At a time when national defence is top of mind for many Canadians, a team of Dalhousie Engineering students is doing their part to improve efficiency in shipbuilding.
When it came time for Hayley Cowan, Mallory MacDonald, Hanna van Zutphen, and Erwin Diallo to pick their capstone project, the Industrial Engineering students jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with (ISI), one of Canada鈥檚 top shipbuilders.
鈥淲e were drawn to this project because it presented a unique opportunity to work on a real-world problem in a high-impact industry,鈥� explains Cowan. 鈥淚t combined technical problem-solving, data visualization, and system design, all within a collaborative setting with a meaningful outcome.鈥�
Their goal? To develop an automated tool aimed at streamlining production planning 鈥� a solution that could save thousands of hours in ship construction.
We were drawn to this project because it presented a unique opportunity to work on a real-world problem in a high-impact industry
鈥淪pecifically, we created a tool that helps visualize and validate the sequencing of steel plates used in constructing ship panels,鈥� says van Zutphen, adding that the tool simplifies production by automating the sequencing process and providing visual outputs and feasibility checks to reduce manual effort and minimize delays.
鈥淢ost people might be surprised to learn just how much planning and precision go into building ships,鈥� says Cowan. 鈥淭he fact that even small improvements can save thousands of hours, really shows the value of automation and smart engineering solutions.鈥�
The team of industrial engineering students with their project. (Submitted photo)
Learning on the job
MacDonald admits that when the team first chose their capstone project, none of them had prior experience in shipbuilding. But that鈥檚 exactly what makes Dalhousie鈥檚 senior-year capstone project so valuable 鈥� it gives students the opportunity to collaborate with leading industry partners across the country and tackle real-world challenges.
鈥淲e knew it would be a great learning opportunity and a chance to apply our skills in a completely new domain,鈥� says Diallo. 鈥淲e were also familiar with ISI's reputation as a great company, and we felt fortunate to have the chance to work with them.鈥�
Irving Shipbuilding constructs ships for use in arctic and offshore patrol as well as defence missions.
With only eight months to complete the project, the team had to move quickly.
鈥淲e started by developing a deep understanding of the client鈥檚 needs and constraints, which took considerable time given the complexity of the shipbuilding industry and its detailed processes,鈥� says Cowan. 鈥淔rom there, we moved into the research and conceptual design phase.鈥�
Irving builds ships for use in arctic and offshore patrol as well as defence missions. (Image courtesy of Irving Shipbuilding Inc.)
Using a combination of Microsoft Excel with VBA for the interface and Python for backend processing, they created a flexible, efficient system that seamlessly integrated into ISI鈥檚 existing workflow.
鈥淭hrough multiple rounds of testing and client feedback, we refined the tool and developed comprehensive documentation to support its implementation,鈥� says MacDonald.
A rewarding experience
Despite the challenges of a tight timeline, van Zutphen describes working with ISI as 鈥渁 fantastic experience.鈥�
鈥淭hey were engaged, responsive, and genuinely invested in the project鈥檚 success,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s this was the first capstone project they had taken on, they were incredibly supportive 鈥� providing helpful feedback, answering questions, and doing everything they could to help us succeed. Their commitment to the project made us feel that our work truly mattered.鈥�
For the team, the most rewarding part was seeing their solution come to life and knowing it would have a meaningful impact.
鈥淏eing able to take everything we鈥檝e learned over the past five years through our co-op placements and courses and apply it to a complex, real-world problem was incredibly satisfying,鈥� says Cowan. 鈥淜nowing that what we were building would genuinely help our client was both motivating and fulfilling.鈥