Disc Brakes Australia has transformed from Australia’s leading brake rotor manufacturer into a premium brake solutions supplier.
“Australian manufacturing will always be at the core of what we do. It’s what’s made this company strong, it’s the foundation of what we stand on today, it’s how we continue to learn” says Phillip Joseph, General Manager Operations, as he stands at the end of an array of manufacturing machinery.
SEE ALSO: Autocare 2023 a “success”
A busy buzz fills the air, with trolleys of raw material, semi-finished products and saleable items being whizzed around the factory. Australian Car Mechanic visited the Disc Brakes Australia Head Office in the Sydney suburb of Silverwater, which not only hosts their administrative departments, but also its impressive Australian manufacturing and warehousing facilities.
“You always hear about Australian manufacturing struggling, being dead” Phillip added.
“But that’s not generally true. If you have the right product, R&D and intellectual property, and the right cost structure to produce it, there definitely is a case for ‘made in Australia’. Especially since the pandemic, we are seeing a lot of interest in supporting local business, rather than importers that don’t provide the level of customer support we do.”
Quality and quantity
Manufacturing – we’re learning this morning – is more than machinery making parts though. DBA applies a holistic view to its manufacturing process, something that hasn’t changed since the foundation of the business nearly 50 years ago.
“The market research, the engineering, the product design, all the way to the strategic sourcing of raw materials – which by the way are 100 per cent ethically sourced – the management of external partners along the supply chain, packaging and last but not least the marketing and sale of the product – we see these as integrated parts of the manufacturing process,” Phillip explained. The days of DBA solely making and selling brake rotors are gone.
“We want to support customers in all their braking solutions,” Phillip said. “While we clearly see ourselves as the leader in rotor design and manufacturing, these days we aim to be a full-range supplier of brake components.”
To achieve this, DBA’s design and engineering teams works closely with external partners who have built extensive knowledge in the production of brake pads, brake hydraulics and other, ancillary brake products. For all of them, the same wholistic view is applied.
“Our brake pads, in fact all our braking products, are as impressive as our rotors in terms of design, manufacturing standards, quality, and performance,” Phillip said.
Ready to deliver
As we leave the manufacturing hall and head towards the warehouse across the driveway, we’re getting a sense of the scale of DBA’s business. Courier vehicles of various distributor brands continuously pull up to pick up same-day delivery orders.
“Obviously, there’s a customer expectation of same-day delivery to most locations within the Sydney metro area, and it’s no different in the other capital cities. That’s why we operate out of seven distribution centres across ANZ,” Phillip explained.
Then, there’s the international export business as well.
“We have continued to establish the DBA brand name in the overseas markets and followed it up with a targeted expansion of our distribution structure,” Phillip added.
“The world is quickly catching up on the superior quality at affordable prices that we offer, to a point where at times we have to stretch to meet the demand we’re seeing.”
Extensive premium selection
Back in DBA’s offices, we’re given the overview of DBA’s impressive product range. “These days, we think in application categories more than product lines,” Phillip said.
In DBA’s case, this means three product tiers, being OE replacement, Upgrade and Performance.
“Essentially, we cover everything, from a daily driver to the motorsport application, following a ‘good, better, best philosophy’,” Phillip said.
“STREET SERIES is our label for anything OE-replacement. Our internal benchmark is to meet OE specifications or, as is often the case, exceed them.
We also pride ourselves on the most comprehensive vehicle coverage for the Australian car parc, including our ambition of being first-to-market whenever a new car hits Australian roads and demand for replacement or upgrade parts sets in.”
STREET SERIES is also the most comprehensive range in terms of the products on offer – not only does it offer brake rotors/drums and pads/shoes, but also brake calipers, hydraulic master and wheel cylinders, brake hoses, as well as brake wear sensors.
“Anyone opting for a STREET SERIES product is guaranteed to be buying equal if not superior quality compared with the original part they’re replacing,” Phillip explained.
The next level up is what DBA calls its Upgrade range, consisting of its 4000 SERIES brake rotors and the complementing SP and XP brake pads.
“The 4000 is our most versatile rotor and has proven its worth in countless 4WD, heavy towing, GVM upgrade, rally and track day applications, often under the most gruelling conditions that would send most vehicles equipped with inferior products heading for the hoist,” Phillip said.
Designed as a non-handed, direct replacement single piece rotor, cast from high-carbon alloyed iron and undergoing Thermal Stability Profiling (TSP) treatment, the 4000 SERIES metallurgy can handle the increased stress and heat generated under repeated, intense braking applications, according to DBA.
With DBA’s Kangaroo Paw ventilation design of 144 diamond and teardrop patterned pillars, the unique pattern achieves an up to 30% increase in surface area and a 20% improvement in cooling efficiency as compared to a common straight-vane design used in many competitor products.
Other DBA patents are the unique Thermographic Heat Paint (TGHP) stripes that change colour at certain temperature thresholds, thus aiding with the heat management of the brake system, and the optional, bi-directional T3 slot design, which enhances pedal feel and the consistency and effectiveness of every brake stop. Sounds convincing. The 4000 SERIES rotor, we learned, is best complemented by the STREET PERFORMANCE (SP) or XTREME PERFORMANCE (XP) brake pads.
STREET PERFORMANCE is DBA’s most popular upgrade pad. It is aimed at drivers seeking notably improved braking characteristics over traditional OE brake pads.
It was developed to provide an immediate and effective friction response to pedal application, using a copper-free, semi-metallic formulation and feature application-specific NVH shims, slots and chamfers for less vibration and noise. It also undergoes thermal scorching for extra durability.
To the extreme
Alternatively, drivers looking for extra bite and friction consistency from low to high temperatures might opt for XTREME PERFORMANCE. The range is best suited for performance cars and heavy-duty applications, where higher friction levels are required to safely brake under extreme conditions.
Using a semi-metallic carbon fibre composition, these pads are likewise scorched for extra durability and feature application-specific slots and shims. As we move through the range of products, Phillip points at the model of a rotor in front of him.
“Our top-of-the-line, two-piece 5000 SERIES performance rotor, with aerospace-grade aluminium used to manufacture our extra lightweight hats, which help reduce the unsprung mass of the vehicle and provide superior steering and braking characteristics,” he said.
“It obviously bears all the patents and hallmarks of the 4000 SERIES rotor. Another benefit is that customers who wear out their brakes by taking their cars to race events have the option of replacing the rings only and reuse the hats, making this one of the most cost-effective alternatives in the market.”
Finally, when it comes to pairing the 5000 SERIES rotors with the best suited bake pad, we realised once again that there is no black or white answer when it comes to braking solutions.
“It depends,” Phillip said.
“The XP pad as described earlier will be your choice if you need a serious performance upgrade while still using the car on road. If, however, you take your car track racing on the weekend, our brand-new RACE PERFORMANCE (RP) pad might be for you. It will happily sustain temperatures of between 250ºC and 750ºC for prolonged periods thanks to a carbon fibre infused friction formulation, making it the ideal track and endurance pad.”
He then noted that due to its temperature requirements and ‘bite characteristics’, “it should never bee used when driving on public roads.”
Good to know. Scratching the surface… As our meeting draws to a close, we’re impressed with the DBA product line up, to say the least. Clearly DBA’s claim to be a full-range supplier rings true.
And that is before Phillip even starts talking about the recently launched range of brake pads for electric vehicles, or the all-new range of Hybrid Composite brake rotors… DBA can be contacted on 1800 730 039 or dba.com.au.