Johannesburg-based plant hire and equipment rental company Rand-Air, which is part of tools and equipment manufacturer group Atlas Copco, supplies compressors and generators for the instrumentation that controls crushing and milling machinery employed by the mining industry.

Rand-Air GM Louwrens Erasmus states that the revival of the mining sector is, currently, extremely prominent and the company expects that global players and conglomerates will become more involved.

Erasmus says the company has steadily increased its footprint in Africa, which, he believes, mirrors the migration of its local customer base.

“Rand-Air’s focus is on the oil, gas and mining sectors, which are all active in Africa. The company will operate from existing Atlas Copco facilities in Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Angola and Kenya. This will allow us to leverage Atlas Copco’s existing network,” he explains.

Erasmus adds that this will provide Rand-Air with an opportunity to demonstrate its experience in rental to the mining operations in these countries.

Rental Programme

Erasmus says the major benefit of Rand-Air’s industrial rental programme is that customers can draw on the company’s expertise while focusing on their own core business.

“There is a trend to outsource a plant as opposed to owning it. One of the major contributors to this trend is that companies want to avoid the risk associated with owning and maintaining compressors,” he says.

Erasmus explains that these risks include the variable costs, which increase as the compressors age, owing to continual maintenance, as well as the cost of spares, breakdowns and labour associated with maintaining the plant.

He highlights that more than 100 customers are using Rand-Air’s industrial rental programme.

Moreover, he notes that Rand-Air specialises in renting pneumatic compressors and the relevant ancillary equipment, as well as an extensive range of compressors.

“There has been an increased demand for Rand-Air’s specialised range of compressors, particularly the oil-free and high-pressure machines,” reveals Erasmus, who adds that the company also offers a range of generators from 20 kVA to 1000 kVA, including compressor sets.

Service Offering

Rand-Air has a 24/7 365-days-a-year service offering, which includes preventative, planned and emergency services.

He adds that the company’s mechanics are highly qualified and follow standard operating procedures according to the requirements of their customers, thereby reducing the customers’ risk of productivity losses.

“Rand-Air is fully International Organisa- tion for Standardisation (ISO) compliant, which ensures that the company can provide the service levels customers require to sustain their businesses by adhering to stringent health and safety, quality and environmental standards,” states Erasmus.

Further, he points out that the ISO 14001 Environmental Standard certification held by Rand-Air underlines the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Drawing on the expertise, research and development of its parent company Atlas Copco, Rand-Air offers a range of products for rental that are geared towards producing minimal negative effects on the environment.

“Rand-Air offers its customers the option to buy machines that have been taken out of service from its fleet. These machines have been maintained to the highest standards, as the company prides itself on offering the best quality products to our customers,” concludes Erasmus.