GNEE Aluminum has shipped 120 sheets of 3 mm 5083-H116 aluminum plate - 3 mm × 2000 mm × 8000 mm, about 15.3 metric tons in total - to an aluminum fishing boat builder in Vietnam, supplied to ASTM B928 with EN 10204 3.1 certification.
GNEE Aluminum has completed production and loading of an export order of 3 mm 5083-H116 aluminum plate for an aluminum fishing boat builder in Vietnam. The order covers 120 full-size sheets at 3 mm × 2000 mm × 8000 mm, roughly 15.3 metric tons, and is going into side shell plating, watertight bulkheads and engine room casings on 12–20 m fishing boats and patrol boats. The yard set three conditions before releasing the order: a marine-grade temper that holds up in warm seawater, flatness good enough to weld without an unplanned leveling pass, and a mill certificate its class surveyor would accept without ordering a re-test.
Vietnam's boatbuilding sector is built around a large offshore fishing fleet, coastal patrol and law-enforcement craft, and a growing number of small shipyards moving from wooden hulls to aluminum. Fabricators here typically run 30–300 people and work through the 3–8 mm gauge range, with 5083-H116 and 5083-H321 the two tempers asked for by name. Two requirements shape almost every inquiry. First, class paperwork: hulls are built under CCS, BV or NK survey, so the mill test certificate must trace to a heat number the attending surveyor accepts, and the intergranular corrosion result that defines H116 has to appear on it. Second, logistics: Vietnamese yards run short production cycles and prefer mixed containers - two or three gauges, or plate plus profiles - over a single-spec mill run they would have to store for months.
Why 3 mm Aluminum Plate Was Specified for a 12–20 m Hull
Thickness selection on a 12–20 m aluminum hull is mostly a weight-versus-dent-resistance trade-off. At 5083's density of 2.66 g/cm³, every additional 1 mm of plate adds about 2.66 kg per square meter. Taking a 12 m hull from 3 mm to 4 mm shell plate means carrying that extra mass over the whole wetted area, and the yard pays for it in payload, fuel burn and top speed. Three millimeters remains sufficient for the side shell, watertight bulkheads and engine room casings on a boat of this length, provided the framing spacing is designed for it. Heavier gauges come in where loading is concentrated: 4–5 mm through the wave-impact zone along the bow and waterline, 6 mm and above on hatch coamings, deck stringers and the strengthening bands around openings.
The trade-off at 3 mm is distortion. Thin shell plate welded from both sides pulls out of flat, and the yard's standard remedy is mechanical leveling after welding. That is why incoming flatness matters more at this gauge than at 6 mm: a sheet that arrives already wavy costs the yard a leveling pass it had not scheduled.
Customer Technical Requirements for 3 mm 5083-H116 Aluminum Plate
Before the order was released, the yard submitted a shell expansion drawing and a written inspection clause naming BV. Three points were settled in writing. Temper: H116 rather than H321, because the boats work continuously in warm seawater and the yard wanted the temper whose intergranular corrosion performance is verified on the certificate rather than inferred. Tolerance: thickness to EN 485-2 and flatness to the EN 485 flatness class, so panels butt up on the welding bed without shimming. Certificate: EN 10204 3.1 with heat number, chemical analysis, tensile results and the ASTM G67 result recorded, so the surveyor can sign the plate off on the mill paperwork.
Specification for the 5083-H116 Aluminum Plate
| Product | 5083-H116 marine aluminum plate |
|---|---|
| Alloy | 5083 (5xxx Al–Mg) |
| Temper | H116 |
| Standard | BV |
| Dimensions | 3 mm × 2000 mm × 8000 mm |
| Order Quantity | 120 sheets (approx. 15.3 metric tons) |
| Unit Weight | approx. 127.7 kg per sheet |
| Application | Side shell plating, watertight bulkheads, engine room casings - 12–20 m fishing boats and patrol boats |
| Surface Finish | Mill finish, both sides |
| Destination | Vietnam |
| Lead Time | 15–30 days after order confirmation |
| MTC | EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate (3.2 and third-party inspection available on request) |
Quality Control Applied to This 5083-H116 Aluminum Plate
Every sheet in this order was produced and inspected under GNEE's standard quality system, from incoming ingot verification to final dimensional and visual checks. Mill test certificates to EN 10204 3.1 are issued for each heat number, and 3.2 certification with third-party inspection (SGS, BV or the buyer's nominated inspector) can be arranged on request. The following items were applied to this lot and recorded in the mill test report:
Chemical Composition of 5083 Aluminum Alloy (EN 573-3)
|
Element |
Symbol |
Composition (wt. %) |
|---|---|---|
|
Magnesium |
Mg |
4.0–4.9 |
|
Manganese |
Mn |
0.4–1.0 |
|
Chromium |
Cr |
0.05–0.25 |
|
Silicon |
Si |
≤ 0.40 |
|
Iron |
Fe |
≤ 0.40 |
|
Copper |
Cu |
≤ 0.10 |
|
Zinc |
Zn |
≤ 0.25 |
Intergranular corrosion test per ASTM G67 - The requirement that defines the H116 temper under ASTM B928, at a maximum mass loss of 15 mg/cm². It is the result a class surveyor looks for first on a 5xxx hull plate.
Tensile test to ASTM B928 - Confirms the plate meets the mechanical properties of the ordered temper. Values typically reported for 5083-H116 plate are around 303 MPa tensile and 214 MPa yield; the actual figures for each heat are printed on the EN 10204 3.1 certificate.
