Casting Study: Mobile Radio Antenna

Zinc die casting was chosen to reduce cost of an antenna base for mobile radio equipment, which originally a brass screw-machined part. Powder metallurgy was evaluated, but couldn’t achieve the required undercuts without machining. Zamak 2 alloy was specified to provide the required strength, corrosion resistance, processibility and thermal conductivity. The decision was made to die cast the nut as well as the bushing doubled the savings of the whole assembly, reducing costs 53% over the brass component. In addition, die casting eliminated a separate soldering terminal by making it an integral part of the bushing. This reduced the part count, eliminated an inventory handling step and a swaging operation. Assembly time as reduced 40% as well. Consistency of the die-cast parts enabled component handling automation during assembly for further cost reductions.