In the demanding world of shipbuilding and offshore engineering, high strength structural steel plates such as AH36, DH36, and EH36 play a crucial role in ensuring vessel integrity and long term reliability. These steel grades are widely used in hull structures, deck components, offshore platform legs, subsea modules, and heavy load bearing applications. Their performance directly influences the safety and durability of maritime projects. As a global supplier, sakysteel has established a comprehensive and highly controlled manufacturing system that ensures consistent quality from raw material selection to final inspection. This article explains how the company maintains strict standards throughout each production stage.
Shipbuilding steel must meet strict requirements for:
High yield strength
Excellent impact toughness
Reliable weldability
Stable chemical composition
Defect free internal structure
Any deviation from these properties can compromise the safety of a vessel or offshore structure. Therefore, consistency is not optional but a core requirement for AH36 DH36 EH36 production.
Quality assurance begins with the careful selection of raw materials. SakySteel works closely with certified steelmaking partners and conducts thorough inspections on each batch of input materials.
Chemical composition verification
Inclusion control
Furnace batch traceability
Cleanliness level evaluation
Only materials that meet classification society standards such as ABS, DNV, LR, and CCS are accepted for further processing.
To ensure stable chemistry and mechanical performance, sakysteel relies on controlled steelmaking technologies such as:
Basic Oxygen Furnace BOF
Electric Arc Furnace EAF
Ladle Furnace LF refining
Vacuum Degassing VD
These processes help remove impurities, adjust alloy content, and ensure low sulfur and phosphorus levels. Clean refining leads to a uniform microstructure essential for high strength marine plates.
Improved toughness
Higher cleanliness
Reduced gas content
Stable chemical accuracy
Chemical stability is the foundation of consistent AH36 DH36 EH36 steel properties.
After steelmaking, molten steel is cast into slabs. SakySteel’s casting process includes:
Automatic mold level control
Oscillation and cooling regulation
Surface crack and segregation monitoring
This ensures slabs with excellent internal quality and minimal defects. Slabs are later conditioned to remove minor imperfections before entering rolling lines.
High strength shipbuilding plates depend heavily on the rolling process. SakySteel utilizes controlled rolling technology to achieve desired thickness, width, and microstructure.
Multi stand automated rolling lines
Real time thickness and width monitoring
Temperature tracking at each rolling stage
Deformation control for uniform grain refinement
Hot rolling not only shapes the plates but also determines their mechanical performance. Uniform rolling enhances structural reliability throughout the entire plate.
Cooling plays a critical role in defining final steel properties. SakySteel applies both laminar flow cooling and accelerated cooling depending on the grade and specification.
Fine grained microstructure
Improved toughness
Higher yield strength
Reduced residual stress
Accurate cooling ensures that AH36 DH36 EH36 plates meet their respective impact requirements at 0℃, 20℃, and 40℃.
Depending on customer needs and classification society rules, sakysteel offers different heat treatment options:
Improves structural uniformity and toughness.
Enhances strength while improving weldability.
Maximizes strength and impact resistance, especially for EH36 used in harsh marine environments.
Heat treatment is closely monitored to ensure precise temperature control and consistent furnace performance.
Internal defects can significantly reduce fatigue resistance and structural performance. SakySteel performs ultrasonic testing for every batch of AH36 DH36 EH36 plates.
Laminations
Inclusions
Internal cracks
Rolling defects
Testing follows standards such as EN 10160, ASTM A578, and class society requirements. Automated UT lines ensure full plate coverage and reliable results.
Before delivery, each plate undergoes rigorous surface and dimension checks.
Visual inspection for cracks, pits, or scale
Surface conditioning if required
Edge and corner evaluation
Thickness tolerance
Width and length verification
Flatness measurement according to EN 10029
Straightness inspection
These checks ensure the plates meet manufacturing specifications for shipbuilding applications.
Mechanical performance is validated through laboratory testing, including:
Tensile tests
Yield strength verification
Elongation measurements
Impact testing at required temperatures
Hardness evaluation
Each lot must pass all tests before release. Results are recorded in the Material Test Certificate MTC for customer traceability.
SakySteel production is aligned with major class societies:
ABS American Bureau of Shipping
DNV
Lloyds Register
Bureau Veritas
CCS China Classification Society
Compliance ensures that plates are suitable for global shipyards and offshore engineering projects.
Traceability is essential for high quality marine steel. SakySteel provides:
Heat number tracking
Rolling and heat treatment records
NDT reports
Mechanical property documentation
MTC EN10204 3.1 certification
Complete documentation ensures transparency and reliability.
Even after production, SakySteel ensures quality during transportation.
Protective packaging to prevent corrosion
Edge protection for safe handling
Anti rust coating
Secure loading for sea and land transport
This minimizes damage during international shipments.
SakySteel values long term relationships with shipyards and engineering companies. Customer feedback is continually analyzed to improve production processes, enhance product performance, and develop better inspection routines.
This cycle of improvement ensures long lasting consistency and customer satisfaction.
Consistency in AH36 DH36 EH36 production requires strict control over every stage of manufacturing, from raw material selection to final inspection. Through advanced steelmaking processes, precision rolling, controlled cooling, rigorous testing, and complete documentation, sakysteel guarantees that each plate meets the highest standards of quality and reliability. As global demand for high performance shipbuilding steel continues to rise, SakySteel remains committed to delivering dependable materials that support safer and more efficient marine engineering projects.