Marine
Marine aluminium castings from Norway
Marine aluminium castings are our strongest reference: for more than ten years we have supplied cast aluminium parts to West Mekan Produksjon, which makes furniture and passenger seating for ferries and passenger vessels.
Common failure points
- Salt atmosphere attacks alloys with high copper content — the alloy choice decides service life
- Galvanic corrosion where aluminium meets stainless fasteners
- Fire requirements in passenger vessel interiors — metal does not burn, plastic must be documented
- Weight high in the vessel affects stability and fuel consumption
- Traceability and documentation down the supply chain towards yards and class societies
- Spare parts must still be deliverable in ten years, from the same tool
Why casting
Marine fittings have complex interfaces: they must meet a profile, a plate and an upholstery panel at three different angles. That is one casting, or four sheet parts and six welds. The casting has no heat-affected zone, no weld seam collecting salt, and identical dimensions in every part through the whole series.
What the industry needs
Vessel interiors and outfitting need fittings and brackets in seating and furniture, mounts and hinges, and enclosures for equipment on board. Interiors are where our experience lies, through more than ten years of supplying cast aluminium parts to West Mekan Produksjon, which makes ferry and passenger furniture.
Structural, class-approved castings for hull and propulsion are a different discipline, with a different documentation regime. That is not what we do.
What makes the requirements special
Corrosion is an alloy question first. A common mistake is to select an alloy for castability and hope the coating saves the part. In a salt atmosphere the copper content of the alloy matters a great deal for corrosion resistance. If the part will sit exposed on deck, this has to be settled before the tool is designed, not after the first winter.
Galvanic contact. Aluminium against a stainless bolt in salt water is a battery, and the aluminium loses. The remedies are insulating washers, the right coating in the contact face, or moving the material boundary out of the wet zone. That is a design decision, and it belongs on the drawing.
Fire in interiors. Passenger vessels have requirements for interior materials. A cast metal part does not burn. That is a concrete argument for metal over reinforced plastic in this particular industry.
Spare parts for many years. A vessel lives for decades, and the tool has to remain runnable long after the main series has shipped. With us the customer owns the tool, and we maintain it.
Why we fit
- The experience exists. More than ten years of cast aluminium parts for West Mekan Produksjon.
- A short run for Norwegian customers. We are based in Råde, Østfold, in south-east Norway.
- One supplier for the whole chain. Casting, heat treatment, machining and blasting are part of our delivery. Anodising and powder coating are done by sub-suppliers we coordinate.
What has to be clarified
Which alloy suits marine use, which corrosion documentation you need, and whether the part requires class society approval are settled for the specific part. Tell us what you need in the enquiry and you will get a straight answer on what we can document. Parts we have supplied to other industries are listed under product examples.
Marine
Marine aluminium castings: corrosion is an alloy question first.
“As a manufacturer of ferry and passenger seating sold worldwide, it is essential that our subcontractors deliver the best quality on competitive terms. For more than 10 years Rolvsøy Metallindustri AS has supplied cast aluminium parts to West Mekan Produksjon AS.”
Will the part sit outside or inside?
That is the first thing we ask. Send the drawing with the location on board and the fastener material, and we will answer on alloy choice and surface treatment.
Send the drawing
We look at the part and the requirements before we work out a price, and tell you if casting is not the right method.