About Kirksite
Kirksite is an alloy comprised primarily of zinc. It also contains
aluminum (3.5-4.5%), copper (2.5-3.5%). Kirksite is primarily used for
sheet metal forming tooling and plastic injection molds for prototype
and short run production applications.
There are several advantages to kirksite tooling
- Low melting point allows fast turnaround
- Good machinability, changes can be made easily
- Accurate "precision" casting reduces need for machining, especially on draw dies
- Can be electroplated
- Excellent tensile strength (35,000 psi)
- Excellent fluidity when molten, large jobs can be pumped quickly