Bandung – Yuda Satrio Sutrisno, an alumnus of the Mechanical Engineering program at the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (FTMD), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), class of 2006, is currently forging a career as the Lead Maintenance Engineer for Area C4 & Derivatives at Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical (SATORP) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

In his role, Yuda is responsible for ensuring the reliability and availability of mechanical equipment within the refinery, particularly rotating equipment such as compressors, turbines, and pumps—vital components in oil and gas operations.

He often likens his profession to being a “doctor for refinery machinery”, as his responsibilities include analyzing equipment conditions, preventing breakdowns, and ensuring that repair processes are executed accurately and safely. In such a high-risk industry, the failure of a single piece of critical equipment can lead to significant production disruptions. Consequently, technical precision in analysis and a deep understanding of the system are paramount to his work.

Yuda emphasizes that his daily professional tasks rely heavily on the scientific foundations he acquired during his studies at FTMD ITB. Some of the primary fields of study he utilizes include:

• Fluid Mechanics, to understand flow characteristics in pumps and compressors.
• Thermodynamics, to analyze energy systems and refinery processes.
• Machine Vibrations and Dynamics, for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.
• Maintenance Engineering, to develop a preventive and reliability engineering mindset.

According to Yuda, these disciplines are not only applied directly but also shape an engineer’s way of thinking: systematic, data-driven, and capable of breaking down complex problems into manageable, analytical parts.

A defining moment in his career occurred during a Turnaround Maintenance project, where he managed the Dry Gas Seal Changeout for seven centrifugal compressors within a 40-day window while serving as a Field Service Engineer (FSE). Under the pressure of limited personnel and tight deadlines, his technical analysis, data-driven decision-making, and profound understanding of machine systems were crucial to the project’s success.

Yuda also highlighted that his experience at FTMD ITB extended beyond theoretical knowledge, having been shaped by:

• Projects and Practicums that honed data-based problem-solving skills.
• Group Work that fostered communication and team coordination.
• Strict Deadlines that built time management and professional resilience.

He believes this combination of experiences prepares an engineer for the realities of an industry that is not always structured.

Furthermore, he noted that professional success is not solely determined by academic achievements. Yuda openly shared that he did not graduate with a high GPA and took six years to complete his degree; however, this did not hinder his career path in the global industry. He adheres to the principles of remaining humble, being a lifelong learner, building a reputation through consistency and reliability, and having the courage to take initiative outside his comfort zone. In his view, the ability to learn continuously and maintain consistency is far more decisive than academic background alone.

Yuda Satrio Sutrisno’s career journey demonstrates how a strong scientific foundation from FTMD ITB serves as an essential tool in the professional world. The knowledge gained in the classroom evolves into a systematic, adaptive, and data-driven mindset when applied to the global industry. His story serves as a reminder to FTMD students that the learning process, consistency, and a drive for growth are the keys to making a contribution and facing the challenges of being a professional engineer.