With over 150 advanced CNC machines and an ISO 9001 quality inspection system, the precision and environmental resistance of parts meet the high-load scenarios of data centers, helping Digital Realty maintain stable operations in over 300 data centers worldwide.
Digital Realty, a leading global data center service provider with over 300 data centers, operates in an industry with stringent requirements for hardware reliability and environmental resistance. They faced the challenge of ensuring core components maintain high precision (±0.05 mm) while maintaining corrosion protection (galvanizing), exterior finishes (black painting), and precision under high loads. Traditional processing also presents long lead times. ZHXING, leveraging its 150+ advanced CNC machines, ISO 9001 quality inspection system, and galvanizing and black painting processes, crafted aluminum alloy core components for Digital Realty, achieving both precision and environmental resistance standards while reducing lead times by 25%, contributing to the stable operation of their global data centers.
Who is Digital Realty?
Digital Realty is a leading global digital infrastructure provider, operating over 300 data centers in over 30 countries and regions. It operates in the data center services industry. Its core business provides data center hosting, interconnection solutions, and digital infrastructure services to enterprises across finance, technology, and government sectors. Digital Realty supports the storage and operation of mission-critical systems for businesses worldwide, serving as one of the “physical cornerstones” of the global digital economy.
What Were Digital Realty Specific Needs of Sheet Metal Processing?
Focusing on the processing of aluminum alloy precision parts for core infrastructure of data centers, the requirements include:
Materials and Processing: Aluminum alloy substrate requires a composite surface treatment process combining galvanizing (for corrosion resistance) and black painting (for compatibility with the equipment room environment and exterior protection).
Precision and reliability: Part processing accuracy must reach ±0.05 mm to adapt to the high integration and stability requirements of data center equipment. The final parts must meet the industry standard of “99.999% operational reliability” for data centers and are core components that ensure the stability of power and signal transmission.
Delivery and adaptation: Under the premise of strictly controlling the delivery cycle, it is necessary to ensure that the parts are seamlessly adapted to the existing equipment in the global multi-site data centers.
Digital Realty’s Previous Sheet Metal Processing Experience
Previously, in the processing of similar precision aluminum alloy parts, there were two core challenges:
Insufficient process compatibility between galvanizing and black painting (such as coating adhesion and precision coordination) results in substandard corrosion resistance or appearance protection of parts; Some suppliers suffer from long lead times and fluctuating precision, making it difficult for parts to maintain durability and adaptability under high-load data center scenarios, impacting the long-term stability of infrastructure operations.
Therefore, Digital Realty urgently needs a partner with mature CNC machining capabilities, experience in integrated surface treatment processes, and a rigorous quality inspection system.
Core Issues Faced By Digital Realty’s Customers
Digital Realty faced multiple deficiencies in the supply of aluminum alloy precision parts for core data center infrastructure, including machining accuracy, surface treatment compatibility, and delivery efficiency. These deficiencies directly impacted its ability to achieve the industry standard of “99.999% operational reliability” for its global data centers, posing a potential risk to customer business continuity.
Specific pain points
Process integration pain points: Poor surface treatment compatibility. There are shortcomings in the process coordination of galvanizing (to ensure corrosion resistance) and black painting (for appearance protection and adaptation to the computer room environment). Previous attempts have encountered problems such as “insufficient adhesion of the galvanizing layer and fluctuations in accuracy after painting.” As a result, the corrosion resistance or appearance protection of parts does not meet the standards, and the defective rate remains high, which cannot meet the environmental resistance requirements of long-term operation of data centers.
Precision and reliability pain points: Insufficient parts adaptability. Data center equipment is highly integrated, and the part accuracy requirement is ±0.05 mm. However, suppliers’ processing accuracy was previously difficult to stably meet the standard, resulting in poor adaptability between parts and equipment, increasing the risk of equipment operation failures and indirectly affecting the service availability of the data center.
Supply Chain and Delivery Pain Points: Insufficient Cycle Time and Stability. Traditional supply chains suffer from long delivery cycles and slow multi-site supply response times. Furthermore, some suppliers lack standardized production management, resulting in poor delivery stability. These factors cannot match the rapid deployment and maintenance pace of Digital Realty’s 300+ data centers worldwide, increasing operational and management costs.
Previous Solutions that did Not Work
To address these issues, Digital Realty tried collaborating with several sheet metal fabrication suppliers, but none of them yielded the desired results:
Some suppliers’ surface treatment processes are immature, and they can only complete galvanizing or painting alone. They lack experience in integrating the “galvanizing + black painting” process. This results in parts with insufficient corrosion resistance or substandard appearance and precision after painting.
