IFI June July 2020

LOGGING • SAWMILLING • BIOMASS

JUNE / JULY 2020

Goldeneye 900 SAWLINES Forwarders John Deere in the Upper Peninsula Drax & Biomass

New Harvester Heads Coronavirus & Koskinisen

Next Generation Transverse Lumber Scanning

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Blower Trucks

•

Chippers

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Grinders

•

Screens

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Stacking Conveyors

LOGGING • BIOMASS

CONTENTS

FORWARDERS

30

The importance of keeping up with modern cutting heads is inspiring forwarder suppliers to even greater heights and placing today’s operators in even greater comfort

50

IBC

10 10 DRAX

50 JOHN DEERE - GAME PLAN

IBC WARATAH

15m r ail link helps Drax reduce supply $ chain emissions & biomass costs

ucceeding in the upper peninsula S demands smart production planning

aratah Forestry Equipment has W introduced the H212 harvesting and processing head for dense stands

JUNE / JULY 2020

REGULAR FEATURES

6 Logging News 56 Advertising Index

LUMBER PROCESSING

COVER: Goldeneye 900 -

LOGGING • SAW

Next generation transverse lumber scanning The Goldeneye 900 Multi-Sensor Quality Scanner in transverse transport is the ultimate showcase of Microtec’s technological innovation and leadership in scanning technologies.

Coupled with its integrated Deep Learning AI (Artificial Intelligence)

MILLING • BIO MAS

S JUNE / JULY 2020

SAWLINE S Forwarders John Deere in the Upper Peninsul a

module, advanced algorithms detect and localize all types of defects, including knots, cracks, discoloration, pitch pockets, wane, curvature and other dimensional defects. microtec.eu/goldeneye-900

CONTENTS

Drax & Biom

Next Generatio n

Goldeneye Transverse

900

Lumber Scan ning

ass

New Harvester Heads Coronavirus & Koskinise n

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 1

LUMBER PROCESSING

18

23

22

18 KOSKISEN

22 BRUNNER HILDEBRAND

23 GILBERT

rticle series of Koskisen’s A everyday life during corona time

iln drying innovations developed K

by Brunner Hildebrand

Gilbert and Scantec form German alliance

25

24

26

24 SPRINGER

25 STENNER

26 USNR

ew generation of dry sorting: SPRINGER N and SCA continue successful partnership

T he latest model of the MHS9 has helped transform Coolrain Sawmills into an enviable operation

hased investing: recovery & P conversion up, downtime reduced

10. - 14. May 2021 Trade fair for the forestry and wood industries

3-5 JUNE 2021 SOLVALLA STOCKHOLM

2 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Perceptive SightÂŽ Intelligent Grading GradeScan's lumber grading platform is so good it had to be patented

US Patent 10,571,454 B2 "Method of Board Lumber Grading Using Deep Learning Techniques" Only from Lucidyne

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ISSUE 75 JUNE / JULY 2020

SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 583 emma@internationalforestindustries.com Annual Subscription UK and Europe £160, €230 Rest of the world US$270 EDITORIAL T: +44 (0)1442 877 583 F: +44 (0)1442 870 617 www.internationalforestindustries.com 2 Claridge Court, Lower Kings Road Berkhamsted, Herts. HP4 2AF, UK Editor Chris Cann chris@internationalforestindustries.com Editorial Board Dr Patrick Moore – Chairman and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit (Canada) Darren Oldham – Managing Director Söderhamn Eriksson (UK) Professor Piotr Paschalis-Jakubowicz – Warsaw Agricultural University (Poland) Mr Kim Carstensen Director General Forest Stewardship Council Eduardo Morales South American Forestry Consultant ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS International Forest Industries Ltd Advertising Manager Phil Playle phil@internationalforestindustries.com +44 (0)1442 87 77 77 Associate Editor Robin Peach robin@internationalforestindustries.com Advertising Production Enquiries Emma Smith emma@internationalforestindustries.com

International Forest Industries is published

by International Forest Industries Ltd, 2 Claridge Court, Lower Kings Road Berkhamsted, Herts. HP4 2AF, UK International Forest Industries (ISSN 1755-6732) is published bi-monthly by International Forest Industries Ltd GBR and is distributed in the USA by Asendia USA, 17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831 and additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at New Brunswick NJ. POSTMASTER: send address changes to International Forest Industries, 17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831 © International Forest Industries Ltd 2007 – 2019 IFI uses, as preference, SI units throughout.

All dollars are US unless otherwise stated.

EDITOR’S COMMENT Searching for silver linings

T

he last time we published International Forest Industries was our April-May edition, which we put to bed in early April. At that point, lockdown was gripping the UK where our offices are located, mirroring the situation in much of Europe and indeed the Western world.

These column inches were therefore used to speculate on the possible outcomes for the global economy and then the forestry world. We outlined three, broad economic scenarios, from a lifting of restrictions by late summer and a V-shaped recovery; to a prelonged lockdown period and deep recession; to, essentially, Armageddon.

With two months gone, and with the caveat that the world – both forestry and the rest – has probably never seen such uncertainty, we have a better idea of which of those scenarios is likeliest.

For much of the past two months, it has looked like scenario one was most probable and the forestry sector in particular would survive this crisis with but a few scratches.

Governments and academics sprung into action and, while there was disagreement over the right course of action, plans were put in place and executed.

