M.Hagaman

Digital Marketing Manager

Precise Cast Prototypes and Engineering

Published: 25 Dec, 2021

What is an alloy?

December 2021 | 8 minute read

What is an alloy? A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or offer resistance to corrosion.

Learn and compare aluminum, zinc, and magnesium alloys.

What is an alloy?

Did you know different metals can be blended in a process called alloying to make new metal? Many types of alloys exist, like bronze (copper and tin), brass (zinc and copper), and even tungsten carbide which is an incredibly hard metal.

These blends are made to give greater strength and added benefits, like corrosion resistance, to other metals.

Engineering Options

Being able to combine metals gives engineers more options when choosing metals for products and manufacturing. Engineers will select the metals based on the needs of the part itself.

This might be either for lowering the cost of an existing part, offering better energy consumption, recyclability, or selecting new metals because of disruptions in the supply chain.

The most common metals are aluminum, zinc, and magnesium alloys. 

What is an Alloy?

Choices for Metals

So what is an alloy? With a wide variety of metals to choose from, you may want to work with a metal expert to find what metals are the best selection for your parts or products.

This is a quick look at a few different metal options.

Aluminum-Magnesium 

Used in most aerospace manufacturing because of its low weight to strength ratio. When aluminum is blended with magnesium it’s also less flammable.

This is also one of the most malleable metals available. Giving more design flexibility makes it perfect for automobiles, furniture, kitchen appliances, Solar energy management, and electronics.

 

Aluminum-Zinc alloy

This blend has the highest tensile strength of up 700 MPa.

It also is highly corrosion resistant and provides great thermal conduction, high electrical conductivity, and helps save our planet by being 100% recyclable.

 

What is an alloy?

What is an alloy?  Let’s look at Zinc

Prominently zinc combined with other metals. This is used in many items including engine parts, musical instruments, heat exchangers, metal roofs, and washing machines.

This blend is typically stronger than other options but isn’t as lightweight as aluminum or magnesium.  Because of its high durability, it is often used for die castings. 

There is a wide variety made from all sorts of metals and best to work with a metal expert to find the correct blend for what your project may need.

Zinc Alloy

What is an alloy?

What is a “Super” Blend?

Most are combined with aluminum and zinc. The benefit of magnesium-zinc is that it is the lightest alloy and stronger than many other alloys.

This blend is also a great option for many aerospace and aviation needs because of its lightweight and durability but also benefits the biomedical and electronic industries to create lightweight tools and electronic parts.

Although steel remains the strongest alloy, new Super magnesium alloys have been concocted in the last couple of years and may be able to go head-to-head with steel. The benefits would be offering a metal stronger than steel while being 30% more lightweight.

This is great news for companies wanting to keep production costs low while offering strength and lighter-weight products like mountain bikes for example.

What is an alloy

Selecting the right metal 

If you want to learn more about what alloy is best for your project speak with our metal experts. We specialize in one-off, custom, and low-volume production castings.

Get a metal casting quote for your next project. To learn more about other metals check out these links:

MatMatch 

Allite Super Magnesium 

Preicse Cast Prototpypes and Engineering

We are an American manufacturing company near Denver, CO. Our focus is Rapid Prototyping and Low-Volmue Manufacturing.

We specialize in aluminum, zinc, and magnesium metal castings. We also offer the newest technology in our in-house CNC machine shop.

Billet vs Cast

Billet vs Cast

Billet vs Cast 5 minute read | Dec. 2022|  Author: M. Hagaman Billet vs cast is a common topic of debate among performance enthusiasts. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end, one may be better than the other for your specific...

read more
Zinc Alloys vs Stainless Steel

Zinc Alloys vs Stainless Steel

Zinc Alloys vs Stainless Steel 6-minute read | Author: M.hagaman The differences and benefits of Zinc Alloy vs Stainless Steel. What are the pros and cons of Zinc Alloy and Stainless Steel?Zinc Alloys vs Stainless Steel. Why is one better than the other?When comparing...

read more
Low-Volume Casting

Low-Volume Casting

Low-Volume Castings 5 Minute Read | Author: M.Hagaman Low-volume castings are designed to ensure reliability and durability while offering low-volume production of metal parts.Metal castings are used for a variety of products. These include automotive, marine, and...

read more
Plaster Mold Castings

Plaster Mold Castings

Plaster Mold Castings 5-minute read | Author: M.Hagaman Plaster Mold Castings are one of the most popular methods for creating custom metal castings. Plaster mold castings offer a versatile and more cost-effective way to produce low-volume parts. Plaster mold casting...

read more
No-Bake Sand Castings

No-Bake Sand Castings

No-Bake Sand Castings Author: M.Hagaman | June 2022 | 5 minute read No-Bake sand castings are a popular method of casting for a wide range of industries. Learn more about No-Bake Sand Casting Processes and Quality. Share->No-Bake Sand Casting Contrary to common...

read more