Machined Transition Joints and Custom Transition Pieces
Besides clad plates and standard strips, Shockwave supplies explosion-welded transition joints cut, water-jet cut and machined to your drawing. From aluminium–steel profiles for ship structures to cryogenic and electrical transition pieces, each part is taken from a vacuum explosion welded plate with a 100% dense, inspected bond.
What we supply
- Triplate® aluminium–steel strips cut to any width, and water-jet cut special profiles
- Inox-Triplate® stainless steel–aluminium transition joints
- CryoClad® cryogenic transition pieces, machined from the plate to your drawing
- Triconnect® electrical transition joints for anode and busbar connections
- Custom bimetallic parts from clad plate, including titanium–steel and stainless–steel combinations
How it works
- Send your drawing, the metal combination, quantity and service conditions (temperature, load, medium).
- Our engineers advise on the combination, layer thicknesses and the best way to cut or machine the part.
- We explosion weld the plate under vacuum, inspect the full bond and cut or machine the parts.
- Parts are delivered with inspection results and material certificates.
Cutting and machining methods
| Process | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Sawing | Straight Triplate® strips cut to width |
| Water-jet cutting | Special profiles and contours without heat input at the bond |
| Plasma cutting | Steel side of thicker parts, keeping the bond interface cool |
| Machining to drawing | CryoClad® transition pieces and custom bimetallic parts |
See how transition joints work and the full list of material combinations.
Design tips
- Keep the bond interface below the maximum processing temperature of the product (315 °C for Triplate®) during welding.
- For bending Triplate®, use a minimum radius of 10 × the strip width or thickness.
- Specify which faces must stay steel and which aluminium (or other alloy) after machining.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can transition joints be supplied machined to a drawing?
Yes. Transition pieces are machined from the explosion-welded plate to your drawing, for example CryoClad® pieces for LNG and cryogenic piping, or custom bimetallic parts.
What is a machined transition joint?
A machined transition joint is a part cut from an explosion-welded bimetallic plate and machined to final shape, so one side can be welded to one metal and the other side to a different metal — for example aluminium to stainless steel.
Which cutting methods are safe for the bond?
Sawing, water-jet cutting and machining keep the bond interface cool. Thermal cutting is possible on the steel side as long as the interface stays below the maximum processing temperature.
Which metal combinations are possible?
Aluminium–steel (Triplate®), stainless steel–aluminium (Inox-Triplate®), cryogenic aluminium–stainless (CryoClad®), steel–titanium–aluminium (Triconnect®) and many clad plate combinations such as titanium–steel. See the material combinations page or ask our engineers.
How do I request a quote?
Send your drawing, metal combination, quantity and service conditions through the contact page; our engineers reply with a proposal.