Governments had committed more than $15 trillion in relief funding as of early June, some of which has been gifted to medical institutions that are competing with big pharma to find a vaccine.

In forestry, production from sawmills has dropped away as business activity has fallen on the back of trade and travel restrictions.

However, while lumber markets remain volatile, the ‘Do It Yourself’ sector gained as locked down citizens across the world take advantage of online or distanced shopping combined with greater free time to catch up on household projects. Building temporary hospitals and major infrastructure projects, meanwhile, added to demand for structural carcassing. The pallets and packaging sectors were also doing well on the back of a strong health and retail sector, according to the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry.

The markets were also optimistic, though the mood was shifting as we went to press.

Major timber stock Catchmark Timber Trust

4 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

was up almost 30% since at time of writing since my last column; PotlatchDeltic Corp was up more than 30%; while cellulose specialists Rayonier Advanced Materials was up some 140%. Ominously, though, all three were tumbling once more as fears of a second wave of COVID-19 in the US met with awful economic data out of Europe.

And, so, it feels like we’re floating between scenarios one and two.

Lockdown is easing and industry returning, with construction sites that consume huge volumes of timber products opening up once more. But it is not without complication.

The UK government, to use my most local example, admits it would ideally like to remain in lockdown until infection levels are far lower, but it is the fear of scenario two that is forcing it to push ahead.

To deal with this risk, governments around the world are relying on a combination of largely untried, or little tried, methods.

These include social distancing, shielding of vulnerable people, tracking new infections and isolating, face masks, and then localised lockdowns should the virus again grip pockets of a given country.

These ongoing restrictions are likely to hamper a V-shaped recovery but hopefully stave off a prolonged and deep recession that would spell disaster for the forestry sector and just about every other industry.

The greatest hope of seeing scenario one is the rapid delivery of a vaccine. Over the first few months of work, the news seemed uninspiring, but more recent developments suggest this vaccine could arrive sooner than once imagined.

Should it be proven and administered this year – in what would be a medical first in my understanding – business and markets would respond instantly but, should it arrive late next year or beyond, the forestry sector may have to set itself for a drawn-out period of low economic activity.

Enjoy Chris Cann

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LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

New John Deere H219 harvester head for large harvesters & big timber The H219 is ideal for use with large harvesters and big timber. The twowheel-drive H219 harvester head has dual-speed feed motors. Its feed force and speed automatically adjust to the size of the timber being processed. Delimbing quality is excellent regardless of the diameter of the timber. Long knives and large roller openings make it easy to grab the tree for fell cutting.

The combined function of two feed rollers and powerful delimbing knives provides smooth processing of straight and crooked trees alike. Better routing of the feed motor hoses and the hose protection increases the durability of the hoses. The feed motor’s hose connections outside the valve cover enable easy replacement of hoses, and the new,hinged valve covers improve serviceability.

The serviceability of the length measuring equipment has been improved, and the area around the equipment is better protected.

The structure and the strength of the length measuring equipment have been improved, enabling use of the required pressure force of the measuring roller with all types of trees. A new measuring roller option has been developed for trees with thick bark.

Thanks to the TimberMatic

control system, the measuring accuracy is excellent. The automatic zeroing of the length measuring with the Find End sensor facilitates and accelerates log processing.

The top-saw option maximizes productivity in hardwood harvesting and processing. The John Deere H219 is a powerful harvester head built for use with large wheeled and tracked harvesters. Additionally, the H219 harvester head is ideal for debarking big eucalyptus trees.

• Maximum cutting diameter 750 mm

New SuperCut 100S saw unit for all John Deere harvester heads Starting in spring 2020, all John Deere harvester heads will have a new SuperCut 100S saw unit. The saw unit’s next-generation chain tensioning unit, automatic chain tensioning, and mechanical bar locking give it added efficiency and reliability. The improved chain release makes it easier to replace the saw chain. The new saw unit enables also a bigger selection in terms of saw motors and saw bars.

John Deere harvester heads are known for their productivity, reliability and measuring accuracy.

John Deere harvester heads are high performance tools that meet the industry’s stringent quality requirements in all working conditions. Harvester head testing is part of John Deere’s product testing process. Each harvester head model has been field-tested for thousands of hours before the start of serial production.

John Deere harvester heads are designed and manufactured in Finland.

• Feed force 37.7 / 28.1 kN • Maximum feed speed 4.5–6.0 m/s • Weight without rotator and link 1930 kg

Barko Hydraulics welcomes new dealer: Heavy Machines, Inc. Barko Hydraulics (Barko) has announced the addition of Heavy Machines, Inc. (Heavy Machines) as the new Barko forestry equipment dealer for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

As a diversified equipment distributor serving several regions throughout the United States, Heavy Machines has two branch locations in Maine, located in Portland and Skowhegan, to serve customers in the northeastern United States. Heavy Machines will provide sales and product support for Barko’s Merchandising Loader, Stationary Electric Loader, Utility

Loader, Grapple, Tracked Harvester, Feller Buncher, and Processor product lines.

“New England has a rich history in the logging industry, and we’re very excited to be partnering with Heavy Machines to strengthen Barko’s position in this region,” said Joel Larsen, Barko President. “Heavy Machines puts their customers first and we’re proud to add Barko to their impressive product lineup.”

