Those Who Work With Habib Makina Tell Their Story: Customer Success Stories and Projects
We could talk to you for hours about our 45 years of experience. We could list page after page of technical specifications for the world-leading brands we represent. At the end of the day, however, the real measure of our success is not what we say but what our customers achieve with us. A machine is just a pile of metal standing in a workshop. What makes it valuable is that it solves a problem in the field, finishes a project on time and makes a business more profitable.
That is why in this article we step back and leave the stage to the real heroes: our customers. Opening our project files, we share the real success stories of firms from different sectors in Turkey that have faced different challenges and overcome them in partnership with Habib Makina. This is not a product catalogue; it is proof of what becomes possible when the right equipment meets the right partner. The case studies below may hold up a mirror to the difficulties you face and inspire you to be the hero of your next project.
Case Study 1: The Shipyard Sector — How Did a Ship Repair That Would Have Taken Weeks Come Down to 48 Hours?
The problem: a critical rudder bearing failure and time pressure worth millions
A 300-metre container ship belonging to an international shipowner is docked at a shipyard in Tuzla for planned maintenance. During the work, unexpected and serious wear is found in the rudder shaft bearing (bush), one of the most critical parts giving the ship its manoeuvrability. The traditional repair method is clear: the huge rudder blade and shaft system will be dismantled, the bearing block weighing tonnes will be lifted off the ship by crane, transported by lorry to a special machining workshop, machined there, brought back and refitted. On the most optimistic estimate, that process meant the project being extended by at least 3 weeks (21 days). The cost awaiting the shipowner was enormous: delay penalties, port charges and hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost revenue for every day the ship could not sail. The project was about to turn into a complete nightmare.
The solution: Habib Makina and ELSA portable boring technology
The shipyard's project manager made an emergency call for the ELSA portable boring solution from Habib Makina, whose presentation he had heard earlier. Our technical team went to the site the same day and analysed the problem. The solution was revolutionary: there was no need to dismantle the rudder or the bearing. The workshop would come to the ship.
The ELSA portable boring machine, a marvel of Italian engineering, was mounted by our expert team directly on the stern of the ship, on the rudder bearing block. Once the original axis had been found with micron-precision laser centring systems, the machine was started. ELSA began machining the worn bearing in place, to workshop precision. When machining was complete, a special welding torch fitted to the same machine filled the bearing's inner diameter with automatic welding and finally bored it back to its final dimension with zero error.
The result: measurable success and a project saved
The results of this operation were incredible for the whole project team:
- Because all the dismantling, transport and assembly disappeared, a repair expected to take 21 days was completed, including refitting, in just 48 hours.
- A saving of 18 days was made in the project schedule.
- Hundreds of thousands of lira were saved directly on crane, heavy transport and external workshop costs.
- The ship sailed at the planned time and the shipowner avoided exorbitant delay penalties and lost revenue.
"Without Habib Makina and ELSA portable boring technology this project would have turned into a complete nightmare. They did not just hire us a machine; they literally saved our project. They finished a job that would have taken weeks in two days, before our eyes. For us this was far more than an on-site repair service; it was a victory of engineering and time management."– Shipyard Project Manager
Case Study 2: Steel Construction — Zero-Defect Assembly on a Skyscraper Site
The problem: complex geometry and an urgent revision on site
Assembly is under way on the 40th floor of one of Istanbul's most prestigious skyscraper projects. A last-minute revision request from the architectural team, however, leaves the site manager in a difficult position: a total of 200 new, precise holes have to be made in 10 of the main load-bearing columns already fabricated in the workshop and lifted up, to take a new façade element connection. Lowering these columns weighing tonnes by crane and taking them back to the workshop meant both an operation lasting weeks and an incredible cost. There was a risk of the project coming to a standstill.
The solution: Habib Makina and a fleet of BDS magnetic drills
The project manager contacted Habib Makina to solve this impossible task. Our expert team's recommendation was clear: take the workshop to the 40th floor. The solution was to set up a fleet of BDS magnetic drills with high torque and top-level safety features.
After brief training for the operators, the German-engineered BDS magnetic drills took their place on site. Thanks to the machines' powerful magnets, the operators began drilling with the machines gripping the columns securely even in vertical and overhead positions. The machines' smart safety sensors prevented the motor running whenever the magnet was not fully attached, minimising the risks of working at height. Thanks to the precise slide systems, all 200 holes were made within engineering tolerances, first time and without error.
The result: the project continued without disruption
- There was zero days of delay in the project schedule. At least two weeks of lost time was avoided compared with traditional methods.
- Because operations such as lowering, transporting and lifting the columns back disappeared, over 80% of labour and operational costs were saved.
- Although made on site, all the holes were of workshop quality and precision.
"We could not even have imagined doing work this precise in the middle of a site, on the 40th floor. The fleet of BDS magnetic drills Habib Makina recommended saved the flow of the project and our morale. Both the power and the safety features of the machines gave our team great confidence. This was a real site solution."– Project Site Manager
Case Study 3: An Energy Pipeline — 100% Reliable Weld Preparation
On a natural gas pipeline project, weld quality is everything. A faulty weld is not only a financial loss but also a serious public safety risk. On the project it was found that a significant proportion of the welds made were failing the mandatory non-destructive testing (NDT), that is the X-ray test. The origin of the problem was inconsistent weld bevel preparation done on site by manual grinding and not conforming to the standards. Every faulty weld meant cutting the pipe and preparing it again, which both slowed the project down and sent costs soaring.
The solution: Habib Makina's twin strategy (Reed & GBC)
The specialists called in from Habib Makina offered an integrated solution focused not only on the weld bevel but on the whole preparation process.
- Step 1 – safe, clean cutting: First, the dangerous, spark-throwing cut-off wheels used on site were replaced by American Reed pipe cutter systems. This "cold cutting" method both removed the risk of fire and gave a perfectly square, smooth cut surface every time.
- Step 2 – standard, fast chamfering: Then a portable bevelling machine from Italy's GBC, clamping onto the outside of the pipe, was used. Operators could now create weld bevels within minutes, at the same angle and to the same quality every time, with machine precision.
The result: welds approved first time and increased efficiency
- With the new system in place, the proportion of welds passing NDT rose from around 60% to over 98%.
- Total preparation time per pipe (cutting + chamfering) fell by 70%.
- With rework costs eliminated, millions of lira were saved in the project budget.
"The Reed and GBC system Habib Makina brought was a revolution for us. Our welders no longer worry 'will this weld pass the test?'. We learned not just a machine but a production method to international standards. That increased both the quality and the speed of our project."– Pipeline Quality Control Manager
Your Success Story Could Be the Next One
What do these three stories have in common? Each began with a difficulty that seemed insurmountable. Each was overcome with the right technology and expertise offered by Habib Makina. And each turned into a measurable success ending in gains of time, money and reputation. These are not just product stories; they are stories of partnership built on trust and experience.
Are you ready to turn the difficulties of your own project into a success story? Share the problem you face with our expert team, however complex or impossible it may look. We are sure to have a solution for you too. Let us write the next success story together.
