Frequently Asked Questions

• What makes COBRA's Water Carts different?
  Our Water Carts are custom designed and extensively tested to ensure optimum weight distribution and performance on any chassis, no matter how tough the environment or challenge. Designed with a low centre of gravity for increased stability and safety, our equipment provides peace of mind for both managers and operators alike.
• What are the advantages of COBRA's Boxed Service Units?
  The unique design of our Boxed Service Units allows for the unit to be shipped in two containers, easily assembled on site, and affords the customer lower shipping costs and faster shipping time.
• What is the stemming capacity of COBRA Stemming trucks?
  Our Stemming units operate at a stemming rate of 1,000kg/min, dispensing up to 16m3 stemming aggregate per load. This provides the ability to stem 300 blast holes, in 1 shift, with a single operator!
• What is the float life and expected operational life of COBRA's 120T off-road Lowbed Trailer?
  This trailer offers a float life in excess of 50,000 hours and an expected operational life of 20 years.
• What types of applications does COBRA cater for in their range of Special-Use trucks?
  Our multi-purpose, Special-Use trucks, include high pressure and high-volume water wash trucks, GET support vehicles, drill rod and drill rig support, mobile workshops, and service units with cranes.
• Is COBRA's range of ROPS and FOPS fully compliant with mining safety standards?
  Our ROPS are ISO3471 certified, and our FOPS are ISO3449 certified. The range also has structural optimisation through the use of finite element analysis (FEA) and certified destructive testing.
• Does COBRA refurbish ROPS/FOPS cabins?
  Yes, COBRA specialises in the repair and re-certification of all OEM ROPS/FOPS structures, and is one of only a handful of companies globally able to perform the service without compromise to the OEM structure.
• What capacity Diesel Bowser is the most sought after in the mining industry?
  COBRA's 34,000 litre Diesel Bowser is the most common, although we also offer a Lite unit, at a lower capital cost, with a capacity of 8,000 litres.
• What are the most important features of COBRA Water Carts?
  COBRA's Water Carts offer up to 16 metres of road spray coverage, incorporate a measurable water system option, a ground speed water flow control option, and can be equipped with machine washing and/or firefighting capabilities.
• How long has COBRA been in the manufacturing industry?
  Founded in 1986, COBRA has been in the manufacturing industry for a total of 34 years.
• Are COBRA's products manufactured locally?
  Yes, all COBRA products are both designed and manufactured on site at our factory in Steeledale, Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Does COBRA offer firefighting solutions specifically for the mining environment?
  We offer a range of firefighting solutions, from drop-in CAFS units, designed specifically for the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, to European style medium-major fire and rescue pumpers, mounted on commercial 4x2 or 4x4 chassis.
• Does COBRA manufacture Underground Work Platforms?
  COBRA is licensed to manufacture a broad range of QMW mining support equipment, including Man baskets, and Fan Service Underground Work Platforms.
• Does COBRA manufacture Underground Fuel & Lube units?
  We manufacture multi-product lube and diesel modules, including water bowsers, to suit underground machines and underground vehicles such as CAT AD30/AD20, and also offer self-powered options.
• Does COBRA offer dedicated Water Wash trucks for machine washing?
  Yes, our dedicated Wash units are designed to simultaneously clean booms, tracks, platforms, and specific work areas, by using multiple high pressure and high volume washing outlets.
• What is the smallest Fuel & Lube unit that COBRA is able to offer?
  This would be our multi-product module mounted on an IVECO Daily chassis. This unit is suitable for daily support of lighting plants, cell towers, remote machines and pump stations, offering full PTD hydraulic operation, and good flow rates of filtered products.
• What are Recovery Tow Links used for?
  Recovery Tow Links are used for towing disabled rigid load and haul dump trucks, behind a similar truck, of sufficient size, in a safe manner. We also offer optional Auxilliary Power Units (APUs) to provide auxilliary hydraulic power to steering, and electrical power for lights and brake modulation. APUs can also be used to provide hydraulic power for unloading a disabled loaded truck, to make towing easier, and to serve as a portable 35 Amp-24 Volt DC battery charger.
• What are the features of Mining Service Trucks?