Heavy Machines began as a specialty line dealer and has been serving the forest products industry since 1972. They have grown into a high-quality

6 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

equipment distributor with nine branches in five states who are matched to serve the construction, mining, scrap, waste, and forest products industries in the regions they serve.

“We have supported the industry’s top equipment brands since our founding, and we’re looking forward to working with Barko,” said Steve Northcross, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing for Heavy Machines. “Today, our northeast operations have the people skills and support mechanisms to support Barko product lines for all current and future customers.

Joel Larsen, Barko President

We are proud to be a key part of Barko’s new legacy in this business.” www.heavymachinesinc.com

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LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

Vermeer launch new cutting system for their stump cutters Vermeer is enhancing its stump cutter product line with the introduction of the patent-pending Vermeer cutting system (VCS).

The VCS incorporates a new tooth design that helps reduce pocket rotation and a cutter wheel that reduces material from recirculating during operation. The VCS is available now on select new Vermeer stump cutters and will soon be available across the entire line, as well as an option for many existing models.

According to Matt Hutchinson, product manager for tree care, rental and landscape at Vermeer, the new VCS solves many of the challenges associated with traditional stump cutting systems.

“Torquing cutter teeth daily is pretty common for most stump cutter users,” he explained. “Bolts that aren’t torqued properly tend to rotate in the pocket, causing

agricultural, underground construction and surface mining equipment. With a reputation for durability and reliability, that equipment is backed by localized customer service and support provided by independent dealers around the world.

premature wear and impacting the performance of the cutter wheel.

The tooth design on the VCS has a mounting and retention structure that helps keep teeth from shifting in the pocket while absorbing the shearing force, instead of the bolt securing the tooth to the cutter wheel while operating. This design makes it possible to secure each set of teeth with a single long bolt and reduces the need for retorquing.”

The VCS two-sided carbide V-profile cutter teeth help enhance the cutting performance of the stump cutter and can be flipped to the other side of the cutter wheel for an extended wear life.

The redesigned cutting wheel and tooth placement allows material to flow past the wheel after being cut,

which reduces recirculation. Also, each side of the wheel is protected by wear plates made from high abrasion resistant steel.

With the new VCS and everpopular, industry proven Vermeer Yellow Jacket™ cutting system, contractors now have more options to choose from. The VCS will be offered on larger Vermeer stump cutters soon, and across the entire line in the future.

For more information about the new Vermeer cutting system, contact your local Vermeer dealer or visit vermeer.com.

Matt Hutchinson, Vermeer product manager for tree care, rental and landscape

About Vermeer Corporation Vermeer delivers a real impact in a progressing world through the manufacture of high-quality tree care and environmental,

New CEO for Komatsu Forest On April 1, 2020 Jens Bengtsson took up the position as CEO of Komatsu Forest AB, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of forest machines and related services and accessories. Jens has worked in the company for 11 years and has recently held both the role of CFO and COO. “I am very honoured to be given this role and very humbled by the tasks that lie ahead,” Jens says. “I take up my new position at a time that is very turbulent due to the Corona pandemic. The whole world is doing its best to deal with this unusual situation.

We as a company have recently announced that we are temporarily closing our production for three weeks to adapt to the prevailing circumstances, and then, if restrictions permit, gradually

increase production again in the spring.”

Komatsu Forest has had a strong development for several years, where the company has constantly grown. “Despite the current circumstances, we are confident that demand for forest machinery equipment will continue to drive growth in our business – and we have great potential to continue growing. Right now, it is impossible to say how the forest industry will be affected by the current situation, but in the long term we see great potential,” he says.

Former CEO Mitsuru Ueno is now taking on a new role as Senior Fellow for the Forest Division of the parent company Komatsu Ltd. During his time as CEO, he has had two important focus areas; to

8 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

ensure a new production facility with a safe and good working environment, that is prepared for an upcoming expansion of the business, and to broaden the forest machine business through strategic acquisitions such as Quadco, Southstar, TimberPro and Oryx Simulations.

In order for our business to continue to grow, our owner decided in 2019 to invest in a brand new factory in Umeå. The decision is particularly exciting as it is rare for new factories to be built in this part of the world, but it shows that they believe in the industry’s continued development and the solid know-how that exists in the company and the region.

With his strong commitment and work, Mitsuru Ueno has made the project possible. “We now

Former CEO Mitsuru Ueno with Jens Bengtsson have great opportunity to have a modern and safe production facility prepared for us to grow, while at the same time uniting the dispersed operations in Umeå,” Jens concludes.

Footnote: Jens Bengtsson is the first Swedish CEO since Komatsu Ltd took over in 2004.

Display for showing and adjusting feeding and cutting settings.

Flexibility CAN network interfaces for both engine and harvester head communication.

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$15m rail link helps Drax reduce supply chain emissions & biomass costs

The first train arrives at the LaSalle plant in May 2019. By Rafael Moreno

T

he rail link has increased capacity to deliver more sustainable biomass from Drax’s LaSalle BioEnergy pellet plant in Louisiana, USA to its UK power station, taking thousands of trucks off local roads The $15 million rail link and other initiatives have already contributed to a $5/tonne reduction in Drax’s biomass production costs in 2019 In its first year of operation, a new $15m rail link has increased the flow of sustainable biomass from one of Drax Group’s US pellet plants to its UK power station, reducing emissions and costs whilst increasing the resilience of the energy company’s supply chain.

