon and Structural
The low-carbon grades are 1008 and 1010, which are easy to form and very common in sheet, strip, and wire. 1018 is a standard item in nearly every machine shop. It welds well, cuts cleanly, and is available in plain finish or DG&P (drawn, ground, and polished). For plate, shapes, and welded assemblies such as maintenance stands, A36 structural steel is the normal choice.
Heat-Treatable
Shafts, pins, and gears that need more strength than 1018 offers are often made from 1040 or 1045, since the extra carbon lets them respond to heat treatment. 1045 also comes in TG&P (turned, ground, and polished) for shafting. 1095 gets very hard after heat treatment, so it's used for springs, blades, and wear parts.
Resulfurized
On a screw machine, the resulfurized grades save a lot of cycle time. 1117 is a resulfurized carburizing steel that machines nicely and takes a hard case. Bolts, studs, and shafts are commonly turned from 1137, 1141, or 1144, which add strength while still machining well. Stressproof, a specially processed steel with high yield strength, holds its straightness after machining, which makes it a favorite for long shafts.
Free-Machining
The free-machining grades go further. 1215 is a non-leaded free-machining steel, while the leaded grades 11L17, 12L14, and 12L15 cut faster than anything else here. When spindle speed is the main concern, those are the grades to reach for, which explains why so many fittings and bushings start life as 12L14 bar.
Bus bars, grounding straps, and terminals are almost always copper because it carries current and heat better than any other commonly used metal. It's also easy to form and join. The grade comes down to how much conductivity, machinability, or strength the part needs.
In aircraft and GSE work, most bearing surfaces that run against steel are bronze, since it resists galling and wears slowly.
Brasses and other beryllium coppers across the CDA range are available too. If your drawing calls out a copper alloy that isn't listed here, send us the number and we'll quote it.
Materials are available as:
Round Bar
Square Bar
Hex Bar
Flat Bar
Coil
Sheet
Strip
Plate
Pipe
Tubing
Forgings
Some grades aren't made in every form, so we confirm availability with each quote. Order size is flexible, from a short bar length for a single part to full mill lengths for a production run.
This enables the receiving team to complete their inspection quickly with no surprises. We only substitute where your drawing or engineering group allows it. Otherwise, you get the grade, condition and finish as specified on your purchase order.
Can you weld 12L14 or other leaded steels?
Generally, no. The same lead and sulfur that make 12L14 and the resulfurized grades so easy to machine also cause porosity and cracking in welds, and welding leaded steel produces hazardous fumes. Shops keep these grades for parts that won't be welded. For welded parts, 1018 or A36 is the normal choice.
What's the difference between C101 and C110 copper?
Both are high-conductivity coppers. C101 is oxygen-free and at least 99.99 percent pure, which makes it the choice for vacuum, high-reliability electronics, and brazing in hydrogen atmospheres. C110 is at least 99.90 percent pure with a small amount of oxygen. It costs less and covers most everyday electrical work like bus bars and straps.
What's the difference between brass and bronze?
Both brass and bronze are copper alloys. Brass is essentially copper and zinc and is valued for its machinability and appearance. Bronze is copper alloyed with tin or with other elements such as aluminum, silicon, or manganese. Bronzes generally have better wear and corrosion resistance, which makes them the material of choice for aircraft bushings and bearings.
Jaco Aerospace has been supplying aerospace metals and materials worldwide since 1971. When a grounded aircraft is waiting on a bushing blank or a length of bar, our AOG team works to get it shipped the same day. Find the alloy and form you need on our website, or send the grade, size, and quantity for pricing and lead time.
Carbon Steel
Carbon Steel 1008/1010
Carbon Steel 1018 DG&P
Carbon Steel 1018
Carbon Steel 1040
Carbon Steel 1045 TG & P
Carbon Steel 1095
Carbon Steel 1117
Carbon Steel 1137
Carbon Steel 1141
Carbon Steel 1144
Carbon Steel 11L17
Carbon Steel 1215
Carbon Steel 12L14
Carbon Steel 12L15
Carbon Steel A36
Carbon Steel Bar
Carbon Steel Coil
Carbon Steel Forgings
Carbon Steel Pipe
Carbon Steel Plate
Carbon Steel Sheet
Carbon Steel Stressproof
Carbon Steel Strip
Carbon Steel Tubing
Copper
Copper 101
Copper 102
Copper 110
Copper 112
Copper 145
Copper 170
Copper 172
Copper 173
Copper 174
Copper 187
Copper 260
Copper 360
Copper 464
Copper 485
Copper 510
Copper 544
Copper 623
Copper 624
Copper 630
Copper 632
Copper 642
Copper 655
Copper 660
Copper 673
Copper 706
Copper 715
Copper 863
Copper 903
Copper 932
Copper 937
Copper 954
Copper 955
Bronze
Bronze 101
Bronze 102
Bronze 110
Bronze 112
Bronze 145
Bronze 170
Bronze 172
Bronze 173
Bronze 174
Bronze 187
Bronze 260
Bronze 360
Bronze 464
Bronze 485
Bronze 510
Bronze 544
Bronze 623
Bronze 624
Bronze 630
Bronze 632
Bronze 642
Bronze 655
Bronze 660
Bronze 673
Bronze 706
Bronze 715
Bronze 863
Bronze 903
Bronze 932
Bronze 937
Bronze 954
Bronze 955
Bronze Bar
Bronze Coil
Bronze Forgings
Bronze Pipe
Bronze Plate
Bronze Sheet
Bronze Strip
Bronze Tubing