Decoration & branding
Badge / Hat Pin (Die-Cast Enamel Badge)
A small identity or decorative badge fixed to a cap panel, lapel, pocket or bag strap with a pin or clutch. Zinc die casting gives real 3D relief and cut-outs that stamped iron cannot, and accepts soft enamel, imitation hard enamel, printing or an epoxy dome.
Overview
- Made by
- Qinxi in-house
- Materials
- Zinc alloy (Zamak 3 / Zamak 5), Iron / brass (die-struck version), Soft or imitation hard enamel, Epoxy resin dome, Butterfly clutch, rubber clutch, safety pin or magnet backing
- Finish options
- Shiny gold, Antique brass, Antique silver, Nickel, Black nickel, Gunmetal, Dyed black, Two-tone plating, Sandblasted or brushed background
- Customization
- 2D or 3D relief, Cut-out silhouette, Imitation hard enamel (polished flat) or soft enamel, Printed artwork with epoxy dome, Back stamping: logo, numbering, individual serial, Choice of clutch, safety pin, tie tack or magnet
Applications
- Baseball capsPin badge on the front panel or side seam; the pin must not pierce the sweatband or scratch the wearer
- Work capsCompany or union badge; usually hard-wearing imitation hard enamel with a safety-pin fitting
- Coats & jacketsLapel or chest badge; back fitting is usually a butterfly clutch on a soldered post
- Denim & workwearJacket pocket and back-yoke badges; wash and abrasion resistance decide the finish choice
- BackpacksBadge on a webbing loop or front pocket; rotating fitting helps it sit flat on a moving strap
- HandbagsRemovable magnetic or clutch badge; magnetic backings need a safety check when the bag is marketed to children
Selection tips
- Choose the enamel type by duty cycle: soft enamel is cheaper and shows raised metal lines; imitation hard enamel is polished flat and is the usual choice for long-service awards and workwear.
- Size follows detail: simple logos read fine from about 20 mm; once text or fine linework is added, plan roughly 25-38 mm or the artwork collapses.
- Specify the back fitting together with the badge - the fitting is what customers actually complain about, not the artwork.
- Batches of antique and dyed finishes vary naturally; sign a sample per colour and agree an acceptable range before bulk.
- Badges on children's wear or on children's bags should be treated as children's products: lead limits apply and small magnets are separately regulated in the US.
Manufacturing process & quality control points
- 1
The artwork is laid out as a vector with fixed Pantone colours and metal line widths. Enamel cells need metal walls between colours; lines below roughly 0.5 mm break away in casting and in polishing.
Quality control points
- Colour layout and minimum metal line width · Design review and 1:1 proof print · Each new tool or project
- 2
The relief is engraved into a hardened steel mould and parts are die cast, then de-gated and tumbled. Face defects left here cannot be removed later by polishing or plating.
Quality control points
- Face porosity, cold-shut and flash · Visual check under 600-1000 lx, 300 mm distance · Per lot, AQL 2.5 (ISO 2859-1 general level II)
- 3
Polishing and plating
Supply chain / partnersParts are polished, then plated to the chosen colour. Antique finishes are deliberately darkened and then relieved on the highlights, which is why antique colour consistency between batches must be controlled with a signed sample.
Quality control points
- Plating colour and antique consistency · D65 light box vs approved sample · One set per plating colour per batch
- Coating adhesion · Cross-cut and tape test (ISO 2409) · One sample set per batch
- 4
Enamel fill, baking and optional epoxy
Supply chain / partnersColour is dispensed into the recesses, baked, and - for imitation hard enamel - ground flat and re-polished before final plating. Soft enamel keeps the metal lines raised and may be covered with an epoxy dome.
Quality control points
- Colour match and bleed between cells · 10x loupe and light-box comparison · Per lot, AQL 2.5 (ISO 2859-1 general level II)
- Fill level and surface flatness · Visual check under 600-1000 lx, 300 mm distance · Per lot, AQL 2.5 (ISO 2859-1 general level II)
- 5
Back fitting and packing
Supply chain / partnersPosts are soldered or riveted and the chosen fitting - butterfly clutch, rubber clutch, safety pin, tie tack or magnet - is attached. Fittings and magnets are bought-in items; assembly and 100% packing inspection are handled by the supply chain.
Quality control points
- Post and clutch retention · Universal tensile machine, 50 mm/min, record peak and failure mode · Per lot, AQL 2.5 (ISO 2859-1 general level II)
- Sharp point and burr check · Manual touch check plus visual, pin must not snag · Per lot, AQL 2.5 (ISO 2859-1 general level II)
- 6
Ferrous check for garment lines
Supply chain / partnersGarment factories pass finished garments through needle detectors to find broken needle fragments. A badge that is strongly ferrous or that sits over a seam can trigger false alarms, so buyers ask trims to be checked on the actual detector before bulk shipment.
Quality control points
- Needle-detector behaviour · Ferrous check with a magnet, and needle-detector pass test on a trial piece · One sample set per batch
Relevant compliance
- EU REACH (SVHC)
EU
All metal & plastic parts, electroplated components and fabric coatings
- US CPSIA (children's products)
US
Children's products including children's umbrellas
- California Proposition 65
US
All products sold into California containing listed chemicals
- Nickel release (REACH Annex XVII Entry 27)
EU
Nickel-plated metal parts in prolonged & direct skin contact (handles, shafts, rings)
Get a quote for badge / hat pin (die-cast enamel badge)
Custom shapes, finishes and logos. Email us your artwork or sample photos.