Seaspan’s Welding Centre of Excellence Achieves ISO Accreditation, Expanding Testing Capabilities!

Seaspan has reached a major milestone with the Welding Centre of Excellence (COE) lab at Vancouver Shipyards successfully obtaining ISO 17025 accreditation. This certification reinforces the lab’s technical expertise in mechanical testing, complementing its existing CWB certification and positioning Seaspan as a competitive player in the testing lab market. With this accreditation, Seaspan can now offer external customers high-quality testing services with accurate and traceable results.

The COE Lab is a multi-purpose facility equipped with cutting-edge scientific instruments to support a wide range of critical shipbuilding operations. The lab plays a crucial role in qualifying welding procedures, researching innovative welding techniques, and verifying the integrity of various steel grades. On any given day, lab technicians conduct tensile strength tests, hardness testing, Charpy impact testing, and chemical analysis on steel samples—including steel up to 60 mm thick for high-performance projects like the Polar Icebreaker.

Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards is now the only shipyard in Canada with an ISO-accredited lab on-site, enhancing its ability to deliver high-quality material testing and certification services. The lab was initially CWB-certified in January 2023 and officially received its ISO 17025 accreditation in December 2024, marking a significant step forward in Seaspan’s shipbuilding and material testing capabilities.

Dr. Hassan Saghafifar, Supervisor of the Welding and Material Testing Lab at Seaspan Shipyards, emphasized the significance of this achievement, stating:
“Our internal customers already trust us for welding procedures testing for the Polar Icebreaker and material testing for Victoria Shipyards. Now, with ISO accreditation, we can extend our expertise to external customers who can rely on us for accurate, timely testing and verified results.”

Looking ahead, Seaspan is further expanding its shipbuilding capabilities with new projects such as the Land-Based Test Site, which will enable the company to explore future shipbuilding opportunities and drive continuous innovation in welding and materials testing.

Seaspan’s commitment to excellence in precision welding, material integrity, and shipbuilding innovation is now further validated through this latest ISO certification, solidifying its role as an industry leader in advanced maritime manufacturing.