DBT introduced the new after-sales service regime into the New South Wales market this year, following success in Queensland mines.

The initiative involved the creation of a new role – entitled Site Representative – who is delegated to mines with major DBT installations. The site representative aim is to fulfil a pro-active coordination function, including inventory management and maintenance planning.

Currently there are DBT site representatives at Dartbrook, Metropolitan, West Wallsend, Glennies Creek, Southland, Beltana and Tahmoor.

“The mines see this role as the way forward. They would like to see the site representative assist the longwall engineer, with improving equipment reliability by carrying out regular equipment audits and work order planning. This will give the longwall engineers more time in scheduling the work,” said NSW Customer Relations Manager Parker Cullen.

A major aspect of the site representative’s job is to complete audit sheets for all equipment on a monthly basis. From the sheets and service reports DBT are able to create a database and identify trend failures and make design improvements.

“The database highlights trends with equipment for areas where we can make improvements which in turn lead to improved equipment reliability; this can only be achieved by analysing data,” he said.

“The information collected is stored in our internal database which is the “hub” of the DBT life cycle management process.”

Cullen said ultimately DBT would like to see site representatives involved with mine planning meetings, to highlight equipment issues and maintenance, in order to coordinate with mine scheduling.

The new role has not done away with the service engineer, who is now called a product specialist, with specialisation in shields, shearers, conveyors etc. He can be called in by the site representative to deal with specialist equipment problems and breakdowns.