Applications of Aluminum Die Castings And Zinc Alloy Parts in Industrial Automation System

With the advancement of global industrial automation, various industrial automation equipment (such as industrial robots, automated control systems, material handling and storage systems, etc.) and industrial automated production line systems (automated assembly lines, automated inspection lines, automated packaging lines, automated machining units, etc.) have developed rapidly. Aluminum die castings and zinc alloy die castings, due to their unique material properties and characteristics, have found widespread application.

I. Applications of Aluminum Die Castings in Industrial Automation

Aluminum die castings typically play the role of "skeleton" and "radiator" in industrial automation, used to construct the main structure of equipment and address thermal management issues. Commonly used devices or structures include:

1. Industrial Robot Body

Application areas: Robot joint arms, links, base. Especially for lightweight collaborative robot arms, almost all are manufactured using high-strength aluminum die castings.

Advantages:

High strength-to-weight ratio: While ensuring rigidity and maintaining motion accuracy, it greatly reduces the weight of moving parts, lowers motor load and inertia, and saves energy.

Excellent dynamic performance: The lightweight arm body allows for higher acceleration and deceleration, improving cycle time.

Good vibration damping: Absorbs vibrations during operation, protecting internal precision components.

2. Automated Equipment Frames and Bases

Applications: Slides and end caps for linear modules (lead screw/belt modules), housings and rotor mounts for DD motors (direct drive motors), and support frames for the entire automated production line.

Advantages:

One-piece molding: Allows for casting complex geometries, integrating guide rail mounting surfaces, sensor mounts, cable channels, etc., reducing assembly steps and improving overall structural integrity.

Dimensional stability: Ensures the relative positional accuracy between components, crucial for high-precision positioning equipment.

3. Control System and Driver Heatsink Housings

Applications: Housings for servo drives, frequency converters, industrial PCs (IPCs), and PLCs, typically designed as a one-piece structure with heat sink fins.

Advantages:

Excellent thermal conductivity: This is a core advantage. It can quickly dissipate and transfer heat generated by high-power IGBTs, CPUs, etc., preventing equipment from derating or shutting down due to overheating, significantly improving reliability and lifespan.

Electromagnetic Shielding (EMI/RFI): Provides natural shielding protection for sensitive internal electronic components.

4. Sensor and Vision System Housings

Applications: Housings for industrial cameras, LiDAR, and photoelectric/proximity sensors.

Advantages:

Strong Protection: Provides robust protection against cutting fluids, dust, and minor impacts.

Lightweight: Weight reduction is crucial for vision cameras mounted on the end effector of robots that are constantly moving.

Aesthetically pleasing and Durable Surface Treatment: Anodizing not only provides corrosion resistance but also conforms to industrial aesthetics.

II. Application of Zinc Alloy Die Castings in Industrial Automation

Zinc alloy die castings play the role of "joints" and "critical functional components," using their ultra-high strength, hardness, and precision in key stress-bearing, wear-resistant, and connecting parts of equipment. Commonly Used Devices or Structures:

1. Industrial Connectors and Interfaces

Applications: Metal housings for standard industrial connectors such as M8, M12, and M23; ferrules and locking mechanisms for heavy-duty connectors.

Advantages:

Extremely high casting precision: Ensures precise alignment of pins/sockets and excellent sealing ring fit, meeting high protection ratings such as IP67.

Excellent electromagnetic shielding: Guarantees stable signal transmission in noisy industrial environments.

High strength and durability: Withstands thousands of mating cycles and unavoidable mechanical shocks in the field.

2. Wear-resistant Components in Transmission and Actuation Mechanisms

Applications: Small gears, worm gears, cams, connecting rod heads. Commonly used in precision reducers, pneumatic/electric actuators, indexing plates, and other mechanisms.

Advantages:

Excellent wear resistance: Zinc alloys have a low coefficient of friction, high hardness, and long service life, making them ideal for transmitting motion and power.

High specific strength: Its strength is close to or even exceeds that of many steels, enabling it to withstand large repetitive forces.

3. Safety and Locking Mechanisms

Applications: High-strength door locks, latches, and hinges for control cabinets, safety light curtains, and robot access doors; quick-locking handles for tooling fixtures.

Advantages:

Extremely high hardness and strength: Ensures safety devices do not fail in emergencies, protecting personnel and equipment.

Good castability: Allows for the manufacture of highly complex and robust locking geometries.

4. High-Precision Structural Functional Components

Applications: Precision mounting flanges and housings for encoders.

Fine-tuning brackets and mounting bases for sensors.

Reinforced grounding posts or mounting supports for PCB boards.

Advantages:

Unparalleled dimensional stability: Zinc alloy parts exhibit virtually no deformation over long-term use, maintaining extremely high dimensional accuracy, crucial for ensuring the measurement standards of sensors and encoders.

High-precision machining capability: As raw materials, they can be precision machined using turning, milling, and other methods to achieve micron-level tolerances.

In the field of industrial automation, aluminum die castings are the preferred choice when the design goal is to build a system-level structure that requires movement, heat dissipation, and occupies a large space. They determine the overall rigidity, speed, and stability of the equipment. Zinc alloy die castings, on the other hand, are indispensable when the design goal is to achieve critical functionalities requiring precise connections, reliable transmission, wear resistance, and absolute safety. They determine the equipment's precision, durability, and reliability under harsh operating conditions.