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Four generations at the drawingboard.

Lennard van Driel, Detail Engineer

Lennard van Driel has worked at DEKC as a detail engineer for nearly four years. He turns structural plans into the drawings the yard uses to build the ship. Three generations of his family were in shipbuilding before him.

Words by DEKC editorial

“You draw in 2D, but you have a 3D model to work with. You can really see what you're doing.”
Lennard van Driel, Detail Engineer

"Detail engineering sounds abstract," says Lennard. "But it comes down to something simple: we put the ship on paper. We're given the structural plan, and we turn it into the drawings the yard actually builds from."

A sub-block in 3D. Everything you draw in 2D appears straight away in the model.

On the screen in front of him is a 3D model of a ship block, a cutaway view showing how the plates fit together.

"A ship is divided into blocks. It has to be, because the length, width and weight all need to stay manageable. The crane has to be able to lift it, and it has to fit through the doors of the shipbuilding hall. Walk into a hall like that and you'll often see those sections standing there. We produce the drawing you need to build a section like that."

Drawing in two dimensions, thinking in three

Lennard works in Cadmatic, which lets him draw in 2D while the 3D model takes shape alongside it. "As soon as I create a plate, I see it appear in the 3D model. That way, you can really see what you're doing."

The structural plan sometimes shows a 30-metre plate as a single piece, which isn't realistic at the yard. "We have to look at what plates they can source, what the maximum length and width are. Then we split that plate up. And after that come all the details. Weld access holes, openings, corners, everything that makes it possible to build."

It runs in the family

Lennard now lives in Wolvega, though he is originally from the Rotterdam area; his family moved when he was eight. Shipbuilding runs in the family. "My dad, my grandad and my great-grandad were all in shipbuilding. They did design work too, but they also worked hands-on with the steel in the shipbuilding hall. I haven't done that side of it myself. But I'm proud too when I've finished a job, when the client is happy and the build goes well."

Solving the puzzle

What appeals to him most is refining things. "A structural plan is already good in itself, but you want to make it better. All the details properly worked out, and easy to build for the people in the hall."

Then there is the puzzle-solving. Every project reaches a point where you think: how are we going to solve this? "One of the ships is now 99 per cent complete. She has some very tight spaces in her double bottom. A beautiful ship, but one with a lot of corners. The same question kept coming up: how do we put this together so the yard can build it and still get in afterwards to finish the welds?"

If he can't work it out himself, he sits down with colleagues. "Have a look, see what you think. So far, we've always found a way." Otherwise, they talk it through with the yard. "Sometimes we have a solution in mind and put it to them. Nine times out of ten, they're happy with it. Sometimes they come back with a different idea, and we make adjustments."

He speaks highly of how willing people at DEKC are to help. "It's easy to talk to people. You can go to anyone. We've recently moved into a new building. We used to be spread over two floors; now everyone's on the same floor. There are still three separate rooms, but you're more likely to pop in and see someone when you don't have to go up or down a flight of stairs first."

The best part is getting to see it for real in the end. When the client is happy and the build is going well, you think: I helped make that happen.
Lennard van Driel, detail engineer

Nearly four years at DEKC

The engineering department in the new building.

If a ship is nearby, Lennard goes to see it himself. Standing there, he gets to see in real life what was once only on his screen. Some of the shipyards are in Poland, which is a bit too far for a quick drop-in. But whenever it's possible, getting to see the ship with his own eyes is still the best part.

He recalls making two CGI videos for Centraal Staal and going along for a visit to the halls. "Those things are enormous."

After four years at DEKC, he has developed ambitions to progress. In time, he would like to move into project management. What particularly appeals to him is the contact with the different parties involved. Through his work in detail engineering, he is already being introduced to that side of things, step by step.

DEKC has changed over those four years too. "We used to be owned by an investment company. Now we have a director who's really committed. Someone who wants things to run well and the team to enjoy their work. You can feel it."

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