Al Alloy 5083 for Small Boat Building

Why can't aluminum alloy be used to make large ships? Can big ships only be made of steel? It is true that large ships can only be made of steel, not aluminum alloy like Al alloy 5083 and fiberglass, which is why the aluminum alloy ships we usually see are not very big.

In terms of design, there is not much difference between big and small ships. Load-bearing, sealing, and strength are all issues that need to be considered. When building a large ship, full-through girders must be added to increase strength, so the thickness of the hull plate needs to be increased to increase the load-bearing capacity.

Heavier and thicker plates require more aluminum alloys to make aluminum alloy boats. The price of aluminum alloys on the market is much higher than that of steel, except for special steel, but large ships will not use such a large amount of special steel. If a freighter of hundreds of thousands of tons is made entirely of aluminum alloy, the cost will be too expensive.

Marine aluminum plate are often used to make yachts, fish boat, sailboat, catamaran,etc. It is regarded as a better material than FRP. What are the advantages of boats made of aluminum alloys?

1. Sailing cost: Under the same size and structural strength, the weight of an aluminum alloy boat is only about half of that of a fiberglass boat. Lighter weight makes aluminum alloy boats more fuel efficient than fiberglass boats.

2. Maneuverability and stability: Due to the light weight of aluminum alloy boats, aluminum alloy boats are relatively excellent in maneuverability and maneuverability. On the contrary, fiberglass boats have better seakeeping due to their heavier weight and are relatively stable in poor sea conditions.

3. Mobility: Due to the limited berths in water, high cost of berthing and maintenance, and the rising demand for motorized ships, more and more ships are parked on land. Aluminum boats are easier to disembark than fiberglass boats because of their light weight.

4. Maintenance cost: The contact between aluminum alloy and air will form a hard and corrosion-resistant protective layer on the surface. This feature allows aluminum alloy boats to have a certain degree of self-repair ability, and general scratches or collisions do not require special care and maintenance.

5. Second-hand price: Due to easy maintenance, long service life, and easy inspection of internal and external damage, the depreciation of aluminum alloy boats is less, and the second-hand price is higher than that of fiberglass boats. Therefore, 5083 aluminum welding, as a main aluminum alloy for shipbuilding, has a very promising market.