  COBRA's Fuel & Lube Trucks, also known as Service Trucks, offer multi-product combinations, customisable functions and volumes, high flow rate dispensing, fast filling, and optional hydraulic or self-powered options. Robust and versatile, COBRA Service Trucks significantly minimise service time of bottleneck machinery on site, and perform a critical role in supporting vital equipment in the field.
• What are Field Service Trucks?
  COBRA's Fuel & Lube Trucks, or Field Service Trucks, are designed to minimise service time of very large machinery in the field. These units offer high flow rates of multi-products, from diesel to oil and grease, mounted on either an ADT or RDT chassis.
• Is COBRA an approved body builder?
  Yes, COBRA is an OEM approved body builder by Caterpillar and most on-highway truck brands.
• What brand of hose reels is used in COBRA's trucks?
  COBRA hose reels, designed and manufactured in South Africa by our sister company COBRATECH, are used exclusively across all our applications.
• What are the features of the ADE spray system?
  The ADE Electronically Controlled Operating (ECO) spray system suppresses dust and optimises water usage on mine roads.  Delivering consistent, measurable water coverage through the use of the truck's GPS speed, the ADE ECO spray system supplies a precise amount of water to the road.
• Does COBRA manufacture step-ladder type access solutions?
  COBRA manufactures the ADE all electric access system, suitable for fitment to most mining, earth-moving and rail equipment. This system can also be fitted to mobile equipment requiring a powered folding step ladder solution. Requiring no hydraulic power pack for operation, means a very competitively priced access system solution.
• Tell me more about COBRA's trailer-mounted, remote control Command FOPS cabin?
  Our latest release is an FCC19 FOPS cabin, certified to ISO 3449 level II. Our trailer-mounted, remote control Command Centre, is fully fitted out with Sandvik remote control operating system. This unit will control two Sandvik Leopard DI 650i drills.
• How are COBRA's water tanks mounted to a vehicle chassis?
  Water tanks are pinned to the vehicle chassis using the existing bin pivot mounting points. The tank rests on elastomeric (bin) pads that allow the chassis to naturally flex underneath the tank. With articulated trucks, the front of the tank is pinned to the chassis at the hoist cylinder mounting points.
• What brand of pneumatic grease and fluid pumps are used on COBRA units?
  We use RAASM pneumatic pumps exclusively across all our support equipment.
• Who is the supplier of COBRA's metering and oil control systems?
  Piusi products are used exclusively across all our applications.
• Does the company offer product training to its customers?
  Yes, COBRA offers both operational and maintenance competence training onsite.
• Does COBRA offer internships that support professional development?
  Having a close affiliation with higher education institutions, COBRA offers a selective practical training and development programme for technical graduates, on an annual basis.
• Are customers able to access technical support online?
  Absolutely! Our online platform provides each user with unique login credentials, enabling quick access to online technical manuals, drawings, and instructional videos.
• Does COBRA offer a combined water and diesel unit?
  The WIESEL is our water and diesel combo, with the respective tank capacities totally dependent on chassis make and model.
• Does COBRA have an agent in Botswana?
  Earthridge Engineering Solutions is a Botswana based company and is an authorised agent for Cobra Projects. Earthridge also provides site support and maintenance activities on mining equipment across Botswana, with unconditional support from Cobra in terms of technical and operational skills development within Earthridge itself.
• Does COBRA manufacture firefighting vehicles exclusively for the mining industry?
  Not at all, we have recently delivered an off-road bush firefighting truck that is appropriate for many environments other than mining. View the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7_6UEunIg4
• What are the design features of the COBRA hose reels used across COBRA's applications?
  COBRA hose reels have a compact modular design, water resistant hose guide assembly, sealed main bearings, a power spring manufactured from scaleless blue tempered springsteel, high duty cycle inlet swivel, and high flow main shaft assembly.
• Is COBRA a distributor of Elkhart Brass products?
  COBRA is the sole distributor of Elkhart Brass products in South Africa, using Elkhart Brass monitors, handline nozzles, and accessories exclusively across all of our water carts, water wash units, and firefighting applications. Contact us directly for our full product range and pricing.