Stell Aluminum Cross Contamination 1

[AlgNavArc]

Hi,
My clients have a contract in place to build ships with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. The two parts will be assembled using bi-metal. I am not convinced by the contractor building strategy where the two units are fabricated in the same shop. How severe can the cross contamination be?, Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences are very welcome...Thank you.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Both metals must have finishes applied for sea duty.
The precleaning for that step should remove any contaminants.

Aluminum chips (and especially swarf) need to be removed regularly to minimize the associated fire hazard, which becomes more serious if steel is being cut nearby.

If the shop is reasonably clean, there should be no problem beyond fastener mixups. ... which I don't mean to dismiss as a small risk.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[AlgNavArc]

Thanks Mike. You right, fasteners will be inspected throughouly for dissimilar materials and this is in the plan. Cheers