Die casting is a process that is used for mass production of products. The process which was greatly responsible for the industrial revolution is actually very simple in terms of material and process requirements. In this manufacturing process, hot molten metal is poured into a pre designed cast. The shape of the cast is designed exactly according to the specifications of the end product. Once the molten metal is cooled, the cast is broken to release the completed product. The different metals used in die casting are magnesium, zinc, tin, aluminum and more.
The manufacturers check out many of the features of the metal before choosing the right one for the required product. A great deal of thought is put into picking the perfect zinc alloy for die casting. Slight differences in the characteristics of the alloys can give you great differences in the end products obtained. The manufacturers and cast designer consider various features of the metal before it is chosen for die casting. They will compare features such as melting point, tensile strength, yield strength, hardness, impact strength, sheer strength and more to pick the right metal alloy for the product manufacturing.
To elaborate, in zinc alloy die casting, the various alloys of this metal such as Zamak, 2, Zamak 3, Zamak 7, ZA8, EZAC, ZA 27 and other are carefully studied. The attributes are compared based on the quality of the end product. After all these background work is done, then the cast design is prepared. It is because the properties of the alloy chosen for the magnesium die casting process will determine the cast design result. The finishing properties of the metal are also carefully considered before selecting the metal alloy. If the metal has good finishing properties, then the time and effort required for post-production processes can be greatly reduced.
The manufacturers will also decide whether to cast the metal using hot chamber die casting process or cold chamber die casting process based on the metal alloy chosen. The manufacturing process needs to be tailored according to the zinc alloy decided for die casting.
The most important factor, however, is the availability of the raw material. The metal alloy should be easily available and should be in a form that is easily accessible for production. Manufacturers don’t randomly choose zinc or magnesium for die casting just because it is cheaply available or easy to get. They consider the features and functions of the end product in order to choose the best raw material.
