The ROCKMORE Story
Rockmore International’s roots began in 1948, with the founding of the mining industry’s newest manufacturer, ThrowAway Bit Corporation. Named for its flagship single-use drill bit products, ThrowAway started with a commitment to quality – a promise to manufacture high quality bits from the toughest steel and carbide inserts available.
The company soon earned a reputation in the rock drilling industry for manufacturing bits that delivered the lowest cost per foot/meter drilled. Back then, these included tapered, cross, button and down-the-hole (DTH) bits in all international connections and diameters. The company soon expanded its product line to include extension rods, couplings and shank adapters.
Success and growth were a natural result of the company’s forward-looking business ideals and a determination to provide the finest products at competitive prices.
In 1996, ThrowAway became Rockmore International, a change that reflected the company’s expanding role as a worldwide producer of a complete line of rock drilling tools.
In 1997, in a move to further diversify its product line and its market distribution, Rockmore acquired HP Rocbo GmbH, an Austrian manufacturer of surface and underground drill rods. This enabled Rockmore to bring its high level of quality and service to an ever-expanding global market of rock drilling operations. Rockmore now exports to over 75 countries, providing rock drilling tools for use in mining, construction, tunnelling, water well, and quarrying projects around the globe.
Rockmore’s advance to industry leadership has been the direct result of their commitment to extensive research and development. Rockmore’s team of product designers, metallurgical experts and tool specialists – some of the sharpest minds in the drilling industry – have placed Rockmore at the forefront of drilling technology.
Rockmore revolutionized air flow management with its ROK series of high-performance DTH hammers, utilizing SonicFlow technology to minimize backflow and turbulence.
The innovative new XR32 thread design was developed to improve precision and efficiency in drifting and tunnelling operations by providing a stronger and more powerful drill string.
And Rockmore´s new MultiPoint carbide insert design provides multiple strike points for more efficient rock fracture.
In November 2011, Rockmore released a new drill bit designed for hard rock drilling and blasting operations in tunnelling. The B6 Drill Bit Design is intended to prolong bit life and increase drilling penetration rates by incorporating enhancements in cutting geometry.
In April 2012, Rockmore announced a new DTH hammer in its emerging Deep Hole series, the ROK 500DH. This 5 inch range hammer incorporates many new innovations and features characterized in the new Deep Hole class of DTH hammers.
In August 2012, Rockmore unveiled a new drill bit design especially suited for hard rock quarry drilling. The new CrossFlow Bit Design extends bit life and improves penetration rates for percussive drilling applications in abrasive and challenging rock condition.
In January 2012, Rockmore International announced the opening of an additional manufacturing center in Judenburg, Austria. Along with their existing plant in the USA, the 12,000,000 USD facility effectively doubled Rockmore’s production capacity.
In 2013, Rockmore announced the first models in their new A Series DTH hammer product line – the ROK 600A and 650A hammers. These new hammers demonstrate better performance and penetration rates suited to smaller compressors.
Also in 2013, Rockmore announced the unique StarFlow drill bit design to increase drilling efficiency and to reduce operating costs in top-hammer drilling. The StarFlow drill bit design extends bit life and improves penetration rates for percussive drilling applications in hard, abrasive and challenging rock conditions.
In 2014, Rockmore launched the new T Series DTH hammer class. In addition to its ultra high performance features, the new T series design hammers utilize drill bits with standard shank connections that no longer require plastic parts commonly known as Blow Tubes or Foot Valves.
In 2015, the Xtrac bit design was introduced, incorporating enhancements in the bit body design to improve flushing geometry and increase performance.
In April, 2016, Rockmore announced its new Vector Rod System at the Bauma Exhibition in Munich, Germany. The new XT thread design incorporates revolutionary new guided cylindrical contact zones between the male and female thread joints to improve drilling productivity and reduce extension drilling operating costs in surface and underground percussive drilling.
2016 also marked a major expansion for Rockmore into the African market.
2017 has seen a significant expansion of Rockmore’s USA facility, both in terms of space and state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.
With more than 75 years of hard work and a solid commitment to quality and service, Rockmore is dedicated to providing its customers with effective, innovative solutions in rock drilling tool technology.
