Ship plate comes in normal-strength grades A/B/D/E (235 MPa) and high-strength AH32/DH36/EH36 (315-355 MPa) per ASTM A131 and class rules. The 'A' in AH36 is the impact-test temperature (0 °C), D (−20 °C) and E (−40 °C). Yards working on hulls, decks and repairs in the Philippines and Vietnam order plate 3-100 mm with class-endorsed certificates and cut-to-nesting service.
Shipbuilding plate is not ordinary structural plate — every sheet carries a class society's stamp linking it to a heat that passed impact testing at a defined temperature. Shipyards in Cebu, Subic, Haiphong and Vung Tau buy it by the nesting drawing, not by the sheet. Here is the grade map and the supply details that keep a shipyard order moving.
The Grade System: Letters and Numbers Decoded
| Grade | Min Yield | Impact Test | Typical Position on Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|
| A / B / D / E | 235 MPa | A: none · B: 0 °C · D: −20 °C · E: −40 °C | Hull sides above waterline, superstructure |
| AH32 / DH32 / EH32 | 315 MPa | 0 / −20 / −40 °C | High-strength hull, deck plating |
| AH36 / DH36 / EH36 | 355 MPa | 0 / −20 / −40 °C | Strength decks, bottom shell, ice-strengthened areas |
First letter = strength (A/32/36); second letter = impact temperature. A Philippine yard repairing hull sides orders A or B; a hull bottom in cold-service fleet spec takes DH36 or EH36.
Sizes and Conditions
- Thickness: 3–100 mm; widths 1500–3000 mm; lengths to 12 m (or nesting-optimized).
- Through-thickness (Z) quality: Z15/Z25/Z35 for heavily welded joints — specify on the order, it is a separate test.
- Surface: shot-blasted SA2.5 + 60–80 µm epoxy shop primer on request — plate arrives ready for the yard's welding lines.
- Cut-to-nesting: send the DXF nesting file; we plasma/flame cut parts ±1–2 mm so the yard welds, not cuts. See processing services.
Certificates: What Shipyards Actually Require
- Mill test certificate 3.1 per heat — chemistry, mechanicals, impact energy at the grade temperature.
- Class society endorsement (ABS, DNV, LR, BV, CCS, KR) — surveyor witnesses tests at the mill and stamps the certificate. This is the "ABS plate" buyers mean: plate certified to ABS rules, not plate bought from ABS.
- Heat number traceability from certificate to stenciled plate — the yard's QC will check this at receiving.
Supply from Foshan
We supply ship plate via partner mills rolling to ASTM A131 with ABS/LR/BV/DNV class endorsement: 3–100 mm thick, cut-to-nesting, blasted and primed. MOQ 5 t for plate orders; mixed containers with checkered plate, angles and beams for yard maintenance packages are standard practice. Destinations served: Manila, Cebu, Subic, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh, and Gulf shipyards — shipping and document guide →
Yard order or repair job — send the nesting file
Grade, thickness list and class requirement to [email protected] or WhatsApp +86 191 5745 8011 — quotation with class-certified material, cut-to-nesting and FOB/CIF in one working day.
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