Process Flexibility:
Virtually any casting process can be used with zinc alloys to satisfy virtually any quantity and quality requirement. Precision, high-volume die casting is the most popular casting process. Zinc alloys can also be economically gravity cast for lower volumes using sand, permanent mold, graphite mold and plaster casting technology.
Precision Tolerances:
Zinc alloys are castable to closer tolerances than other metals or molded plastics, therefore presenting the opportunity to reduce or eliminate machining. “Net Shape” or “Zero Machining” manufacturing is a major advantage of zinc casting.
Strength & Ductility:
Zinc alloys offer high strengths (to 60,000 psi) and superior elongation for strong designs and formability for bending, crimping and riveting operations.
Toughness:
Few materials provide the strength and toughness of zinc alloys. Impact resistance is significantly higher than cast aluminium alloys, plastics, and grey cast iron.
Rigidity:
Zinc alloys have the rigidity of metals with modulus of elasticity characteristics equivalent to other die castable materials. Stiffness properties are, therefore, far superior to engineering plastics.
Anti-Sparking:
Zinc alloys are non-sparking and suitable for hazardous location applications such as coal mines, tankers and refineries.
Bearing Properties:
Bushing and wear inserts in component designs can often be eliminated because of zinc’s excellent bearing properties. For example, zinc alloys have outperformed bronze in heavy duty industrial applications.
Easy Finishing:
Zinc castings are readily polished, plated, painted, chromated or anodized for decorative and/or functional service.
Thin Wall Castability:
High casting fluidity, regardless of casting process, allows for thinner wall sections to be cast in zinc compared to other metal.
Machinability:
Fast, trouble-free machining characteristics of zinc materials minimize tool wear and machining costs.
Low Energy Costs:
Because of their low melting temperature, zinc alloys require less energy to melt and cast versus other engineering alloys.
Long Tool Life:
Low casting temperatures result in less thermal shock and, therefore, extended life for die casting tools. For example, tooling life can be more than 10 times that of aluminum dies..
Clean and Recyclable:
Zinc alloys are among the cleanest melting materials available. Zinc metal is non-toxic, and scrap items are a reusable resource which are efficiently recycled.
Sound absorbing:
Die casted zinc is sound absorbing therefore it is used for mechanics with movable parts, chains or the like. As example in remote window control systems, where noise should be minimized.
