Before we make the decision to make a new zinc alloy quarter-turn lock, we must do an evaluation for it. The evaluation will help us to save a lot of time and money for the project running.
Design the lock components, select a corrosion-resistant zinc alloy, cast and machine the parts, then assemble. Test the mechanism and apply finishing treatments like plating for durability.
After the good evaluation, then let’s go into the process to make a new zinc alloy quarter-turn lock.
Demand collection
First of all, we need to collect the demand of the zinc alloy quarter-turn lock. For example: What’s kind of lock? Function, size, cut-out, how to install, where it will be used, surface demand, life time, cost and so on. The more demand you can collect, the easy you will get the true lock out.
Design step: Drawing making
According to all the demand we have collected in the first step, we can start to make a drawing, 2D drawing and 3D drawing, also the mold 3D drawing. Normally there are not only one guy to make the drawing, someone makes the product drawing, someone makes the 3D drawing, during the drawing making, all the engineer should discuss it for several times to make sure the drawing good to produce out.
Sample checking
As the technology develops, now we can make samples checking before making the mold. We can use 3D printer to make the sample, or we can make sample by CNC plus other machining process, sample material can be Stainless steel, brass, aluminum, also can be plastic or other material. This step will help us to test and verify the design. After analysis the samples, we can do some updates or changes for the design.
Mold manufacture
Double confirm the drawing and samples, then go to the step 4, mold manufacture, it take around 45 days to make the Zinc die casting mold. There are lots of steps for mold making, let’s do the list next time in another article.
Testing time
Once the mold is done, then comes a testing time, the testing mold must be patient, normally it will not be good on one time. So we have T1, T2…, each time we will analyze the samples and find the problems from mold or zinc die casting injection data and so on. We improve one by one, and step by step until the quarter-turn lock samples good enough to meet our target.
Batch production
The mold is finished, then we can make the batch production anytime.
a. Zinc die casting injection
Do the zinc die casting injection, and get the original products, same like the testing time, but all the information and machine already set done.The machine running by itself. The robot takes the product out from injection machine.
b.Take the burr and polish
After robot take the product from injection machine, the product still connect together with some other parts.We will take the burr and other waste by machine and labor.And do the polish by handle and machine.
c.machining: drill, cutting
Normally the quarter-turn locks have some holes, or some dimension are very strict, then we need to drill the holes by machining and do the cutting for some dimension and so on.Here we will use some jig to make sure the holes and dimension to be controlled in good way.
d.surface treatment
Since Zinc alloy quarter-turn lock will be easy to get rust if we don’t do any surface, so this step will help to protect the product. Normally we do the chrome or powder-coated surface treatment for the zinc locks. As usually, there are two types, bright chrome and black powder-coated for the surface treatment.
e.assembly
After surface treatment, the parts almost ready to ship, just need to assembly with other parts, this step is very important since this is last step before we ship out to customer.
Prepare BOM list, make an assembly instruction before do the assembly, assembly the locks, at the same time keep eye on check the function of products.
As all we know, the other zinc alloy cam lock, compression lock, T handle, hinges, or some other swing handle also have a similar process to make, you can take this article as a reference.
We Ilooklock can help you to make a new zinc alloy quarter-turn lock or another zinc alloy locks and hinges, just give your idea and thinking to us, our engineer will help you to make a drawing, our team will help you to make a new zinc lock according to your demand.
