Zinc alloy die-casting: the preferred material for advanced manufacturing
Zinc alloy die-casting parts can't only create a simple, smooth, refined and elegant appearance, but also achieve precision configurations with extremely complex geometric structures and functions, giving products ultimate design freedom and dimensional accuracy, and comprehensively enhancing brand competitiveness and market reputation.
China is the world's largest producer of zinc die castings. Last year, China, Japan, and Taiwan(China) produced a total of 925,000 tons of zinc alloy, occupying the global core supply position.
The latest die-casting market report of the International Zinc Association (IZA) predicts that by 2035, the demand for zinc alloys in the Asia-Pacific region will increase by another 100,000 tons, and the market will continue to expand and its growth will be certain.
Zinc casting alloy is an engineering material with high strength, high durability and high cost performance. No alloy system can simultaneously integrate strength, toughness, rigidity, bearing performance and economical castability.
Zinc die-casting alloys are mainly divided into traditional ZAMAK series and high-aluminum ZA series, covering various engineering scenarios such as general purpose, high strength, ultra-thin wall and high wear resistance.
1. ZAMAK conventional alloy (mainstream in the industry)
- Alloy No. 2: The highest strength and hardness among traditional alloys, and outstanding bearing performance.
- Alloy No. 3: Most widely used in North America, it is the industry benchmark for its balanced properties, stable casting, and excellent surface finish.
- Alloy No. 5: Mainstream in Europe, with better strength, hardness and creep resistance, suitable for high load scenarios.
- Alloy No. 7: Low magnesium and high purity improved version with better fluidity, ductility and surface quality.
2. ZA high-performance alloy (heavy load/special scenes)
- ZA-8: combines Hot Chamber Die Casting and gravity casting, high strength and creep resistance.
- ZA-12: Universal for sand type/metal type, excellent wear-resistant bearing performance.
- ZA-27: Ultra-high strength, with a yield strength of 380MPa, the first choice for heavy-duty wear resistance.
- HF high-flow alloy: fluidity increased by 40%, suitable for ultra-thin-walled complex parts < 0.45mm.
- ACuZinc5/EZAC/GDSL: high-end special alloy, achieving breakthroughs in creep resistance, strength, and ultra-thin wall molding.
1. Comprehensive leading mechanical properties
- Strength: Tensile strength and yield strength are better than aluminum 380, magnesium AZ91D and high-strength engineering plastics.
- Rigidity: The shear resistance, torsion resistance, bending resistance and compression resistance far exceed those of aluminum, magnesium and plastic.
- Toughness: It maintains ultra-high impact resistance from room temperature to -40°C.
- Hardness and wear resistance: Hardness is higher than aluminum-magnesium alloy, with built-in bearing characteristics.
2. Full of functional features
- Electrical and thermal conductivity: can make radiators and cooling fins.
- Non-magnetic and non-sparking: ideal low-cost material for explosion-proof environment.
- Fatigue resistance: The fatigue life is 7–10 times that of ABS plastic.
- Shock absorption and noise reduction: The capacity is 5–10 times that of aluminum alloy.
- Ultra-high precision: Tolerance of small parts is ±0.025mm.
- Ultra-thin wall: Thickness can be as low as 0.15mm.
- Zero draft angle: Suitable for precision moving parts such as gears.
- Dimensional stability: Will not deform after long-term use.
Zinc Die Casting is a truly resource efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing solution:
With the comprehensive advantages of high strength, high precision, high toughness, high economy, green and low carbon, zinc alloy die-casting has become the core basic material in the fields of electronic appliances, automobile transportation, hardware equipment, security locks, medical health, and household daily necessities.
As the world's largest zinc die-casting producer, China is ushering in greater room for development as the industry grows. Grasping the material trend and choosing zinc alloy is choosing the future of advanced manufacturing.