Mining equipment firm Rham Equipment has rolled out its first locally-designed and manufactured hard-rock drill-rig.

The Gauteng company has delivered the machine to a large platinum producer in South Africa.

Rham MD Robert Alcaraz considers the timing of the release of the new rig a feat in light of the fact that it launches the company into the mining mechanisation market, which is rapidly picking up speed. Marketing manager Don McLaren comments that there is "massive" potential for mining equipment sales in South Africa at present.

He points out that many new drill-rigs will be needed at platinum-mines throughout the country in the next two to three years, as well as other units such as load-haul-dumpers, roofbolters and utility vehicles, also supplied by Rham. However, Alcaraz expresses his concern and frequent disappointment at the attitude of some South African customers.

He reveals that the locally-designed and manufactured drill-rig is considerably cheaper than the international competition's equipment.

"The quality of the machinery is every bit as good as the imported products and with greater sales volumes we would be able to bring the price down even further, while adding refinements and customisation to the machines to suit South African mining conditions.

"Once the mines have tested the rig operationally, they will see that we have designed and manufactured a machine that is on a par with the imported equipment," he comments.

"While the up-front cost of the equipment already presents mines with a considerable saving, they will also gain the benefits of using a local supplier in back-up service, maintenance and spares." For what he describes as sheer patriotic reasons Alcaraz is annoyed when work is farmed out to international suppliers.

"This type of attitude only serves to hurt the country's job-creation ambitions and our competitiveness in the global markets," states Alcaraz.

He points to the fact that, to fill one order of equipment requires 2 500 t of steel.

Buying this kind of equipment from local suppliers, which use local input material such as steel and rubber, will have a multiplier effect on the downstream industry.

Rham's new drill-rig is designed to operate in South African mining conditions.

Its most prominent design characteristic is the low-slung profile, which enables the unit to operate in a mining height of 1,2 m.

Units could be made to be diesel or electrically powered, and hydrostatically driven.

At the rockface an electric motor is used to complete the drilling cycle.

Good penetration rates were reportedly achieved while testing the rig on a 250 MPa granite block.

This year a large percentage of the mining equipment company's production was of a prototype nature.

This includes a twin-boom roofbolter for collieries, two LHD models (1,2 m low-profile and a remote-controlled extra-low profile 1,1 m version) and a coal hauler with five cubic metres ejector bucket.

All of the units are in operation in various mines.

Alcaraz provides a firm commitment to further product development which, he says, would be greatly enhanced if South African mines supported him and other local manufacturers.

He maintains that, with local support, the company could ultimately enter the export market, a vision which is congruent with South Africa's macroeconomic growth plans.

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