Pedro Carvalho, DHHI’s after sales manager, tells ABHR about the company’s innovative strategy that is transforming its service offering in Australia.
DHHI’s Primary products in Australia are major bulk materials handling machines, such as reclaimers, stackers, and shiploaders. Globally, the company is a manufacturing powerhouse, producing approximately 600,000 tonnes of structural and mechanical equipment annually across more than two million square meters of facilities in China.
Pedro Carvalho, DHHI’s after sales manager, said the scale of its in-house manufacturing capabilities are truly astounding.
“Over the past 12 months, we’ve built over 100 balanced machines and car dumpers, along with a wide array of other mining equipment. It’s a level of production that’s hard to match.”
Carvalho said that while the company has had balanced machines operating in Australia since 2006, it wasn’t until 2023 that it established a dedicated local team to provide a full range of support.
“Previously, our Australian machines were supported exclusively by our teams in China,” Carvalho said.
“Although the engineering and support from our Chinese arm have always been top-notch, we realised over time that having a local team would allow us to better serve our customers. The new structure enables us to offer faster, more effective support while still leveraging the immense manufacturing capacity of our Chinese facilities.”
Building local expertise
With the new local team, DHHI can respond to the unique needs of the Australian market more quickly, without sacrificing access to its offshore manufacturing and engineering strength.
“We’ve been actively growing our local presence. Right now, our After Sales team includes an after sales lead, a spare parts lead, structural and mechanical engineers, and site supervisors,” Carvalho said.
DHHI’s dual-team approach ensures that its engineering, spare parts, and technical assistance are both fast and cost-effective.
“Having both teams working together gives us a huge advantage in terms of speed and cost efficiency. Whether it’s a breakdown or routine maintenance, we can handle it quickly and thoroughly, covering every stage of a machine’s lifecycle from construction to optimisation and even deconstruction,” Carvalho said.
Leveraging global power
DHHI’s immense production capabilities grant it significant purchasing power. This, combined with its local expertise, allows DHHI to source high-quality components at a scale few can match, ensuring that its machines are both reliable and cost-effective for customers.
“Our global manufacturing reach gives us incredible leverage when it comes to sourcing materials and components. With the volume of machines we produce each year, we’re able to negotiate prices and lead times that would be difficult for even the largest mining companies to achieve,” Carvalho said.
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DHHI’s manufacturing power supports its focus on reliability and ease of maintenance, which are core elements of its machine design philosophy.
“Our machines are built with maintenance in mind,” Carvalho said. “Every component must be accessible, and replacement has to be fast and straightforward. We’ve integrated more rotable parts into our designs, meaning entire assemblies can be swapped out quickly, improving both speed and safety.”
Enhancing machine reliability
Beyond purchasing power, DHHI is committed to improving the reliability and longevity of its machines, including those that have been in operation for many years. The company works closely with its customers to redesign critical components on older machines, ensuring they meet modern standards of reliability and maintainability.
“We’re always looking for ways to keep our customers’ machines running at their best,” Carvalho said. “By redesigning key components, we help extend the service life of older machines, making them easier to maintain and more reliable.”
Driving efficiency through optimisation
While DHHI excels in maintenance and reliability, its local team also focuses on optimising the operational efficiency of machines.
This includes conducting stockyard studies, identifying performance bottlenecks, and implementing solutions to ensure machines are meeting, and often exceeding, capacity requirements.
“We had one client whose machine was frequently overloaded, and they couldn’t figure out why,” Carvalho said.
“Our aftermarket team investigated, identified the root cause, and made the necessary adjustments to boost efficiency and eliminate the issue. It’s this kind of problem-solving that sets our team apart.”
DHHI’s global manufacturing capabilities, paired with its local expertise, ensure that customers benefit not only from the supply of top-quality machines but also from ongoing optimisation and improvement efforts.
Looking ahead: DHHI’s vision for australian mining
DHHI is also building a robust local supply chain and expanding its warehousing capabilities in Australia. Leveraging its global manufacturing scale, the company has created an exchange service program, maintaining stock locally to ensure spare parts are always readily available when needed.
“We’re agile, and we thrive on challenges,” Carvalho said. “Unlike other large companies that can get bogged down by bureaucracy, we’re constantly looking for new and better ways to support our customers. Our after-sales team is growing, and we’re ready to support both DHHI and non-DHHI machines across Australia’s mining sector.”
By combining its global scale with a strong local presence, DHHI offers customers low-cost, high-quality manufacturing and engineering solutions, backed by a comprehensive network of spare parts and technical support. This combination of strengths allows it to push boundaries in after-sales service and customer support.
“DHHI is in a prime position to lead the Australian mining market,” Carvalho said.“Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, paired with our manufacturing strength, means we’re always ready to meet the needs of the industry. We’re constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible, and the mining sector should be watching closely.”