20.09.2023 - Aluminium Association
The NEVA 2023 International Expo and Conference on Civil Shipbuilding, Shipping, Port Operations, and Ocean and Shelf Development is taking place in St. Petersburg. The Aluminium Association booth showcases innovative aluminium solutions for shipbuilding.
Aluminium is the primary material for small and medium-sized ships in Russia. “Using aluminium alloys en-able to build cost-efficient ships meeting the customer specifications. They are lighter, consume less fuel, and are more environmentally friendly", notes Viktor Ivanenko, Head of Shipbuilding, Aluminium Associa-tion.
The Aluminium Association is studying the samples of rolled products made from the new 1581 aluminium-scandium alloy. It can reduce the hull weight by up to 14%, and the total ship weight (excluding the engine) by up to 10%.
Large welded lightweight panels manufactured by friction stir welding (FSW) are becoming increasingly prevalent in shipbuilding. Such panels result in a lighter ship design and reduce the assembly time, thereby cutting manufacturing costs while enhancing the ship's performance. Welded aluminium pipes made from the AMg6 alloy are in high demand. They are used in many ship systems.
The booth also featured samples of aluminium components made with additive manufacturing (3D printing). They are made by selective laser melting and wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM).