Die Casting with Zinc Alloys: Zamak & Kirksite Overview

1.Zinc Alloys for Die Cast Manufacturing | Welleshaft

Die Casting with Zinc Alloys is widely used across industries ’round the world for its strength, reliability, and ability to take on all sorts of shapes. At Welleshaft, we help folks get their zinc die casting needs met with parts that look good and hold up—whether in auto, electronics, or everyday stuff.

These zinc alloy materials ain’t just strong—they help keep costs down, last long, and are great when ya need parts in big batches, tight dimensions, and smooth surfaces.

2.What Is Zinc Alloy?

Zinc alloys combine zinc with aluminum, magnesium, and copper to get better strength and moldability. Zinc itself comes from nature and gets used in all sorts of places—from tools and hardware to creams and sunscreen.

（1）What Is Z Alloy?

A “z alloy” or zine alloy is pretty much a zinc-based material good for casting. Because it melts easy and flows well, folks use it in lots of things made of zinc—keys, clips, jewelry, and more.

（2）Common Applications of Zinc Alloys

1. Car brackets and parts
2. Electrical plugs and housing
3. Appliance pieces like knobs
4. Fashion and costume zinc alloy jewelry
5. Heavy machinery parts made from high-performance zinc alloys

3.Types of Zinc Alloys for Die Casting

（1）Zamak Material Overview

Zamak material gets its name from zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper. These metals come together to make strong, reliable alloys for die cast zinc alloy stuff—from tools to gadgets.

1.Popular Zamak Alloys

Alloy	Use Cases	Traits
Zamak 3	Hardware, electronics, daily items	Balanced price and performance
Zamak 5	Auto bits, machines	Stronger than Zamak 3
Zamak 2	Gears, high-stress parts	Hard and wear-resistant
Zamak 7	Small details and thin walls	Smooth casting, more flexibility
ZA-8	Load-bearing or structural bits	Great for high-strength applications
EZAC™	Heavy-duty or tough parts	Resists corrosion and pressure well

（2）Kirksite for Tooling

Kirksite is a zinc-based alloy mostly used in tools and dies. It’s easy to shape and gives a nice surface finish. Folks like it for low runs or test tooling, especially in car factories where kirksite dies help speed up production.

4.Properties of Zinc Alloys

Zinc alloys bring a combo of solid mechanical strength and easy casting. Used mainly in hot chamber die casting, they’re great for getting parts out fast without losing detail.

（1）Mechanical Properties

Great for high-strength zinc alloys in manufacturing, these are go-to for stuff like zinc alloy die cast brackets for engines or parts for heavy machines.

Alloy	Elong. (%)	Tensile (MPa)	Yield (MPa)	Impact (J)	Hardness (HB)
Zamak 2	7	359	283	47	100
Zamak 3	10	283	221	58	82
Zamak 5	7	328	228	65	91
Zamak 7	13	283	221	58	80
ZA-8	10	374	290	42	103
EZAC	6.7	414	393	–	–

（2）Physical Properties

These numbers help ya figure out when to pick zinc over aluminum, especially when strength and stability matter.

Alloy	Density	Melting °C	Conductivity (W/m·K)	Expansion (µm/m·K)	Electric (% IACS)
Zamak 2	6.6	385	105	27.7	25
Zamak 3	6.6	384	113	27.4	27
Zamak 5	6.6	383	109	27.4	26
Zamak 7	6.6	384	113	27.4	27
ZA-8	6.3	390	115	23.3	27.7
EZAC	6.49	396	–	–	–

5.Why Use Zinc Alloys in Die Casting?

（1）Toughness and Stability

Zinc die cast material handles bumps and stress just fine—good for electronics and machinery.

（2）Save Time and Money

Zinc parts don’t usually need extra finishing, which saves steps.

（3）Fits All Sorts of Jobs

Whether it’s zamak auto parts or lightweight zinc bits for electronics, this stuff does it all.

（4）Rust-Resistant

Zinc keeps water and air at bay—works well for cars or outdoor gear.

（5）Good-Looking Results

Perfect if you want neat surfaces like polished zamak charms or zinc housings for plugs.

6.When Zinc Alloys Make Sense

1.Big Production Runs

When you need 50,000+ parts, zinc’s a solid bet. Tools can last a million shots.

2.Need for Strength

Thinking about if zinc is stronger than aluminum for car bits? Often, yep.

3.Nice Finish

Zinc takes on paint, plating, or powder great—good for jewelry or drawer pulls.

4.Complex Shapes

Need tight fits or tricky shapes? Zinc alloys handle fine details with ease.

7.Zinc Alloy Jewelry Tips

（1）What’s in Zinc Alloy Jewelry?

Usually a zinc allow mix with copper or magnesium to get strength and shine.

（2）Skin Safe?

Most folks are fine, but if there’s nickel or lead, it might bug sensitive skin.

（3）How to Keep It Nice

Don’t wear in water

Store somewhere dry

Use pouches or bags that fight tarnish

8.People Also Ask

1.What is zinc alloy used for?
Tons—auto parts, locks, jewelry, you name it.

2.Is zinc stronger than aluminum?
In many cases, yes—especially in parts that get bumped or dropped.

3.What’s made of zinc?
Stuff like door handles, zippers, battery ends, and die cast figurines.

4.How tough is zamak metal?
Pretty dang tough. It holds up well and doesn’t rust easy.

5.What’s the deal with zamak vs zinc alloy?
Zamak’s a specific kind of zinc alloy—fancy but standardized.

Questions? Contact Welleshaft—your go-to folks for zinc die casting and zamak parts that just work.