Can Zamak die-cast housings be customized for medical ergonomic needs?
Can Zamak Die-Cast Housings Be Customized for Medical Ergonomic Needs?
Ergonomic Considerations in Medical Device Housings
Medical device housings must meet strict ergonomic criteria to ensure ease of handling, comfort, and functionality in clinical and surgical environments. Design requirements often include contoured shapes, smooth transitions, balanced weight distribution, and tactile surfaces. Zamak die casting, especially with alloys like Zamak 3 and Zamak 5, is highly suitable for producing customized housings that satisfy both structural and ergonomic demands.
Advantages of Zamak for Medical Ergonomic Design
Zamak alloys offer key characteristics that enable ergonomic customization:
Excellent castability: Allows smooth, contoured forms and integrated grip zones
High precision: Supports tight tolerances for aligned mating surfaces and inserts
Balanced density (~6.7 g/cm³): Provides weight and tactile feedback ideal for handheld or instrument housings
Surface quality: Capable of smooth finishes with minimal post-processing
Zamak housings can be engineered with radiused edges, finger contours, recessed grips, and mounting bosses—all in a single shot—minimizing assembly and improving usability.
Customization Capabilities for Medical Applications
Neway enables ergonomic customization through:
Optimized tool and die design: For precise curves, in-hand comfort, and intuitive control layout
Flexible zinc die casting: To form detailed exterior geometries with minimal machining
Post-cast CNC machining: For ports, sensor slots, or mounting interfaces
Surface finishing: Including painting, soft-touch coatings, and medical-grade powder coating for grip and hygiene
Features such as integrated anti-slip textures, recessed trigger zones, or angled control panels can be built into the part design for improved interaction.
Surface Treatments for Comfort and Hygiene
To meet ergonomic and sterilization needs, Zamak housings can be coated with:
Low-gloss powder coatings: To reduce glare and improve grip
Medical-grade lacquers: Compatible with disinfectants and resistant to repeated cleaning
Soft-touch coatings: For handheld instruments that require prolonged use without discomfort
All finishes can be validated for compatibility with medical cleaning agents, including alcohol, peroxide, and autoclave-safe coatings (if required).
Neway’s Support for Medical Housing Customization
Neway provides ergonomic die-cast housing solutions tailored to medical environments through:
Custom-shaped zinc die casting for grips, housings, and casings
Human-centered design support with DFM for usability
Rapid prototyping for validation of hand-fit and interface alignment
