Zinc alloy, aluminium, copper and magnesium. Precision injection provides precision parts at very low prices.
ORIGINS
In 1920, the New Jersey Zinc company in the United States created Zamak. The name Zamak is a German acronym formed by the union of the first letters of the materials that compose it: Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium and copper (Kupfer).
In 1926, New Jersey Zinc patented the first alloy of zamak 1 and it was adopted as a brand. Subsequently, he presented additional patents on new zamak alloys: zamak 2, zamak 3, zamak 5, zamak 7 and zamak 8.
In 1960, Zamak began to be used industrially in large series of zinc alloy injection and die casting in die-cast iron.
WHAT IS ZAMAK?
Zamak is not a metal itself, it’s a material created from a combination of zinc-based metals with aluminum, magnesium and copper. The result of this alloy (combination of metals) is a versatile material used to create Zamak parts by pressure injection with high precision and reproducibility of details. It has hardness, high tensile strength, plastic deformability, and good colability. Zamak can be chromed, painted and machined.
Zamak provides excellent electrical performance in addition to protection against interference to electronic connectors, as well as to chassis, racks and protections for telecommunication equipment and handheld computers.
It is non ferrous, its gray in color and offers a silver-like appearance, but it does not get dirty as easily as silver. It’s very resistant and withstands friction and shock.
WHAT IS ZAMAK FOR?
Zamak is used to manufacture parts that can later be used in automobile components, construction, electricity, electronics, sports and decoration items, clothing, bags and telephony, amongst others.
The automotive industry is a major consumer of Zamak as they use non-ferrous metal injection for safety parts, housings, connecting rods, etc.
On the other hand, the cost of usual materials such as brass has promoted the use of Zamak in the hardware sector and also in the jewelery sector, in which Zamak has been widely used in metal parts of leather accessories for its more affordable manufacturing costs and aesthetic results.
Zamak has become a very profitable product for Zamak injection companies.
WHY CHOOSE ZAMAK?
- It’s a 100% recyclable material
- Can be purchased at affordable prices
- Excellent features
MAIN FEATURES OF ZINC ALLOYS:
- High strength and hardness
- Excellent electrical and thermal conductivity
- Minimum raw material cost
- High dimensional accuracy and stability
- Excellent possibilities of wall thicknesses
- High quality finish
- Extraordinary corrosion resistance
OTHER ZAMAK ADVANTAGES
Manufacturing Zamak parts and die casting parts has numerous advantages.
- Time saving
- Cost reduction
- Better finish in Zamak parts, compared to parts manufactured by aluminum injection
- The injection of Zamak under pressure allows the manufacture of parts in large volumes with high precision
- Faster injection cycles
- Zamak melts at 400-420ºC requiring less energy consumption to transform.
- Parts manufactured with Zamak allow better surface treatments (paints, chromes and zinc plating).
- The injection of Zamak for the manufacture of pieces facilitates the reproduction of the details of the pieces
- Savings of machining and energy
- Does not change color by use
TYPES OF ZAMAK
The types of Zamak and general applications that are most used in the industry are:
- Zamak 2: It has Copper 2.7-3.3 / Magnesium 0.06-0.04 / Aluminum 3.8-4.2 and the rest is composed of Zinc. It is used in the manufacture of molds, for example, molds of Zamak parts for shoes and automobile fenders.
- Zamak 3: Composed of Copper 0.00-0.10 / Magnesium 0.03-0.06 / Aluminum 3.9. The rest is Zinc. Zamak 3 is the most stable alloy because it practically does not contain Copper. For this reason, it’s the most recommended for the creation of pieces with complicated details, sharp contours and a high degree of difficulty.
- Zamak 5: This Zamak alloy has Copper 0.70-1.10 / Magnesium 0.03-0.06 / Aluminum 3.9-4.3, the rest is Zinc injection. By containing about 1% Copper, it improves its resistance, hardness and anti-corrosion properties. The Zamak 5 is the alloy most used for its dimensional stability in addition to its ease of injected smelting, applicable to carburetors, water pumps and gasoline.
- Zamak 7: It differs from the previous alloys because of its low Magnesium content and the addition of 0.005% / 0.020% Nickel, providing low surface tension and increasing the ease of die casting. It is used to make appliances such as extractors, juicers and other heavy-duty parts.
- Zamak 8: ZA-8, zinc alloy and aluminum, contains significantly more aluminum than other Zamak alloys. ZA-8 contains approximately 8.4% aluminum and is the only ZA alloy that can be hot-melt, an important consideration when selecting a material for a component.
- Zamak 10: The most economical of the line. It is mainly used to make Zamak parts that do not require a good finish.
- Zamak AZC: This alloy is used to make Zamak ornament pieces such as ornaments for handbags, shoe fittings, backpacks, key chains and some household parts in homes.
The most commonly used Zamak alloy in Europe is ZAMAK-5, and in the US and China it is ZAMAK-3.