Some suppliers’ CNC processing equipment is outdated, and the processing accuracy cannot be stably controlled within ±0.05 mm. The parts’ adaptability is poor, which can easily cause equipment operation hazards after being put into use.
Some suppliers have loose delivery management systems and lack standardized production and delivery processes, making it difficult to guarantee delivery cycles. This frequently affects equipment deployment or maintenance plans in data centers.
How Digital Realty Found ZHXING Hardware
Through in-depth research at authoritative sheet metal processing industry exhibitions in Hanover (Data Center Infrastructure Exhibition and Precision Machining Technology Exhibition) and ZHXING’s official website, Digital Realty learned about Yi Jin’s professional capabilities in aluminum alloy precision processing and composite surface treatment (galvanizing + painting), and then took the initiative to contact them for cooperation.
What factors influenced their decision-making?
Processing capabilities and precision control: ZHXING owns more than 150 advanced CNC processing equipment, which can stably achieve a processing tolerance of ±0.05 mm, fully meeting the high-precision adaptation requirements of core components in data centers;
Surface treatment process integration capabilities: ZHXING has a mature process solution for “aluminum alloy substrate galvanizing + black spray painting”, which solves the previous supplier’s pain points of “poor process compatibility and insufficient coating adhesion”, ensuring that parts meet both corrosion resistance and appearance protection standards;
Delivery efficiency and supply chain responsiveness: ZHXING reduces delivery cycles by 25% through standardized production processes and lean management, and is able to adapt to the distributed supply needs of Digital Realty’s multi-site global data centers.
Quality Assurance System: ZHXING has passed the ISO 9001 quality management system and full-process quality inspection mechanism to ensure the consistency and reliability of each batch of parts, in line with the stringent standard of “99.999% operational reliability” of the data center.
What custom solutions or unique advantages does ZHXING Hardware offer?
Customized surface treatment solution: Aiming at the characteristics of aluminum alloy, ZHXING optimized the process parameters of “galvanizing pretreatment + black paint curing” to ensure strong coating adhesion and stable precision, resolving Digital Realty’s previous core pain point of “struggling to balance surface treatment and precision.”
High-precision machining and industry adaptation: In line with the high integration requirements of data center equipment, ZHXING customizes a dedicated CNC machining process path, controlling the tolerance of key part dimensions within ±0.05 mm, ensuring seamless integration of parts with existing equipment.
Global Delivery and Service Support: ZHXING provides multi-site, phased delivery solutions, coupled with full-cycle communication with a dedicated project team, to meet the differentiated deployment and maintenance schedules of Digital Realty’s 300+ data centers worldwide, maximizing supply chain efficiency.
1. Technology and Process: Accurately manage the entire process chain to overcome process pain points
Focusing on the core requirements of Digital Realty’s data center aluminum alloy parts for “high precision + composite surface treatment,” ZHXING established a standardized technical system for the entire process, from raw materials to finished product delivery. The key links are as follows:
Material pretreatment: High-purity 6061/5052 aluminum alloy (taking into account both strength and processability) is selected. Surface oil stains are first removed through ultrasonic cleaning, followed by passivation treatment to establish a good adhesion foundation for the subsequent galvanizing process.
Precision machining: Using the three-step method of “rough machining → semi-finishing → finishing”, CNC equipment is used to achieve precise dimensional forming, avoiding precision deviation caused by single machining stress;
Surface treatment: Innovatively optimize the “galvanizing + black painting” process sequence — first, environmentally friendly hot-dip galvanizing (film thickness 8-12μm, ensuring corrosion resistance), followed by high-temperature pretreatment (120°C/30 min) to eliminate stress in the galvanized layer, and finally, application of high-adhesion acrylic black paint (film thickness 20-25μm) and constant temperature curing, addressing the pain point of “post-painting precision fluctuations” in the traditional process.
Finished product inspection and packaging: Full-size inspection is carried out on the finished parts. If they pass the inspection, they are packaged in anti-static packaging to meet the anti-static environment requirements of the data center room.
Specific machine tools used:
Core processing equipment: Japan Fanuc vertical machining center (model MV-500) and Germany DMG CNC lathe (model CTX beta 800). A total of 23 high-precision equipment were invested in special production. The equipment positioning accuracy reaches ±0.005 mm, meeting the ±0.05 mm tolerance requirement of parts.
Surface treatment equipment: fully automatic galvanizing production line (supports controllable film thickness), dust-free paint spray booth and constant temperature curing oven to ensure coating uniformity and adhesion.
Software or Automation Enhancements:
Design and Programming: SolidWorks (CAD) is used for part structure optimization design, and Mastercam (CAM) generates high-precision machining paths, supporting automated programming of complex features.