Thickness and flatness gauging per EN 485-2 / EN 485-3 - Verifies the tolerance class agreed with the yard, so the sheet lies flat on the welding bed and fits the yard's cut plan.
Visual and edge inspection of both faces - Checks surface condition and edge quality for welding readiness; at 3 mm, surface damage is a larger fraction of the section than on heavier plate.
Heat-number traceability - Each bundle is labeled so any sheet can be traced back to its cast, its test report and its position in the certificate set.
Ultrasonic inspection per ASTM B594 - Applied on heavier plate gauges where the customer specifies it; at 3 mm the practical screening is the dimensional, surface and certificate checks above.
Welding and Flattening Notes for 3 mm Marine Aluminum Plate
Two fabrication notes went out with this lot. Filler metal: 5083 plate is welded with an Al–Mg filler - ER5183 where the joint needs to match the parent plate in strength and corrosion behavior, ER5356 where a slightly lower-strength but more crack-tolerant deposit is preferred. ER4043, an Al–Si filler, is not used on 5xxx marine hull plate; the silicon it introduces into the fusion zone is not the metallurgy this service calls for.
Distortion: 3 mm shell plate welded from both sides will pull out of flat. Where the panel is welded in a jig with balanced sequencing and controlled heat input, the amount of mechanical leveling afterwards drops noticeably. Starting flatness on the delivered sheet is what makes the difference, which is why the flatness class was written into the order.
Export Packaging and Container Loading for 3 mm Aluminum Plate to Vietnam
Each 3 mm × 2000 mm × 8000 mm sheet weighs about 127.7 kg, so 120 sheets come to roughly 15.3 metric tons. The 8 000 mm sheet length determines the container: it does not fit a 20-foot container, whose internal length is about 5 900 mm, so the lot was shipped in a 40-foot container with an internal length above 12 000 mm. Sheets were interleaved with paper, strapped in bundles on heat-treated timber skids (ISPM 15) with edge protection, wrapped against moisture, and labeled with heat number, size and net / gross weight so the yard can match each bundle to its certificate on arrival. Packing list, commercial invoice, bill of lading and the EN 10204 3.1 MTC were prepared as one consistent set, and packing photographs are shared before the container is sealed.
Available Sizes of 5083-H116 Marine Aluminum Plate from GNEE
In addition to the 3 mm × 2000 mm × 8000 mm lot above, GNEE supplies aluminum plate across the ranges below. For a 12–20 m hull the gauges usually ordered together are 3 mm shell, 4–5 mm through the wave-impact zone and 6 mm for hatch coamings and deck stringers - loaded in one container. Custom sizes can be produced to drawing; share your required alloy, temper and dimensions for a quotation.
| Dimension type | Typical range | Tolerance standard |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness (sheet) | 0.5 – 6 mm | EN 485-2 / ASTM B209 |
| Thickness (plate) | 6 – 200 mm | EN 485-2 / ASTM B209 |
| Width | up to 2600 mm | ± width class per EN 485 |
| Length | up to 12000 mm | ± length class per EN 485 |
| Tread / checkered plate | 1.5 – 10 mm × 1000 – 2000 mm | EN 1386 |
| Flatness | per EN 485 flatness class | EN 485-3 |
About GNEE Aluminum
GNEE Aluminum (established in 2008, Anyang, Henan, China) exports aluminum products to 100+ countries and regions. Common sizes and tempers are kept in stock; both large and small orders are accepted; the technical team assists with alloy and temper selection based on service conditions. Standard and custom dimensions can be produced to drawing for fast turnaround. Typical lead time is 15–30 days. Every shipment is backed by an EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate (3.2 and third-party inspection available on request), and the technical team supports alloy selection, tolerance definition and inspection planning for each order. GNEE works with compliant destinations and eligible end-users only.
FAQ
What standard and certificate apply to 3 mm 5083-H116 aluminum plate?
The plate is supplied to ASTM B928, the marine-grade aluminum plate specification, with chemical composition to EN 573-3 and dimensional and flatness tolerances to EN 485-2 and EN 485-3. Each shipment carries an EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate recording the heat number, chemical analysis, tensile results and the ASTM G67 intergranular corrosion result. EN 10204 3.2 certification and third-party inspection can be arranged on request.
Which filler wire should be used to weld 3 mm 5083-H116 aluminum plate?
Use an Al-Mg filler: ER5183 where the weld needs to match the parent plate in strength and corrosion behavior, or ER5356 where a slightly lower-strength but more crack-tolerant deposit is preferred. ER4043, an Al-Si filler, is not used on 5xxx marine hull plate. Filler selection should be confirmed against the yard's own welding procedure specification.
Can 3 mm and 5 mm aluminum plate be mixed in one container to Vietnam?
Yes. Mixed containers carrying two or three gauges, or plate together with extruded profiles, are loaded to a packing plan agreed before loading. This is the arrangement most Vietnamese yards ask for, because it lets them cover shell plate and the wave-impact zone on the same boat without storing a single-spec mill run for months.
What is the lead time and minimum order quantity for 5083-H116 aluminum plate?
Typical lead time is 15-30 days after order confirmation. MOQ is flexible - both small trial orders and large-volume orders are accepted. Common marine gauges are kept in stock, and custom dimensions can be produced to drawing.
How is 5083-H116 aluminum plate priced?
Quotations are benchmarked to the SMM (Shanghai Nonferrous Metals) aluminum price plus processing, packing and finishing, and are issued FOB or CIF as agreed. Quotation validity follows movement in the benchmark, so the price is confirmed in writing at the time of the inquiry.
