By the mid-1980s, Schramm would fully transition away from portable compressors and construction tools, embracing its new identity as a dedicated drill rig manufacturer. It was a major shift but one that allowed the company to focus on what it did best—building reliable, high-performance drilling rigs.
Photograph: Schramm employees outside of headquarters in West Chester, c.1995. See more photos below.
The early 1980s were a time of innovation for Schramm. The company introduced the T450, T660, and T685 series, a lineup of small, medium, and large drilling rigs that would redefine the industry. These rigs featured major technological upgrades—rotary screw compressors replaced the old reciprocating air systems, modernized drill rod and bit rotation systems, and truck-mounted rigs became more advanced.
Then, in 1984, a major breakthrough came with the release of the T450. Lightweight, maneuverable, and cost-effective, it quickly became the gold standard for the water well industry. In fact, it became the best-selling water well rig in the U.S., solidifying Schramm’s reputation for innovation and reliability.
In 1985, Dick Schramm, who had been with the company since 1961, was appointed President. Under his leadership, he guided the new focus on developing and marketing modern rotary drilling rigs, building on the company’s history of innovation.
During the 1980s, Schramm faced increasing competition in the blasthole drilling market. Larger companies dominated the space, making it clear that Schramm’s real strength lay in water and exploration drilling. The company responded by pushing the limits of its technology, creating its largest-ever TM drilling rig. This model introduced a revolutionary "top-head" rotary drill design, where the bit was rotated from the top of the drill rod rather than using the traditional ground-level Kelly and rotary table setup. Even more impressively, it featured an automated, hands-free rod handling system—laying the groundwork for what would later become the LOADSAFE system in Schramm’s Telemast and oil and gas rigs.
By the 1990s, Schramm’s customer base had grown. Their rigs attracted customers from a variety of specialized applications—mineral exploration, geothermal drilling, mine rescue operations, and even “grade control” drilling to help mining companies determine how to process ore. With the demand for more advanced and versatile rigs increasing, Schramm developed new features like sliding angle masts, which allowed drilling at 45-degree angles to better access underground strata.
Some of the company’s most notable advancements came in the closing decades of the 20th century. The introduction of the T300 series marked a major step forward for contractors working in soft, unconsolidated geological formations. Unlike Schramm’s earlier rigs that used compressed air, these rigs used mud pumps to flush cuttings from the borehole—a method known as mud drilling. Given that mud drilling had long been the dominant technique in the industry, this opened up new sales opportunities.
In 1998, introduced the SCH30GC Model, a grade control rig that combined Schramm’s tracked platforms with the sliding angle mast (SAM) technology developed for mineral exploration rigs. The result was a powerful, versatile machine that found a home in the mining industry and in geothermal heat pump drilling.
The decade ended on a high note. In 1999, Schramm introduced the TM200 deep exploration rig, which featured a game-changing innovation—the automated drill rod handling system. This technology would go on to become a crucial component of Schramm’s groundbreaking “TX” Telemast rig series, setting the stage for the company’s next era of success.
PHOTOGRAPHS : 1980 to 2000