Production monitoring: Real-time monitoring of processing progress and equipment status through the Machine Tool Connectivity System (MDC), automatic warning of abnormal parameters, and reduction of human intervention errors;
Process simulation: Use finite element analysis software (ANSYS) to simulate the effects of machining stress and surface treatment temperature on part accuracy, and optimize process parameters in advance.
2. Customization and Innovation: Targeted Solutions to Industry Adaptation Challenges
In response to the “high adaptability + high stability” requirements of data center components, ZHXING provides customized solutions in three aspects: fixtures, design, and technology:
Customized fixtures and jigs:
Designing a multi-station pneumatic fixture for aluminum alloy parts enables “milling, drilling, and tapping in one clamping,” reducing positioning errors caused by multiple clampings and improving part coaxiality accuracy to within 0.02 mm.
Develop special galvanizing hangers, optimize the hanging point position according to the part structure, ensure that the galvanized layer has no dead corners and uniform film thickness, and avoid the problem of local non-galvanizing caused by traditional hangers.
Design for Manufacturability Modifications:
Taking into account the processing characteristics, we proactively suggested that Digital Realty optimize the local structure of the part. We adjusted the original design’s “deep hole + thin wall” structure, which was prone to deformation, to a “stepped hole + reinforced rib” design. This reduced the processing difficulty without affecting the function, and increased the yield rate from 75% to 99%.
Optimize the corner curvature of the painted surface of parts (from right angles to R0.5 fillets) to avoid accumulation and sagging on the corners during painting and improve the consistency of the appearance.
Unique processing technology:
Adopt “micro-cutting” finishing technology (feed amount per cut is controlled at 0.01 mm) to reduce the thermal deformation of aluminum alloy materials during cutting and ensure the accuracy and stability of key dimensions (such as mounting hole spacing);
After surface treatment, a low-temperature aging treatment (80°C/2h) is added to eliminate the internal stress between the coating and the substrate, thus preventing the coating from cracking during long-term operation in the data center.
3. Quality control measures
Ensuring zero-defect delivery throughout the entire cycle with the goal of “meeting 99.999% operational reliability of data centers,” ZHXING has established a multi-level quality control system:
Precision inspection and tolerance control:
Key dimension inspection: A three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine (Hexagon Global Advantage) is used to conduct full-dimensional inspection on each batch of parts, covering 32 key dimensions to ensure that all tolerances are controlled within ±0.05 mm;
Surface quality inspection: Coating flatness is checked using a 2D imager, paint adhesion is tested using the cross-cut method (ASTM D3359) (reaching Class 5B), and the corrosion resistance of the galvanized layer is verified using a salt spray test (neutral salt spray for 480 hours).
Certification and Compliance System:
Core certification: Passed ISO 9001:2015 quality management system certification, and the production process fully complies with the requirements of this standard;
Industry Adaptation: In view of the characteristics of the data center industry, additional RoHS environmental compliance testing (to ensure that parts are free of harmful substances) and anti-static performance testing (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω) are performed to meet computer room safety regulations.
Full-process quality inspection mechanism:
First article inspection: Before each batch of production, the first piece of parts will be fully inspected and can only be put into mass production after passing the inspection;
Process inspection: 5 parts are sampled every 2 hours for re-inspection of key dimensions, and deviations in processing parameters are corrected in a timely manner;
Full inspection of finished products: All parts are 100% inspected in terms of size, appearance and performance. Unqualified products are isolated directly to prevent them from reaching customers.
Results Achieved By ZHXING Hardware
1. Efficiency improvement
The entire chain is accelerated and costs are reduced, and the supply chain responsiveness is significantly enhanced.
Shortened production time: Through the optimization of “multi-station fixtures + networked machine tool monitoring,” the overall delivery cycle was shortened by 25% from the industry average of 20 days to 15 days. The precision machining process was reduced from 8 hours per part to 5.5 hours per part, increasing machining efficiency by 31.25%, fully matching the rapid deployment pace of Digital Realty’s global data centers.
Reduced production costs: Through manufacturability design modifications (such as optimizing the “deep hole + thin wall” structure), raw material utilization has increased from 70% to 88%, and raw material waste has been reduced by 25.7%. At the same time, the first-time pass rate of the “galvanizing + painting” process has increased, rework costs have been reduced by 62%, and the customer’s single-part procurement cost has been indirectly reduced by 18%.
2. Quality improvement
Reduced defective rate: Through full-process quality inspection (first-article inspection + process inspection + finished product full inspection) and process optimization, the parts defective rate has dropped from 25% before the cooperation (customer historical data) to below 1%, and the finished product rate has stabilized at above 99%. There have been no hidden dangers in the operation of data center equipment due to parts quality.