The five miles of rail track connects Drax’s LaSalle pellet plant in northern Louisiana to the regional rail network, enabling freight trains to deliver the pellets to the company’s dedicated export facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.

From there, the pellets are shipped to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, which supplies around 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity.

The new rail link allows Drax to deliver around 7,000 tonnes of sustainable biomass to the Port of

10 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Greater Baton Rouge in each train, compared to just 27 tonnes that could be transported by each truck previously.

Drax Biomass Senior Vice President Matt White said: “The new rail spur has been a great success. Since it was commissioned last May it has significantly increased the amount of sustainable biomass we can deliver. It’s also taken thousands of trucks off local roads, unlocking carbon savings and costs in our

supply chain as we build a longterm future for the sustainable biomass that provides millions of UK homes and businesses with renewable power.

“Biomass-generated electricity will be an important part of the global climate change solution.

It supports healthy forest growth and biodiversity, while providing reliable, flexible renewable power, and could enable bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, known as BECCS – a vital negative emissions technology that will be crucial to meeting net zero targets.”

A team of up to 40 contractors worked through two of the wettest Louisiana winters in decades to clear the site, excavating around 180,000 cubic yards of dirt to level off the ground and stabilise it before three sets of rail tracks could be laid. The work also included installing conveyors to get the pellets to the new rail loading point.

Rafael Moreno, Drax Biomass associate director of engineering said: “It was a huge amount of work and the wet winters certainly created some challenges. It’s hard to excavate when everything turns into mud. But the team pulled together and worked through the night to get the track laid and completed so the spur could be

Installing the scales in January 2019 to weigh the pellets loaded onto each railcar. By Rafael Moreno

commissioned in May last year.”

The rail spur at LaSalle is part of Drax’s wider efforts to cut the costs of its biomass by around a third by 2027. The rail link and other initiatives, including the co-location of a sawmill at the LaSalle site last year, has already contributed to a 3% reduction in biomass production costs to $161/ tonne in 2019 compared with $166/ tonne in 2018.

Drax acquired the LaSalle BioEnergy plant in Urania in northern Louisiana in 2017. LaSalle BioEnergy is one of three US pellet plants owned by Drax. The three plants produce a total of 1.5 million tonnes of sustainable biomass pellets a year.

Cost reduction projects at Drax’s US operations include: • Co-location of a sawmill, constructed by Hunt Forest Products in 2019, next to the LaSalle pellet plant. The sawmill, which began production in February last year, supplies sawmill residues, such as sawdust, to Drax. This helps lower processing costs to produce pellets and delivers the greatest carbon savings. It also

reduces transportation costs.

• Further operational efficiencies to come this year include the full commissioning of a rail logistics facility, known as a rail chambering yard, at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. This allows multiple trains to arrive at the port at the same time, reducing congestion at the pellet plants.

• By 2022, these and other initiatives are expected to reduce the cost of Drax’s self-supplied biomass by $35/tonne compared to 2018 costs.

• Sustainable biomass is an important part of the UK’s long-term energy mix. Using sustainable biomass at Drax Power Station has already delivered carbon savings of more than 80% and made Drax Europe’s largest decarbonisation project.

About Drax Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal

areas of activity - electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation: Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.

Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station - a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Drax Biomass Senior Vice President Matt White

Customers: Through its two B2B energy supply brands, Haven Power and Opus Energy, Drax supplies energy to 250,000 businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.

Pellet production: Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used

by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 11

LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

New John Deere H212 harvester head for thinnings The new H212 harvester head has been designed specifically for thinnings. The harvester head’s dimensions give it agility in navigating even dense thinning stands. Delimbing has been optimized for smaller trees, enabling a very high-quality delimbing result. The location and the high-speed cutting of the saw increases productivity and minimizes cutting damage. It has the power and feed speed also for bigger trees. The H212 harvester head is available for John Deere 1070G and 1170G harvesters.

The narrow frame of the H212 harvester head offer excellent visibility to the stem. The harvester head is narrow even when the feed rollers are open, making it easy to work in very dense thinning forests.

The long delimbing knives make for an easy grip to the stem.

The design of the knives and the location of the feed rollers at the lower end of the frame provide an excellent grip on the stem.

The daily maintenance of

the harvester head takes less time than before. The easy daily maintenance targets one point with the harvester head raised.

• Optimum working area 100-250 mm, maximum opening of the feed rollers 440 mm • Feed power 20 kN • Highest feed speed 5.4 m/s • Weight with rotator and link 850 kg

Excellent bundle-handling characteristics The H212 harvester head’s frame, tilt, feed roller arms, and the design of the knives increase the efficiency in bundle-handling.

The harvester head’s high frame provides support for stem bundles, and the long delimbing knives facilitate in grabbing the stems.

The firm grip of the feed rollers located on the lower part of the frame makes it easy to move a bundle of stems upright even in a dense forest.

New SuperCut 100S saw unit for all John Deere harvester heads Starting in spring 2020, all John Deere harvester heads will have a new SuperCut 100S saw unit. The saw unit’s next-generation chain tightening unit, automatic chain tightening and mechanical bar locking give it added efficiency and reliability. Improved chain release facilitates saw chain replacement. The new saw unit enables also a bigger selection in terms of saw motors and saw bars.

