Ship aluminum profiles are a commonly used material in the process of ship construction and repair. They have the characteristics of light weight, high strength, and corrosion resistance. Extruded aluminum profiles are widely used in the manufacture and maintenance of structural components such as hulls, cabins, and decks. They can greatly reduce the weight of ships and improve the navigation speed and fuel economy of ships.

Ship extruded aluminum profiles can be classified into the following types according to their shape and use

1. Hull structure profiles: Hull structure profiles are mainly used for the construction and maintenance of hulls, including hull outer plates, inner panels, hull frames and supporting structures. Common aluminum profiles include H-type, I-type, square, round, and plate profiles, which have the characteristics of high strength and corrosion resistance.

Among them, the thickness of the plate is determined by the hull structure, ship specifications, and the use of the part, usually using thin plates of more than 3mm and thick plates of more than 30mm. In addition, in order to reduce welds, 2.0m wide aluminum plates are often used, while large ships use 2.5m wide aluminum plates. The length is generally 6m. Some special specifications of plates are also used according to the shipyard contract, which can be customized according to customer needs.

2. Cabin decoration profiles: Cabin decoration profiles are mainly used for decoration and assembly inside the cabin, including partitions, decorative panels, door and window frames, etc. These profiles usually need to have good corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and also meet the aesthetic and comfort requirements of the cabin interior.

3. Ship equipment support profiles: Ship equipment support profiles are mainly used to support and fix equipment and accessories on board, including pipe brackets, electrical equipment supports, mechanical equipment installation brackets, etc. These profiles need to have good rigidity and load-bearing capacity, and can adapt to the working environment of ships under high-speed navigation and wave impact.

Commonly used aluminum alloys in shipbuilding include aluminum-magnesium alloys, aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloys and aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloys. Specific grades such as 5052, 5083, 5454, 6061, 6063, etc. have good corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and welding properties, and are the main materials for manufacturing hull structures. 6063 marine aluminum alloy is often used to manufacture parts such as portholes in the superstructure of ships.

Features of marine-grade aluminum profiles

1. Corrosion resistance: The aluminum oxide film formed on the surface of aluminum can effectively resist seawater erosion, and combined with anodizing technology, it remains stable.

2. Lightweight: The density of aluminum is only one-third of that of iron, which reduces the weight of the hull and improves ship speed and fuel economy.

3. High strength: Through the addition of alloy elements and optimization of processing technology, aluminum profiles have high strength and meet the requirements of mechanical properties.

4. Easy to process: A variety of processing methods can be used to adapt to different structures and equipment requirements, and it is easy to cut, weld and surface treat.

5. Good welding performance: Good welding crack resistance, stable welding joint performance, suitable for ship welding operations.

Marine-grade extruded aluminum profile application areas

Aircraft carriers: The application parts range from take-off and landing decks to cabin decorations and kitchen equipment.

Speedboats and high-speed boats: There are high requirements for speed. Aluminum hulls can reduce weight and increase speed without changing power.

Workboats: Aluminum hulls do not require much maintenance, are durable and travel at a high speed, which can improve the work efficiency of marine industry practitioners.

LNG cargo ships: As LNG tanks, they perform well under low temperature conditions, are light in weight and resistant to seawater corrosion.

Aluminum profile production process

1. Raw material preparation

Select aluminum alloy grades suitable for ship use (such as 5083, 6061, 6082), melt aluminum ingots in a smelting furnace, add alloy elements and remove impurities.

2. Casting

(1) Aluminum alloy ingots are made through continuous or semi-continuous casting processes.

(2) Homogenization heat treatment to improve material uniformity.

3. Extrusion molding

Design and manufacture high-precision molds according to the cross-sectional shape of the ship aluminum profile. Heat the ingot to 400-500℃ and form it through an extruder to form the required profile cross-section. Control the temperature, speed and pressure during the extrusion process to ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the profile.

4. Heat treatment

Heat treatment is performed according to the type of aluminum alloy (such as T5, T6 state), including quenching and aging.

5. Surface treatment

Acid and alkali cleaning, anodizing and spraying or electrophoretic coating are performed to improve corrosion resistance and aesthetics.

6. Finishing

Includes cutting, punching, bending and welding to ensure that it meets assembly requirements and strictly checks the size and shape.

7. Quality inspection

(1) Appearance inspection: Check whether the surface is flat, crack-free, pore-free and color-free.

(2) Mechanical property test: Including tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc.

(3) Corrosion performance test: Test corrosion resistance through salt spray test, etc.

(4) Dimension detection: Use precision measuring tools to check the geometric dimensions and tolerances of the profile.

8. Packaging and delivery

Moisture-proof and anti-collision packaging, with a certificate of conformity and material performance report, to avoid oxidation and deformation during transportation.