As part of Seaspan’s continued efforts to drive improvement across all sites, the team at Victoria Shipyards has been integrating PipeCloud – a new, cutting-edge software into its existing pre-production framework. A pioneer in advanced manufacturing software, our collaboration with PipeCloud focuses on automating pipe prefabrication in vessel construction. It’s a game-changer for Seaspan in an area where precision and efficiency are non-negotiable.
At Victoria Shipyards’ Pipe Spool Fabrication facility, teams are busy supporting the new vessel build program at Vancouver Shipyards, building pipe spools for ships being built in Canada, for Canada under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). This facility enables Victoria Shipyards to provide Vancouver Shipyards with cost-effective, locally fabricated pipe spools, on time and to the highest quality standards, while also sustaining shipyard jobs and furthering business development opportunities in Victoria.
The timing of this partnership is no coincidence and will support the construction of the new heavy Polar Icebreaker, which alone will need more than 30,000 pipe spools and tens of thousands of foundations. While the pipe spool facility has been operational for several years, this recent collaboration between Seaspan and PipeCloud will greatly improve efficiency. PipeCloud’s software will help take the pipe spool facility’s output from an average of 4,500 spools per year over the last two years, to 9,500-10,000 spools per year.
“To support Seaspan’s construction of the Canadian Coast Guard’s new heavy Polar Icebreaker, the first to be built in Canada in 60 years, there was a need to expand Seaspan’s capacity for pipe spool fabrication.” said Jari Anttila, Chief Operating Officer, Seaspan Shipyards.
“By integrating PipeCloud’s technology within our current preproduction process, we believe we will achieve significant improvements in production efficiency and precision, supporting the construction of the Polar Icebreaker as well as offering huge advantages in the construction of other Federal and commercial partners, as well as other markets. We look forward to working with PipeCloud as we continue to build ships for Canada.”
The partnership between PipeCloud and Seaspan centres on utilizing PipeCloud’s advanced Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software, which is designed to streamline the prefabrication of piping systems from paper-based to an end-to-end paperless system. To help accommodate the replacement of paper-based processes with software – including planning and tracking from design input to finished product output – our facilities have been outfitted with computer workstations, allowing the workflow to become digital.
PipeCloud’s technology focuses on optimizing the entire pipe production process, enabling our shipyards to achieve significant improvements in efficiency, quality, and overall productivity. With drawings and work packages moved digitally to a paperless process, work released to the shop is streamlined and more efficient, allowing for real time feedback when assistance is required from engineering or planning.
As global attention shifts to the Arctic and the critical role of advanced vessels in the region, the PipeCloud-Seaspan partnership is a shining example of what innovation and collaboration can achieve. Together, we’re raising the bar for shipbuilding automation, ensuring we’re ready to tackle the challenges of the future.