John Deere harvester heads are known for their productivity, reliability and measuring accuracy.

John Deere harvester heads are high performance tools that meet the industry’s stringent quality requirements in all working conditions. Harvester head testing

is part of John Deere’s product testing process. Each harvester head model has been field-tested for thousands of hours before the start of serial production.

MaxiFleet keeping supply lines open during lockdown

In UK there is a lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic and only essential business can be up and running. Forestry is accounted for as an essential business.

Still, Komatsu Forest Ltd have taken precautions and let most of the staff in the offices work from home.

Talking to Service Technician & IT Training specialist John Geddes, we learn how it is possible for him to help the customers keep optimal performance of their machines, whilst working from home.

The key is Komatsu Forest’s fleet management system

MaxiFleet, which makes it possible to remotely support the customers and thereby reduce the personal meetings, during this period, to prevent the virus from spreading.

“Working from home I can make a quick check how many active machines are out there, if there are any alarms and see if there is anything we need to take care of ”, Geddes says.

During the covid-19 pandemic, forestry is, as mentioned, an essential business. During this period the Forest Industry have changed the specification of the wood to adapt for alternative production, and from his home office Geddes can easily help the customers change the bucking instructions for the harvesters.

“During the pandemic the need for pallets has increased so we can have more logistics for medical supply”, Geddes explains. “It is important work and it feels good

12 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

to know that we can contribute to that.”

MaxiFleet makes it possible to monitor machine’s status, localise machines, optimise the machines as well as support them remotely.

MaxiFleet has always been used as a strategical planning tool for Geddes and his team, but the benefits of the system becomes even more apparent now during the crises. “It is the combination of the system, together with the personnel behind it, that makes it possible to give the customer the possibility to keep up optimal performance and back them up in time of need”.

To prevent the virus from spreading, the UK team has installed MaxiFleet in a used machine that is going to be delivered to a customer. By doing so they can set up the machine and complete the operator training remotely – to avoid the time

Service Technician & IT Training specialist John Geddes

that they usually would spend together in the cab. “In spite of the lockdown, we can keep our customers happy and perform the same level of support as before – without MaxiFleet it would have been impossible”, Geddes concludes.

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 13

LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

New Chairman for Ponsse Plc New Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ponsse Plc – Marko Mattila joins the company’s Management Team

P

onsse Plc has appointed a new Chairman of the Board of Directors. At its organising meeting held on 27 May, Ponsse’s Board of Directors elected Jarmo Vidgrén (44) as its Chairman. Juha Vidgrén (49), Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors since 2010, will continue as an ordinary member of the Board. At the same time, Marko Mattila will join the company’s Management Team.

“I have chaired our company’s Board of Directors for ten years, and it’s now time to bring fresh energy to the Board. Jarmo’s vast experience, starting from 1997, in various positions in Ponsse’s customer interface strengthens our Board of Directors. I will continue as an ordinary member of the Board and work daily in the field of HR and public affairs, just like before”, says Juha Vidgrén, member of Ponsse Plc’s Board of Directors.

Jarmo Vidgrén was appointed to Ponsse Plc’s Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting held 27 May. Before his election as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, he worked as the Sales and Marketing Director and Deputy CEO, being in charge of Ponsse’s global sales and after-sales services since 2008. As a result of this change, all head owners of the family-owned company, four sons

of Ponsse’s founder Einari Vidgrén, are members of the company’s Board of Directors. Mammu Kaario will continue as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.

“The Chairman of Ponsse’s Board of Directors has traditionally worked close to the operational management and has highlighted the company’s customer-driven approach. These changes streamline our operations and clarify roles in the organisation and the owner family”, says Jarmo Vidgrén, chair of Ponsse Plc’s Board of Directors.

CFO Petri Härkönen will act as the company’s Deputy CEO.

Marko Mattila appointed to Ponsse Plc’s Management Team Marko Mattila (46), forest engineer, MBA, will replace Jarmo Vidgrén as the Sales and Marketing Director, starting from 1 June 2020.

At the same time, Mattila will start as a member of Ponsse Plc’s Management Team.

Marko Mattila has vast experience in the operation and development of Ponsse’s network.

He will transfer to his new position

from the position of the Director, retail network development.

Mattila has worked at Ponsse Plc since 2007. In addition, he has worked as the Managing Director of Ponsse North America Inc, Ponsse’s subsidiary in the US, and Ponsse Latin America Ltda, Ponsse’s subsidiary in Brazil. He has also worked as an Area Director responsible for North America´s dealer network, Baltic countries and Chile.

Marko Mattila will be responsible for Ponsse Plc’s sales, marketing and maintenance throughout the Ponsse network.

In the Ponsse retail network, Mattila will be responsible for retailers operating under Ponsse’s subsidiaries.

Marko Mattila will be located in Jyväskylä, Finland and he will report to Juho Nummela, President and CEO of Ponsse Plc.

the position of the Director, Used Machines Global Business. He has worked at Ponsse in various sales, marketing and used machine positions since 2004.

Jussi Hentunen will be located in Vieremä, and he will report to Sales and Marketing Director Marko Mattila.

Jussi Hentunen to lead retail network development Jussi Hentunen (37) will replace Marko Mattila as the Director, Dealer development, starting from 1 June 2020. Hentunen will transfer to his new position from

PLANTING MACHINES 14 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Jarmo & Juha Vidgren

Le arn m ore

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Vida acquires Berg’s Swedish sawmills Vida, a subsidiary of Canfor Corporation, has signed an agreement with Bergs Timber to acquire their sawmills in Vimmerby, Mörlunda, Orrefors and Gransjö.

The agreement was signed on June 17, 2020 and operations will be transferred to Vida as of September 1, 2020.

“We are very enthusiastic and excited to have the opportunity to acquire Berg’s sawmills as they will be a nice complement to our nine existing sawmills. Bergs has run the sawmills in a good way and we feel that there is a fine culture in them that we want to preserve.

Vida’s vision is ‘to grow’ and

through the acquisition we further strengthen our competitiveness,” says Måns Johansson, CEO Vida AB. While Vida is purchasing four plants, Bergs Timber will continue to exist in its current form. The purchase price amounts to SEK 303 million. The acquisition affects approximately 150 employees, which includes sawmill personnel and raw material purchasing personnel, who will be offered continued employment with Vida.

Today, there is production in Vimmerby, Mörlunda and Orrefors.

The Gransjö facility was previously closed. The three producing sawmills currently produce about

400,000 cubic meters annually and Vida’s vision is to invest SEK 100 million in these three sawmills as the first step to increase production to 500,000 cubic meters.

The sawmills complement Vida’s existing structure. Through the acquisition, Vida continues its specialization and can increase its share of sawn pine and improve its offer to the market. The new sawmills will result in Vida being even closer to more forest owners in southeast Sweden. It generates shorter transportation times, which results in increased environmental benefits.

Måns Johansson, CEO Vida AB The transfer is conditional on Vida obtaining approvals from the relevant competition authorities.

Södra appoints Lotta Lyrå as new President & CEO The Board of Södra has appointed Lotta Lyrå as new President and CEO. She will take office this year and thereby replace CFO Peter Karlsson, who has been Interim

President since 20 February 2020.

Lotta Lyrå has served as CEO of Clas Ohlsson since 2017 and also held various senior positions in the IKEA Group. At Södra, she

was previously employed as Head of Productivity for the Group and Sawmill Manager at Mönsterås.

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 15

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Canfor resumes operations at its Houston Sawmill Canfor has resumed operations at its Houston Sawmill for four days a week. The schedule has been the same since Canfor announced curtailments in August.

Houston Sawmill employees have been out of work since March after Canfor announced temporary

curtailments due to declining lumber markets and economic downturns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canfor’s Polar Mill at Bear Lake, which is North of Prince George also reopens on June 8.

Canfor announced last month

that its Isle Pierre sawmill that was curtailed during the pandemic will be closing later this year.

The Isle Pierre sawmill has already been reopened to clear out log inventory.

Excavation work for Metsä Fibre’s Rauma sawmill started Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, is constructing a new pine sawmill in Rauma. It will be the most modern and most extensively automated sawmill in the world.

The project’s domestic content will be 70%.

Excavation work for Metsä Fibre’s Rauma sawmill started at the end of May. The first part of the excavation work involves the installation of underground electric cables, piping and conduits. After this work has been completed in approximately two months, the construction of the sawmill’s foundation will start.

Rock excavation in the Maanpäänniemi area is in its final stage. Quarrying, crushing and blasted rock transports to the harbour will continue during the summer.

The main equipment agreements for the Rauma sawmill project have been signed, and the project is proceeding according to the schedule. The value of the investment is approximately EUR 200 million.

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Using spacers to periodically adjust the position of the saws on the splines prevents deep ruts from forming on splines. That means you get a better fit between the 16 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY the 2020 arbor and the blade. And when it is time to replace the sleeves, you simply slip them off and put new ones on;

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LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

JD Irving to begin modernization & expansion of Doaktown sawmill in July Next month the Sawmills Division of J.D. Irving, Limited to begin modernization and expansion of its Doaktown sawmill in New Brunswick, Canada. The company is targeting spring 2021 for the commissioning and start-up of the new facility.

The $35 million project will see the mill’s footprint grow by 14,000 square feet bringing together the

sawmill, planer mill and value added centre under one roof.

Currently the sawmill is located on the other side of the road. New, state-of-the-art technology will be installed throughout the lumber production process.

The project is expected to generate 40,000 person hours of work and will employ a team of 60 people during peak construction.

Polkky installs equipment at its Taivalkoski plant in Finland Equipment installations at Polkky’s Taivalkoski planing plant in Finland have started. Despite corona, the construction of the planing mill project is progressing according to plan, and by the end of the year the company will have access to new equipment in the test site.

Pölkky Oy uses 1 400 000 m3 of raw timber annually, across its four sawmills in Finland. The company’s turnover is 180 million euros. Pölkky has 420 employees in wood procurement, sawing and processing. Pölkky is a family company, now in the third

generation.

It is the largest private wood processing company in northern Finland. The sawmills and further processing facilities run by Pölkky Oy are located in the heart of Finland’s best raw timber region, in Kuusamo, Taivalkoski and Kajaani.

Pine represents 75% and spruce 25% of their production. Pölkky also has a pressure treatment facility in Oulu

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 17

SAWMILLS - KOSKISEN

LUMBER PROCESSING

Article series of Koskisen’s everyday life during corona time Part 2: New ways of operating require a learning process

Timo Moilanen, Log Sorting Operator

Due to the restrictions brought by the coronavirus spring, working conditions have had to be rethought, if not reinvented. For the second story log sorting operator Timo Moilanen is interviewed Moilanen says that the basic work has not changed much due to the corona crisis. “We mostly work solo shifts, grading and sorting, receiving roundwood and making mill measurements.” The team is small, which is why it is especially important to take care of work ability, according to Moilanen.

“There are not many of us, and we cannot afford to fall ill. Log sorting is an important step in wood processing; all roundwood comes

through that stage.”

Visits by timber truck drivers at the log sorting plant have been limited and physical distancing is observed. In addition, when changing operators, hand washing and hygiene have been increased, and the keypad and the mouse are always disinfected. Work safety has been improved further by making small adjustments.

“We have used common sense.

We always communicate with operators via walkie-talkies even in normal times, but now we have even stopped talking to each other during breaks.”

The new ways of operating require a certain learning process.

“Drivers from Russia do not necessarily know what they should do, and before they would come all the way up to us to get instructions. We have drawn up clear instructions for them and started using disinfectants. Until last week, drivers used to come to the control room, but now the instructions seem to be working,” Moilanen says.

Moilanen believes that people will be more mindful of hygiene during future flu seasons. “It could be that the coronavirus is teaching Finns to wash their hands,” Moilanen reckons.

Part 3: “We should all think about our colleague’s health”

The shared control room in the chipboard mill has been temporarily divided into separate spaces. The window that appears in the picture is covered with a transparent acrylic sheet.

Sufficient safety distances are used in shift changes.

18 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Article serie of Koskisen’s everyday life during corona time continue.

In the third part, Jukka Rautiainen from chipboard mill tells, what new methods were introduced immediately to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

When talks began about putting in place measures to prevent coronavirus infections, the operators in the chipboard mill’s control room immediately jumped to action. “For a while, we waited for instructions from the Group, but quite soon we took concrete measures ourselves: we divided into two the basic panel control room where five teams of three people normally work in shifts.

The control room now has two workstations divided with a transparent tarpaulin and a third workstation with remote screens was built at the front end of the line,” says production manager Jukka Rautiainen. Access to the control room is denied to anyone who doesn’t work there.

Rautiainen says the measures were taken to ensure the continuity of work, because in the shared room, people had to work close to one another. “Had one of the control room workers fallen ill, the other two would have been exposed and they would have

Had one of the control room workers fallen ill, the other two would have been exposed and they would have been quarantined for at least two weeks.

Jukka Rautiainen, Production Manager

been quarantined for at least two weeks.” The chipboard mill operation is a continuous process.

Losing the input of even one team could be critical.

“Of course, working overtime would be possible for some time, but it’s not a long-term solution.

What if another team were also

to be quarantined?” Rautiainen wonders. “If the teams came side by side during shift changes, like they used to, they would run the

risk of infecting one another, and in the worst-case scenario, three teams would be lost and the entire chipboard mill would grind

to a halt. We can’t afford to stop operations as critical as these.”

Tom-Peter Helenius Koskisen’s new Director of Panel Industry M.Sc. Tom-Peter Helenius (48) has been appointed as the new Director of Koskisen’s Panel Industry. He started in his new position on 20 April 2020.

Helenius has diverse and extensive experience in production and sales management. Among the companies he has worked for are Suominen Flexibles (today Amerplast), where he was head of the special products business; Nokian Tyres, where he was plant manager; Grundfos, where he served as managing director for Finland; Smurfit Kappa as CEO, Finland; and most recently Kopar, where he was CEO. “Tom-Peter’s long-standing and extensive background in international management, covering the areas of product development, production and sales, provides a good base for him to take charge of Koskisen’s Panel

Industry. Heading up this unit demands a strong focus on results, which Tom-Peter has solidly displayed during the course of his career,” says Jukka Pahta.

The new director’s main task will be to continue, together with the entire personnel, the development and profitability improvement programme that was launched in Koskisen’s Panel Industry in 2019. This will help guarantee Panel Industry’s highquality and profitable customer service capabilities.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Koskisen team. Wood as a material offers possibilities to further develop products and services.

The overall development of the business is also important to me.

Although the situation right now is challenging due to the coronavirus, I look forward to future meetings and discussions with the

organisation and customers. Let’s take care of ourselves and our loved ones!” says Helenius.

The Koskisen Group is a Finnish family company and a customerfocussed wood products industry forerunner, whose products are manufactured from a renewable raw material – Finnish wood.

Koskisen produces birch plywood, sawn timber products and chipboard with a staff of more than 900. The company’s turnover in 2019 was approximately EUR 270 million, more than half of which was gained through exports. The company’s wood procurement is handled by Koskitukki, which procures two million cubic metres of wood from Finnish forest owners annually.

Koskisen Panel Industry manufactures plywood and chipboard. Koskisen’s plywood products, made from high-quality

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 19

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Segezha Group restores forest resources in Kirov Oblast In 2020 Segezha Group (part of Sistema JSFC) will spend around RUB 10.5 million on restoration of forest crops in Kirov Oblast.

