Advantages of Zinc Die Casting

The advantages of zinc die casting can certainly help you with your next design. Choosing the right material and process for your design is of utmost importance to you. Your selection will impact the products that you provide to your customers and ultimately their satisfaction. At Deco, we know zinc and when the advantages makes sense for your application. For more information on zinc alloys, check out our Zinc Alloys page.

Listen to one of our Engineering Experts!

With a variety of zinc alloys to choose from, combined with the casting process, zinc die casting is worth your consideration. Deco Products is a global manufacturer with 6 decades of experience. We can assist you in evaluating the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of each alloy. Deco can also assist in choosing the process in which they are manufactured so that you get what you need to best serve your customers.

Listen to one of our Engineering Experts!

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Manufacturing Advantages

The advantages of zinc die casting alloys allows us to provide innovative, lighter weight, longer lasting, and more cost-effective products in several key areas. These benefits often exceed those of cast aluminum, plastics, bronze, and most cast irons.

Stronger Parts, Thinner Walls

Zinc alloys are stronger than other materials, such as plastics or aluminum. This means zinc castings may be produced with thinner walls and less material to optimize strength in ways other materials cannot. For example, aluminum’s cost per pound may “appear” less, its castings may require more material and cost for the same strength.

Faster Production

Zinc alloys require lower melting temperatures, higher-pressure injection, and have a higher cycle rate. The cycle rate is 150-200% higher than other competing materials, such as aluminum. Where aluminum is ladled into a mold, we are able to inject zinc at much higher rates. Die cast zinc alloys solidify rapidly. This allows us to produce more parts in the same amount of time and pass along cost savings to our customers.

Tighter Tolerances, No Machining

Zinc alloys allow us to produce high quality parts with tighter tolerances than aluminum or plastic. Zinc’s fluidity provides increased precision compared to other materials allowing designs that do not require additional expensive machining and/or additional operations.

Longer Tool Life

A great advantage of zinc die casting is the fact that a typical zinc mold, can last 10 times longer than an aluminum mold. Zinc, as a material is less abrasive and has a lower melting temperature. As a result, aluminum tooling wear is more dramatic lowering tool life and prematurely affecting part quality. With a reduction in tooling & PPAP cost, using a zinc alloy for your part could save you a significant amount of money over the life cycle of your product.

Producing A Better Part

Here at Deco we can supply you with almost any die cast zinc alloy. Our engineering experts can help you with picking the right alloy for your application. Depending on your requirements of strength, surface finish, design flexibility or if you just want a greener solution, we are ready to help you take your part to the next level.

Fewer Failures

Zinc alloys are tough and have high fluidity when the alloy is molten. This produces a precise and resilient casting with greater impact resistance and rigidity than its plastic and aluminum counterparts.

Surface Finishing

The surface of a zinc casting allows for great adhesion of almost any finish to its substrate. Powder coating and plating finishes can provide a decorative or functional requirement to your part. These finishes provide great characteristics for visual aesthetics, corrosion resistance or increased durability.

Design Flexibility

With excellent bearing and wear properties, the variety of zinc alloys allow surfaces to act as bushings for structures in motion. In addition, zinc can be formed to join materials and thus, eliminating the need for additional fasteners. These zinc characteristics allow for better part design than we could with other materials.

Environmentally Friendly

Zinc is 100% recyclable. All byproducts of the casting process can be re-melted and cast again without degradation, unlike “regrind” of various plastic materials. Zinc has a melting point of about 800° F., however, aluminum requires 1200° F. Die casting aluminum requires extra heat, which requires more fuel in the production process. Therefore, zinc has a smaller carbon footprint than aluminum, making it the greener option.

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