Zamak Die Casting for Home Appliances

Zinc alloy components for ovens, washing machines, refrigerators and small appliances

Zamak die casting for the home appliance sector

Since 1991, Micrometal has produced zamak (zinc alloy) die-cast components for the leading Italian and European manufacturers of professional and domestic home appliances. Zinc alloy die casting is the reference technology for aesthetic and functional appliance parts requiring high surface quality, dimensional precision, mechanical strength, and long-term durability. Our customers in the sector are OEM and ODM manufacturers of built-in ovens, washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, small kitchen appliances, water heaters, and range hoods.

Our 75,000 kg/month production capacity on 11 machines (7 standalone presses + 4 Frech DAW 80 robotic cells) allows us to serve both niche productions (5,000-50,000 pcs/year for top-of-the-line lines) and mass volumes (over 200,000 pcs/year). The 20-90 tonne operating tonnage covers components from the 5-gram micro-part to the 700-gram structural part.

Zamak die-cast components for home appliances: our products

We produce a wide range of zamak components for home appliances, combining premium aesthetics and technical performance. Each component is designed in collaboration with the customer in the DFM phase, with selection of the optimal alloy (ZP3, ZP5 or ZP2) based on required performance:

• Knobs and selectors — for control panels of ovens, hobs, and washing machines. Standard ZP3 alloy, polished chrome, blackening, RAL paint, and PVD finishes for high-end models.
• Hinges for oven doors and washing machine doors — structural components subjected to hundreds of thousands of opening/closing cycles. ZP5 alloy for higher mechanical strength, complex geometries with steel inserts for pivots.
• Decorative and functional handles — refrigerator fronts, oven doors, small appliance controls. ZP3 alloy with three-layer chrome-nickel-copper finish for premium contract appearance.
• Control panel components — display frames, button covers, switch frames. Thin-walled die castings (0.5-1.5 mm) with high dimensional accuracy for direct PCB assembly.
• Motor mounts and structural parts — brackets, levers, internal mechanism supports. ZP5 alloy for the combination of static and fatigue strength, contained weight.
• Electromechanical components — housings for timers, micro-switches, ignition blocks. Leverage the intrinsic EMI shielding property of zamak (important for appliances with sensitive control electronics).

Why zamak is ideal for home appliances

The home appliance sector presents stringent technical requirements: components must withstand continuous vibrations (washing machine/dishwasher motor), thermal shocks (oven on-off), prolonged humidity (fridges/dishwashers), accidental impacts (domestic use), and maintain aesthetic finish for 10+ years of useful life. Zamak excels in all these constraints:

• Fatigue and vibration resistance — superior to technical plastics and comparable to aluminum alloys, maintains tolerances after millions of cycles
• Dimensional stability at elevated temperatures — up to 100 °C continuous (upper limit of most domestic appliances), better than plastic and pure zinc
• Surface finish Ra 0.8 µm straight from the mold — ideal for chrome plating/PVD without mechanical preparation, with finish cost reduction of 40-60% vs aluminum
• Density 6.7 g/cm³ — “premium” perceived weight on top-of-the-line handles and knobs, vs lightweight plastic that conveys low-cost perception
• Intrinsic EMI shielding — reduces electromagnetic interference on sensitive electronic panels
• 100% recyclability — consistent with European WEEE appliance regulations
• Competitive cost per piece — on medium volumes (50,000-200,000 pcs/year) zamak beats aluminum and brass on total finished cost (part + finish + assembly)

Die casting and finishing: the complete flow for appliances

Components for home appliances often require high-quality aesthetic finishes to be visible in the final product. Micrometal coordinates the complete flow from die casting to finishing through certified partners with quality control: die casting on Agrati Z (for micro-components) or Frech DAW 80 (for medium parts), tolerances ±0.05-0.12 mm directly from the mold, deburring and selective polishing, galvanic treatment (chrome plating, nickel plating, blackening), powder coating in standard RAL or custom Pantones, acceptance quality control on the final treated component, and just-in-time packaging coordinated with logistics partners.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions