Technical Information

Advantages of Die Casting

Die casting provides complex shapes within closer tolerances than many other mass production processes. Little or no machining is required and thousands can be produced before additional tooling is required.

Zinc Die Casting

Zinc’s affinity for die casting and its strength provides excellent design flexibility, exhibiting an excellent combination of cost, strength, ductility, impact strength and finish acceptance. Zinc used in die casting is usually alloyed with small amounts of aluminum, magnesium, and copper. These small amounts of alloying materials transform the zinc, which in its pure form is a brittle, low-strength metal, into an excellent engineering material. The zinc alloys used in die casting have high strength and hardness, good ductility and excellent casting properties.

Mechanical properties (strength and ductility) are comparable, or even superior, to many other cast materials such as aluminum, magnesium, brass and cast iron.

Zinc alloys have good bearing and wear resistance; performing like traditional bronze bearing alloys in both dry and lubricated conditions.

Zinc alloys perform exceptionally well under conditions of moderate, continuous loading (like threaded connections) or short term, high stresses. These alloys are typically not used in applications where high continuous stresses or elevated temperatures are encountered.

Zinc alloys are corrosion resistant under normal atmospheric conditions, in neutral to alkaline pH aqueous solutions and in contact with petroleum products. Like many other metals, the use of chromate or phosphate dip coatings enhances corrosion resistance.

  • Elongation of 3-6% (depending on alloy and casting parameters
  • Excellent impact resistance properties
  • Excellent ductility allowing easy post-finishing operations such as bending, riveting, …
  • Excellent friction properties (auto-lubricant properties, advantageous for gears)
  • Excellent thermal conductivity making this material an excellent choice for applications requiring fast heat evacuation
  • UTS up to 330 MPa (hot chamber die casting)
  • Excellent electrical conductivity properties (similar to brass) for electrical applications
  • Excellent EMI (electro-magnetic interference) properties

 

Aluminum Die Casting

Aluminum alloys are used in die casting more extensively than alloys of any other base metal. Die cast items made of aluminum are lightweight and have high operating temperature tolerances when compared to other items made with standard die casting alloys.

Aluminum alloys have outstanding strength and rigidity properties, and good corrosion resistance and heat dissipation.

Aluminum die castings are produced for an array of everyday products including kitchen implements, streetlamp housings, medical equipment, small engine housings, and automotive, marine, and aircraft hardware.

Advantages to Using Aluminum Die Cast There are numerous benefits to using aluminum.

  • Aluminum is light and its density is only one third that of steel.
  • Highest operating temperatures
  • Aluminum is resistant to weather, common atmospheric gases, and a wide range of liquids.
  • Aluminum has a high reflectivity, therefore, finds more decorative uses.
  • Aluminum alloys can equal or even exceed the strength of normal construction steel.
  • Aluminum has high elasticity, which is an advantage in structures under shock loads.
  • Aluminum keeps its toughness down to very low temperatures, without becoming brittle like carbon steels.
  • Aluminum conducts electricity and heat nearly as well as copper.
  • Excellent EMI shielding properties