Seaspan’s Welding Center Earns ISO Accreditation

Image: Seaspan.

North Vancouver shipbuilder Seaspan has garnered an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) accreditation for the Welding Centre of Excellence (COE) laboratory at its Vancouver Shipyards location, the company announced Jan. 27.

The accreditation, which shows the lab’s competency in conducting mechanical testing, makes Seaspan the only Canadian shipyard with an onsite ISO-accredited laboratory.

“We’ve been supporting welding procedures testing for the Polar Icebreaker, as well as material testing for Victoria Shipyards with witnesses from the appropriate governing bodies ensuring the validity of our results,” Hassan Saghafifar, supervisor of the Seaspan Shipyards welding and material testing lab said.

“Now, we can extend our support to external customers too, as ISO accreditation shows that they can depend on us for accurate, timely testing and valid results,” he added.

The COE Lab is outfitted with advanced scientific equipment that allows Seaspan to qualify the company’s welding process, study new welding techniques and check various steel types.

Seaspan has said that it plans to broaden its shipbuilding capabilities with projects such as its land based-test site, enabling the company to look at potential shipbuilding opportunities and continuing to build on its capabilities and expertise.

By Karen Robes Meeks