Clad Steel Plates can solve almost any problem designers face when working in demanding industries such as construction and chemical processing.
Cladding Plate is more corrosion-resistant steel and a stronger, less costly metal to produce. But before we discuss the benefits of using clad steel, let's get a clear definition.
As a leading manufacturer of cladding plates, KLS offers a wide range of material combinations, including stainless steel clad plates, titanium clad plates, copper clad plates, and nickel clad plates.
In addition to our manufacturing capabilities, we maintain a reliable stock of titanium alloy and nickel alloy plates. For specific products such as titanium and nickel alloy clad plates, we offer rapid delivery to meet urgent project timelines and ensure uninterrupted supply for our customers.
Clad Steel Plate
There are various processes for carbon steel cladding, such as hot rolled bonding, cold-rolled bonding, explosion bonding, brazing, welded cladding, weld overlay, and centrifugal casting. Hot-rolled bonding is the process generally used. In this process, clean sheets of carbon steel and stainless steel are placed together, (single-sided cladding), or sandwiched between two stainless steel sheets (double-sided cladding). The laminates are hot rolled together.
The stainless steel cladding process results in a bond between the two metals. Another manufacturing method includes explosive bonding. This bonding is produced by the plastic deformation of the metals due to the strong collision during the explosive bonding process. Sometimes, the explosive bonding is followed by a hot rolling process to improve the bond between the carbon steel and the stainless steel.
The integrity, durability, and performance of clad steel are closely tied to the precision and quality of its manufacturing process. The primary production methods include:
Explosion Bonding (Explosive Welding): This technique harnesses the force of a controlled detonation to accelerate and collide two dissimilar metal plates at high velocity. The resulting metallurgical bond is exceptionally strong and allows for the joining of metals that are otherwise difficult to weld using conventional methods.
Hot Roll Bonding: In this widely used method, thoroughly cleaned slabs of base metal and cladding material are stacked, heated in a furnace, and then passed through a rolling mill. The intense pressure and elevated temperature forge the metals into a single, integrated plate. This process is especially suitable for large-scale, continuous production.
Weld Overlay: This process involves applying a corrosion-resistant or wear-resistant alloy onto the surface of a base metal using specialized welding techniques. It is ideal for applications requiring localized protection or restoration of worn components.
Clad plate is used in various applications such as chemical processes, petroleum refining, offshore oil production, etc. It is also used in power generation installations, where there are high temperatures and stress corrosion. Key applications include:
Pressure Vessels & Storage Tanks: Extensively used in the oil, gas, and chemical industries for constructing reactors, heat exchangers, separators, and storage tanks. The corrosion-resistant cladding protects against aggressive media, while the carbon steel base ensures structural strength at a lower cost.
Marine Engineering & Desalination: Its exceptional resistance to saltwater corrosion makes clad steel ideal for shipbuilding, offshore platforms, and desalination equipment, where long-term durability is essential.
Power Generation: Utilized in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems, scrubbers, and heat exchangers within power plants, clad steel offers reliable performance under high temperatures and corrosive environments.
Transportation: Aluminum-steel clad plates combine light weight with high strength and are widely used in railcars, shipping containers, and selected aerospace components, where performance and weight reduction are both critical.
Architecture & Construction: In projects demanding both strength and aesthetic appeal, stainless steel-clad plates offer a cost-efficient alternative to solid stainless steel—ideal for facades, structural supports, and industrial flooring.
Clad steel sheets are classified as composite steels and are created by bonding two or more metals together. Typical cladding materials on steel sheets include stainless steel, nickel, copper, high nickel alloys and copper-nickel alloys. Cladding allows you to combine the properties of each metal to produce a better, higher-performance product.
Tank and pressure vessel fabrication
Head plates
Industrial scrubbers
Chemical transportation and processing
Desalination plants
Clad Steel Plate
Cladding materials offer tremendous benefits for heavy industry and chemical processing. Depending on the combination of cladding materials, cladding can produce superior strength at a lighter weight and lower cost. It can also create excellent thermal and electrical conductivity or corrosion resistance. As a result, clad plates are often used in extreme wear situations such as mining, excavation, processing, and pumping, as well as in paper, pulp, and food processing.
Not only are clad plates incredibly durable, but they offer tremendous manufacturing advantages. Surfaced plates can be cut and formed, including plasma cutting, drawing, bending, and thermoforming, however, it is very difficult to punch, drill or machine.
As mentioned above, a clad plate is produced by bonding two or more metals together to form a single sheet or plate. Depending on the specific requirements, various cladding or backing materials, such as specialty metals, such as copper or stainless steel, can be rolled or fused to a base metal, such as carbon or low alloy steel, to produce a metallurgically bonded cladding.
While there are different processes, the most common is probably roll bonding. To produce a rolled laminate, the two joined surfaces are first cleaned and placed in contact. The edges of the sheet are then welded to prevent movement and air ingress during the hot rolling stage. After cutting to the final size, the laminate is cleaned to produce a relatively bright surface.
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