Grant: Alliance Grants
Simon Fraser University
$180,000.00
Robot-Assisted Welding Automation for Seaspan Shipyard Operations
FY 2024-25
Summary
The shipbuilding industry plays a pivotal role in the economy, yet grapples with significant challenges, including labor shortages and safety concerns, particularly in welding processes. The proposed project aims to tackle these obstacles by focusing on the development of advanced robotic systems customized for shipyard welding operations. This collaborative endeavor involves partnerships between Seaspan Shipyards, BCIT, and SFU, harnessing their collective expertise to push the boundaries of welding technology and foster its widespread adoption within the Canadian shipbuilding industry.
The primary objective of this initiative is to pioneer innovative robotic systems designed to streamline welding procedures, ultimately achieving high precision, enhanced speed, consistent gap dimensions, and consistently high quality in the final welds. To achieve this, the research will delve into various aspects, including the exploration of robotic platforms for navigating intricate ship structures, the development of welding arms adaptable to diverse angles and curves, and the creation of cutting-edge weld seam tracking systems. Additionally, seamless integration of control systems with shipyard manufacturing processes and the design of human-robot interactive welding systems such as COBOTs will be key focus areas to enhance safety through the integration of advanced collision detection and avoidance features.
This project seeks to drive innovation and bolster competitiveness in the maritime sector, which aligns with Canada's strategic position in the marine industry. The program will focus on training a diverse group of HQP spanning from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels. These individuals will receive specialized training across several multidisciplinary fields, encompassing robotics, control, intelligent systems (such as artificial intelligence and machine learning), firmware, mechanical design, and welding automation. This comprehensive training approach aims to cultivate future leaders equipped with the essential skills and expertise to drive innovation and facilitate sustainable progress in the industry.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
597244-2024
Name nom
Moallem, Mehrdad M
Department département
Mechatronic Systems Engineering
Organization id
5
Institution établissement
Simon Fraser University
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2024
Competition year année de concours
2024
Award amount
180000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
500
Area of application group en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application group fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Area of application en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Research subject code
2601
Research subject group en
Robotics
Research subject group fr
Robotique
Research subject en
Robotic control
Research subject fr
Systèmes de commande
Field of research list names en
Not available
Field of research list names fr
Non disponible
Socioeconomic objective list names en
Not available
Socioeconomic objective list names fr
Non disponible
Application title
Robot-Assisted Welding Automation for Seaspan Shipyard Operations
Keywords
digital twin; gas metal arc welding; intelligent systems; machine learning & ai; mechatronics; robotics; smart manufacturing; welding automation
Application summary
The shipbuilding industry plays a pivotal role in the economy, yet grapples with significant challenges, including labor shortages and safety concerns, particularly in welding processes. The proposed project aims to tackle these obstacles by focusing on the development of advanced robotic systems customized for shipyard welding operations. This collaborative endeavor involves partnerships between Seaspan Shipyards, BCIT, and SFU, harnessing their collective expertise to push the boundaries of welding technology and foster its widespread adoption within the Canadian shipbuilding industry.
The primary objective of this initiative is to pioneer innovative robotic systems designed to streamline welding procedures, ultimately achieving high precision, enhanced speed, consistent gap dimensions, and consistently high quality in the final welds. To achieve this, the research will delve into various aspects, including the exploration of robotic platforms for navigating intricate ship structures, the development of welding arms adaptable to diverse angles and curves, and the creation of cutting-edge weld seam tracking systems. Additionally, seamless integration of control systems with shipyard manufacturing processes and the design of human-robot interactive welding systems such as COBOTs will be key focus areas to enhance safety through the integration of advanced collision detection and avoidance features.
This project seeks to drive innovation and bolster competitiveness in the maritime sector, which aligns with Canada's strategic position in the marine industry. The program will focus on training a diverse group of HQP spanning from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels. These individuals will receive specialized training across several multidisciplinary fields, encompassing robotics, control, intelligent systems (such as artificial intelligence and machine learning), firmware, mechanical design, and welding automation. This comprehensive training approach aims to cultivate future leaders equipped with the essential skills and expertise to drive innovation and facilitate sustainable progress in the industry.
