Casting Study: Gear Knob AMG (Mercedes)

This casting part was originally produced in die cast aluminum. It could be produced only with disproportionate effort and high scrap rates. The parting plane in the casting could never reach the surface quality standards because at that position was a vacuum connection, which after removal could not be addressed satisfactorily.

The preparation of the shift knob in zinc die casting was appreciated by the supplier as significantly better. However, there is a weight limit that would have been exceeded in the use of zinc for the gear knob. The weight limit is imperative to limit the inertia of the gear knob. This is to prevent what happens during a sudden braking, when the maneuver the knob pushes forward and a switching operation is triggered. By using Zincopor, a weight saving of 30% was achieved, which is significantly below the weight limit. The Interior reached an acceptable quality for the first time. The cost savings are enormous, because there was no need to apply vacuum technology and rework steps and rejection rate were significantly reduced.

The special feature of this product is that it would not exist without the Zincopor technology. The cost savings achieved was of secondary importance. Only through the use of zinc alloy could an acceptable inner quality be achieved. Only through Zincopor’s technology could zinc alloy could be used. Zincopor is a casting technology developed by HDZ to make porous castings with excellent surface quality.