ZINC DIECAST
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A popular manufacturing method is Zinc Diecasting: Alloys of zinc with various small percentages of other metals are heated to melting temperatures and then pumped into a mold under pressure, which they fill before quickly cooling into solid components such as carburetor bodies ⇨
lamp parts, bathroom towel bar end supports, blade guards on circular saws, bodies for kitchen mixers, toys like Hot Wheels, kickstands, etc.
The alloys used are often called Zamac (for Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, and Copper) or Zamak. When weight is a major consideration, alloys which are predominantly aluminum can also be diecast. People sometimes call diecast parts "potmetal".
"Finishing and Electroplating Die Cast and Wrought Zinc"
by
Safranek & Brooman
on Amazon
or
eBay
or
AbeBooks
(only rarely avail.)
(affil link)
There can be a host of issues involved in properly plating, powder coating, or otherwise finishing diecastings, so such problems are a mainstay of the Q&As on finishing.com.
