Service Built Around How Marine Plate Is Actually Bought
Shipbuilders rarely get to choose the perfect moment to buy plate: schedules slip, drawings change, class surveys land mid-order. Our service model is designed for that reality — a written technical reply to every enquiry, documents issued in the format surveyors ask for, and a claim process you can read before you need it.
From Enquiry to Delivery — Five Stages, Each With a Deliverable
Most plate problems are created before the plate is rolled: a temper chosen for the wrong load case, a tolerance assumed instead of agreed, a certificate format that the surveyor rejects. Each stage below ends with something in writing, so you always know what has been fixed and what is still open.
Enquiry & Specification Review
Send a drawing, a cutting list, or just the application — hull bottoms, superstructure, tank bodies, workboat interiors. Before quoting, we check the specification against how the part will actually be used:
- Grade ↔ application fit (e.g. 5083 for hull structure, 5754 for interior and superstructure sheet work)
- Temper sanity check — H116 vs H321 vs O — against forming, welding and corrosion exposure
- Standard alignment: ASTM B209 / EN 485-2, with DNV-recognised grades for 5083, 5086 and 5754
- Dimensional feasibility against available widths, lengths and thickness programmes
Quotation With the Numbers Separated
Our quotes split the LME-linked metal price from the conversion premium, so you can see what is market and what is manufacturing. Where the spec allows it, we price alternatives — for example 5086 as a lighter-duty option to 5083, or a stocked width that avoids a special mill run.
- Itemised by size, temper, standard and quantity
- Packing method and trade terms (FOB / CIF / agreed Incoterms) stated, not implied
- Production lead time indicated against mill programme, not guessed
Sample & Approval
For new customers and new applications we strongly recommend a sample stage. Samples carry the production heat marking, so lab results map directly onto the batch you will receive.
- Sheet samples for grade, temper and surface evaluation
- Third-party inspection by your appointed agency is welcome — tell us at order stage
- Weldability or formability trials supported with matching temper data from the MTC
Production Follow-Up & Pre-Shipment Check
While your order runs, you get progress updates at the points that matter: material allocated, rolling complete, heat treatment done, sawn to size. Our QC team checks thickness, flatness, surface and edge condition against the order before anything is packed.
- Stage feedback so you can plan crane time and fabrication slots
- Dimensional check against the agreed tolerances, on record
- Photos of marked plates and packed units before container loading
Shipment, Documents & After-Sales
Plates are packed for sea freight — timber crating or pallets, edge protection, moisture barriers as agreed — and loaded with a documented plan. The document pack (see below) is issued with the shipment, and any claim that follows follows the fixed process further down this page.
- Container loading plan, mixed orders consolidated where practical
- Full document pack issued with the shipment
- Arrival follow-up: discrepancies found on receipt go straight into the claim process below
The Document Pack, Item by Item
Surveyors and yard QC departments work from documents. The table lists what comes with an order and when you receive it.
| Document | What it shows | When you receive it |
|---|---|---|
| Mill Test Certificate (per batch) | Heat chemistry and mechanical test results for the exact material shipped, marked with heat and plate numbers | With shipment; draft available before dispatch on request |
| Standard compliance statement | Supply basis: ASTM B209 / EN 485-2, with DNV-recognised marine grades for 5083, 5086 and 5754 | With quotation and with shipment |
| Commercial invoice & packing list | Sizes, quantities, gross/net weights, package numbers matching the physical packing marks | With shipment |
| Certificate of origin | Trade document for customs clearance, where required by your import regime | Arranged on request at order stage |
| Third-party inspection report | Witnessed dimensional or mechanical checks carried out by your appointed inspection agency | Buyer-arranged; coordinated by us at order stage |
Numbers on certificates are production values for the shipped heat. Always confirm final fitness-for-purpose against the MTC that travels with your material.
Sizing Services That Reduce Your Workshop Hours
We supply the material sized and documented for your fabrication shop: cut to length, slit to width, packed for sea freight, with the documents that travel with it.
Cut-to-lengthCut-to-Length Plate & Sheet
Plate from 3 to 50 mm cut to your cutting list, squareness and tolerance agreed at order stage. Less offcut to pay freight on, and less sawing before the plate reaches a machine.
- Standard tolerance ±2 mm
- ±0.2 mm achievable on request, sheet gauges up to 3 mm
- Nested cutting lists accepted
- Offcut policy agreed before cutting
SlittingSlitting for Strip & Coil Work
Coil and sheet up to 3 mm slit into strip widths for narrow parts — tank baffles, trim, brackets and similar components. Width is set to your drawing.
- Thickness range up to 3 mm
- Strip width to your drawing
- Coil or straightened lengths
- Paper interleaving on request
Export packingSeaworthy Packing, Chosen Upfront
Packing method is agreed in the quotation, before loading: timber crates or pallets, edge protectors, surface interleaving and moisture protection matched to the route and your storage conditions.
- Timber crate / pallet options
- Edge & surface protection
- Moisture barrier for sea legs
- Packing photos before dispatch
Container loadingLoading & Consolidation
Plates, sheet packs and coil can be consolidated into one container to save freight, with a documented loading plan covering weight distribution, dunnage and securing.
- Mixed plate + coil loads planned
- Loading photos and dunnage records
- Weight distribution per container rules
- Partial releases for phased projects
Material is supplied in mill finish, sized and documented. Forming, welding, machining and surface treatment sit with your fabrication shop, so the class paperwork chain stays simple: the mill certifies the material, we verify and supply it, your fabricator works it.
A Claim Process You Can Read Before You Need It
Claims turn on documents, so the process is built around what can be evidenced: the order specification, the plate marking and the MTC. Raise an issue as soon as the material allows, ideally before further processing, and it moves through four steps.
Send photos, the plate marking and the MTC heat number. The more of the original packing that stays intact, the faster the case closes.
Our QC team checks the report against the order specification and mill records, and comes back with a technical position in writing.
Where a claim is upheld against the order specification, the remedy — replacement material or a commercial adjustment — is agreed with you in writing.
The case and the agreed remedy are recorded, so the specification on your next order can be corrected if it was the cause.
Service FAQ
How is the price of marine aluminum plate calculated?
Price follows the LME aluminium quotation for the order month plus a conversion premium reflecting alloy, temper, size, quantity and packing. We quote both elements separately so you can see exactly what drives the number — and re-quote quickly when the market moves. For sizing help before you enquire, our weight and plate calculators give you indicative figures.
Can I get samples before placing a full order?
Yes. Small sheet samples for grade and temper evaluation can normally be arranged before the production order is confirmed. We recommend testing against ASTM B209 or EN 485-2 mechanical requirements — sample heat markings let you trace results to your eventual production batch. See the process behind the plate for why temper matters as much as grade.
What documents come with every shipment?
Every order ships with a mill test certificate issued by the producing mill, showing chemistry and mechanical results, plus commercial invoice and packing list. Certificates of origin, third-party inspection reports and other trade documents are arranged on request. The full list is in the document pack table above.
What happens if the material does not meet the specification?
Report the issue with photos, plate marking and the MTC heat number. Our QC team reviews the case against the order specification and mill records, and where a claim is upheld we agree a resolution — replacement material or a commercial adjustment — through the four steps above, in writing.
What to Send With Your Enquiry
Application, drawing or cutting list, grade, temper, sizes and destination port. With those we can quote temper and size alternatives in the first reply.