Tolerances and performance meet standards: 100% of key dimensional tolerances are controlled within ±0.05 mm. Coordinate measuring machine inspection data shows that the maximum dimensional deviation is only 0.03 mm. Surface treatment performance meets standards, passing the salt spray test for 480 hours without rust (far exceeding the customer’s requirement of 300 hours), and paint adhesion reaches 5B level (ASTM D3359 standard), fully adapting to the high-humidity and high-stability operating environment of data centers.
3. Business Impact
Scalability and Deployment Support: The aluminum alloy parts delivered this time were successfully adapted to Digital Realty’s 12 new data centers in the Asia-Pacific region, further expanding the number of data centers it operates globally and reducing the equipment online failure rate from 0.8% to 0.1%.
Customer satisfaction and continued partnership: During the partnership, the on-time delivery rate reached 100%, and customers reported that “parts compatibility and stability exceeded expectations.” Based on this successful case, Digital Realty has incorporated Yi Jin into its core supplier system, and subsequent order volume is expected to increase by 40%, covering the processing needs of more data center infrastructure components.
Customer Testimonials
“Before partnering with ZHXING, we struggled for nearly six months with the ‘precision and corrosion resistance’ issues of our data center aluminum alloy parts. The supplier’s defective rate for parts exceeded 20%, and precision deviations often occurred during galvanizing and painting, seriously impacting the deployment of our data center equipment. ZHXING not only resolved these core pain points, achieving 100% part tolerances within the ±0.05 mm requirement and showing no rust after a 480-hour salt spray test, but also shortened our lead time by 25%, enabling the equipment in our 12 new data centers to go online two weeks ahead of schedule. These parts have now been operating stably for eight months with zero failures, providing critical support for our commitment to ‘99.999% operational reliability.'”
Zhang Ming, Head of Supply Chain Procurement, Asia Pacific, Digital Realty
“The core reason we chose ZHXING was their ability to strike a balance between customization and stability. We were concerned that the aluminum alloy substrate’s ‘galvanizing and black painting’ process would compromise precision, but Yi Jin completely dispelled this concern through its proprietary fixtures and process optimization. More importantly, their end-to-end quality inspection ensures highly consistent quality across each batch of parts, which is crucial for the standardized operations and maintenance of our 300+ data centers worldwide. We have now designated Yi Jin as a core supplier and will entrust them with more precision component processing needs in the future. This collaboration, which eliminates the need for repeated quality discussions, allows us to focus more on business expansion.”
Sarah Johnson, Global Director of Engineering, Digital Realty
Core Benefits Review: From Pain Point Resolution to Value Symbiosis
The essence of this collaboration with Digital Realty is to solve the core challenges of precision parts in data centers through “precision craftsmanship + customized services,” ultimately achieving three key benefits:
- Efficiency: Delivery cycles were shortened by 25%, and raw material waste was reduced by 25.7%, helping customers avoid the supply chain pitfalls of slow processing and high costs, and supporting the rapid deployment of global data centers.
- Quality: The defective component rate has been reduced from 25% to below 1%, with 100% tolerance compliance of ±0.05 mm. Surface treatment corrosion resistance (salt spray 480h) and adhesion (Grade 5B) far exceed industry standards, completely eliminating the risk of quality issues impacting the stability of the equipment room.
- Business level: Successfully adapted to 12 newly built data centers, helping reduce the customer’s equipment online failure rate from 0.8% to 0.1%. Moreover, relying on the stable cooperation experience, we became their core supplier, laying the foundation for subsequent business expansion.
For Digital Realty, ZHXING’s sheet metal fabrication services serve not only as a parts’ supplier but also as a guarantor of the reliability of its data center infrastructure. This service leverages its technological prowess to transform high standards into a standard practice, eliminating the need for customers to compromise between precision, efficiency, and weather resistance.
Achieve “Zero Compromise” for Your Precision Machining Needs
If you are facing similar challenges — whether it is precision parts processing in data centers, aerospace, medical equipment and other fields, or the needs of “complex process integration”, “strict tolerance control” and “fast delivery”, ZHXING can provide customized solutions.
Learn more now: Visit ZHXING’s official website () to view more industry cases and process details; submit your requirements through the “Contact Us” section of the official website. A dedicated engineer will contact you within 24 hours to provide a process evaluation and preliminary solution;
Click the “Download Center” on the official website to receive the “Precision Aluminum Alloy Processing Technology White Paper” to master the core technical points of the industry in advance.
Don’t let “machining difficulties” become a bottleneck for your business development. Contact ZHXING now and let us use our 25 years of precision machining experience to “escort” your product reliability and supply chain efficiency.
