If Machines Could Speak

Hello theBClog readers, I’m Gamze. I am a mechanical engineer and work as an analyst in the S.O.S laboratory in Borusan Cat Turkiye.

The name S.O.S might sound a bit like a "distress call," right? But we analyze machines without waiting for them to cry "help!". On the contrary, we try to hear their voices before they even say a word. Samples taken at specific intervals show us the check-up status of a compartment. If a machine could speak, it would probably say: "I'm fine, but I feel like I'm getting a little tired..."

This is exactly where S.O.S, or Scheduled Oil Sampling, comes into play. We are essentially performing blood tests on the machines. Our technicians in the field take oil and coolant samples from the compartments, and these samples are sent to our laboratory.

Understanding the Language of Machines

Those samples tell us a lot. Where has wear started, what is the remaining lifespan of the oil, is there any contamination inside, are the parts functioning as they should? We get the answers to all these questions from the samples.

Sometimes machines ask us questions, too: "Am I rusting, am I aging, am I overheating, what will be the consequence of this contamination?"

We find the answers through the real-time data hidden within the oil. Actually, what we do is very clear: We do not analyze the breakdown; we analyze the approaching footsteps of the breakdown.

This system provides the advantage of early intervention in equipment health. When metal wear particles reach certain levels, interventions can be made before the compartment fails. As a result, high overhaul costs, unplanned downtime, and the phrase "I wish we had noticed sooner..." are largely eliminated.

So, what does this mean for our customers?

Reduction of unexpected breakdown risks
Keeping maintenance costs under control
Extending equipment life
Safeguarding operational continuity and, most importantly: predictability

What sets us apart from our competitors is not just performing analyses. As a result of extensive R&D, we have specific wear tables created for every series and compartment. In other words, we don't just say, "There is a risk."

We can advise regarding the compartment: "Focus on this area, plan for this specific part, pay attention to this hour meter."

How Does a Day Go in the Lab?

We start our day in the laboratory with sample reception. This involves communicating with field teams, registering samples, cleaning and preparing instruments for tests, running analyses, and interpreting the results.

Once the samples reach the lab, they are reported to our customers within about a day and a half. However, our job isn't just about analysis:

We continuously standardize our processes.
We perform daily verifications of our instruments.
We manage time efficiently with a barcoded registration system.
We are constantly improving our digital reporting.
We are striving to be a more sustainable, green laboratory through waste segregation and the reduction of plastic consumables.

Thanks to this discipline, we successfully passed the global Caterpillar quality audit. For the first time in our nearly 30-year operational history, we were awarded the Gold Certification under the Caterpillar global quality system.

This certificate is not just an award; it is a concrete indicator of our disciplined work, verified quality levels, and sustainable quality approach. It is a major step in our journey as a world-class, global-level laboratory.

We listen to the voice of the machines. Before they even speak, we find the answers inside their oil.

Perhaps the most beautiful part of our job is this: We Do Not Manage Breakdowns, We Manage Trust!

Gamze İmal Tabur

Gamze İmal Tabur is a mechanical engineer with a master of business administration (MBA). She has been working as an analyst for about 15 years. Gamze loves researching and spending time in nature, connecting with the earth. Her hobbies include working with ceramics and porcelain, and she also holds a keen interest in fields like aromatherapy and homeopathy.