Metal

Copper C110 (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) in Canadian Manufacturing

C110 ETP copper is the standard high-conductivity copper for electrical bus bars, terminals, heat exchangers, and thermal management hardware. Canada is one of the world's top copper producers — major Quebec, Ontario, and BC mines feed domestic refining capacity that supplies copper rod, bar, plate, and sheet stock through national distributors.

Canadian sourcing CUSMA context included Matched to domestic suppliers

Copper C110 in Canadian Manufacturing

Canada is one of the world’s top ten refined copper producers. The country mines, smelts, and refines copper at industrial scale — most prominently through Glencore’s Horne smelter and CCR refinery in Quebec, Vale’s Sudbury operations, and Teck’s Trail metallurgical complex. That puts Canadian buyers close to the supply chain for C110 mill product.

Why C110 Where Other Metals Won’t Do

Copper does two things uniquely well: conduct electricity (second only to silver, at vastly lower cost) and conduct heat (also second only to silver). For any application where electrical or thermal conductivity is the critical spec, C110 is the answer. Switchgear bus bars, EV battery interconnects, motor windings (as wire), heat exchangers, and high-current terminals all rely on its properties.

It also forms a stable patina in outdoor exposure (the green of a weathered copper roof) and resists marine corrosion well, which is why architectural and marine applications use it despite the cost.

Working With Canadian Copper Shops

Most fabrication of C110 in Canada is done by specialty electrical or thermal-management shops, not general machining houses. Bus bar fabrication, plate forming, laser welding of cooling channels, and electroplating (silver or tin for switchgear contact surfaces) are concentrated in the Toronto–Mississauga, Montreal, and Vancouver clusters.

For machined parts, plan ahead: copper consumes tooling, demands sharp cutters, and benefits from the half-hard temper. Many Canadian shops will substitute leaded copper (C145 tellurium copper or C147) where the conductivity penalty is acceptable, in exchange for much better machinability — confirm whether your application can tolerate the substitution.

Get Matched to a Canadian Copper Shop

Tell us the part type — bus bar, machined component, sheet/plate fabrication — and quantity. We route to Canadian shops with specialty copper experience and the right finishing capabilities (silver plating, tin plating, brazing, laser welding).

Specifications

Copper C110 (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) at a Glance

Density
8.94 g/cm³
Tensile Strength
220 MPa (annealed); 380 MPa (hard)
Melting Point
1083 °C
Operating Temp
−200 to 200 °C
Machinability
Fair (gummy — best in hard temper, sharp tools, high feed rates)
Canadian Supply Chain

Where It's Made in Canada

Canada produces roughly 600,000 tonnes of refined copper annually. Major operations include Glencore's Horne smelter (Rouyn-Noranda, QC) and CCR refinery (Montréal-Est, QC), Vale's Sudbury operations (ON), and Teck's Trail facility (BC) which produces electrolytic copper from concentrate. Finished C110 mill products (bus bar, sheet, rod) are distributed by Russel Metals, Samuel, Wieland Canada, and specialty electrical-grade copper suppliers.

Cost range (CAD): $18–28/kg raw stock (highly sensitive to LME copper price)
Tariff context: Canadian-refined copper qualifies as Canadian-origin under CUSMA. Copper bus bar and sheet are widely traded under FTA terms with no significant duty exposure for North American supply. As with brass, quotes for material-heavy orders typically include a copper price escalation clause.

Domestic suppliers

  • Glencore Canadian Copper Refinery (CCR)
    Montréal-Est, QC

    Electrolytic copper refining — feeds North American mill product

  • Russel Metals
    Mississauga, ON (national)

    C110 plate, sheet, bar, bus bar

  • Wieland Metals Canada
    Multi-site

    Specialty copper alloy distribution, electrical grades

  • Samuel, Son & Co.
    Mississauga, ON (national)

    Cut-to-size C110, copper bus bar processing

  • Boyd Metals
    Edmonton, AB

    Western Canada non-ferrous distribution

Typical Applications

Electrical bus bars and switchgear components
Battery interconnects and EV power distribution
Heat exchanger plates and tubing
Grounding conductors and lightning protection
RF and microwave components
Architectural cladding and roofing (patina finish)

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I specify C110 vs C101 (OFHC)?
Use C110 ETP for general electrical and thermal applications — switchgear, bus bars, terminals, heat sinks. It is cheaper and stocked in deeper inventory. Specify C101 (oxygen-free high-conductivity) when the part will be brazed or welded in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere (avoiding hydrogen embrittlement of the trace oxygen in ETP), or for cryogenic, high-vacuum, and specialty RF applications where the marginal conductivity gain matters.
Why is copper hard to machine if it's so soft?
Pure soft copper is gummy — it smears, tears, and welds to cutting edges. Best results come from machining C110 in the half-hard or hard temper, with very sharp uncoated carbide or PCD tooling, high cutting speeds, and constant chip evacuation. Many shops refuse pure copper jobs in favour of leaded copper alloys (C145 tellurium copper) which give 70–80% of C110's conductivity with vastly better machinability.
Can Canadian shops fabricate copper bus bar at scale?
Yes. Several specialty copper fab shops in Quebec, Ontario, and BC produce bus bar assemblies for switchgear, EV charging infrastructure, battery storage systems, and industrial power distribution. Capabilities include CNC punching, forming, plating (silver or tin), and laser welding. For large orders, lead times are typically 4–8 weeks once design is locked.
What about copper for heat exchangers and HVAC?
Copper tube (C12200 DHP — phosphorus-deoxidised) is the standard for plumbing and HVAC applications, distinct from C110 plate/bar work. For brazed-plate heat exchangers and refrigeration, copper tube and finstock are stocked nationally by HVAC distributors. For high-performance custom heat exchangers (battery cooling, power electronics), several Canadian shops design and fabricate from C110 sheet with vacuum brazing or laser welding.

Find a Canadian copper fabrication shop

Match your Copper C110 (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) project with vetted Canadian shops that have the process and the material in-house.

Or email us at hello@theassemblystudio.com

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