Employees of Vyatsky Plywood Mill, the holding’s asset, will plant about 775.5 thousands of fir and pine seedlings from the local forest nurseries across the area of 258.5 hectares. Other activities are scheduled to ensure natural restoration of forests, particularly to preserve the undergrowth and soil surface mineralization across the area of 1,450.8 hectares.

“Despite the current difficulties due to combatting the coronavirus infection, the annual activities will be performed as scheduled,” assures Andrey Sharov, Director for Forest Management and Certification of Vyatsky Plywood Mill Branch for Forest Resources.

“Compensatory forest planting will be performed in all felled areas within one or two years after

completion of timber logging and hauling.”

All logging enterprises have approved lists of forest areas subject to protection. Priority areas are water conservation districts, prohibition belts, designated areas, forest territories with high biodiversity, as well as areas of special significance for local communities – habitats of porcini mushrooms and berries, and wood grouse mating places.

The company’s logging equipment operators are instructed to leave valuable trees and trunks with caves and nests intact. Each stage of forest management takes into account the variations in wild forest animals’ habitats, state of soils and water resources.

Presence of landscapes vulnerable to human impact is also considered. Segezha Group conducts no production activities in the aforementioned areas.

The mill’s logging works are performed within the scope of a priority investment project for forest development (Order of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade No. 4313 dd. 11/12/2017). All necessary international certificates for forest areas management are available. Segezha Group has adopted a Policy for responsible forest management and supply mandatory for all its employees.

The company draws on the principle of conducting forest restoration works in the territories whose size is commensurate to logging areas. Planting and sowing new trees are scheduled for the period from May to October. Forest renewal will take place without damage to the young stock and undergrowth remaining after felling.

“The company continues its systematic efforts for restoration of target coniferous species from high

quality planting material. In order to grow new, strong and resilient trees in place of the felled ones, consistent and meticulous field work is necessary,” says Vyatsky Plywood Mill Executive Director Alexey Stepanov.

In 2019, forest restoration works in all Segezha Group regions of presence required an expenditure of RUB 97 million. The forest has been restored across the area of 26 thousand hectares, an expansion by 13.5% against the previous year.

Segezha Group buys new timber carriers and Off-Road Vehicles for Vologda loggers In Q1 2020, Vologda loggers of Segezha Group (part of Sistema JSFC) purchased 11 new timber carriers equipped with trailers and manipulators, as well as 22 all-terrain vehicles. The total investment amounted to around RUB 300 million.

“State-of-the-art SCANIA, MAN and Volvo timber carriers will guarantee handling of the scheduled timber hauling volumes,” says Kipelovo LCS JSC Executive Director Fedor Potapenko. “The new vehicles will be operated by our best employees. We believe that their proficiency, advanced machinery

and smooth business processes will help improve the company’s performance.”

The new vehicles are expected to reduce the cost of logging and reliance on the wood hauling contractors. For instance, МАN timber carriers have completely substituted the services of contractor companies in Kharovsky area. Volvo short log trucks have increased in-house transportation volume from 70 to 85% in Kovzhinsky area.

Another important task is to procure feedstock for CLT panels manufacturing at the new enterprise, Sokol CLT LLC. The

20 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade included construction of the plant in the list of priority investment projects for forest

development. The controlled felling rate allotted for the project amounts to 618 thousand cubic meters per year. Starting from Q3 this year, logging at the allotted forest areas will be managed by Kipelovo LCS. For that purpose, a new branch, Vostok, has been established within the logging enterprise.

“The new all-terrain vehicles have been purchased on time to perform field research of the forest resources, demarcation of timber cutting areas, and road construction planning,” comments Andrey Nazarov, Head of Vostok production branch of Kipelovo LCS JSC. “We are working on schedule which is very tight.”

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 21

KILN DRYING TECHNOLOGY - Brunner Hildebrand

LUMBER PROCESSING

Kiln drying innovations developed

by Brunner Hildebrand BRUNNER HILDEBRAND has been serving the lumber industry for almost 70 years and developed unique products, such as the world’s largest vacuum dryer HIGH VAC and the Hildebrand Continuous Kilns Alexander

L

ocated in Nashville TN, BRUNNER HILDEBRAND LUMBER DRY KILN CO. is specialized in kilns for softwood and hardwood. The company´s expertise ensures that customers will receive individual dry kiln solutions tailored to the needs of each sawmill.

Each solution is chosen based on the needs of the customer, their capacity and lumber grade. The possibility of future expansions is always taken into account when designing the solution.

The priority is in providing the best-engineered, installed and serviced product in the market today. The company’s service network is on stand-by to provide full service and support after delivery and installation, either on location or by remote access.

Hildebrand Weight Precision Technology (HWPT) Recently, the company introduced the brand-new Hildebrand Weight Precision Technology (HWPT), which is capable of weighing entire lumber stacks in wireless mode.

In contrast to the former Brunner Hildebrand in-kiln-probe-system, this is a massive improvement because it produces more accurate results and it may easily be integrated into the daily work routine by using weighing devices looking just like regular 4x4s.

22 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

In combination with the new Vector EW control system, which is based on seven decades of experience and shows kilns in appealing 2D and 3D mode, customers benefit from a superb level of accuracy and practical implementation.

Hildebrand Continuous Kiln Alexander The latest kiln development is the single-direction Hildebrand Continuous Kiln Alexander, which is the right solution for mills that produce large volumes of lumber, e.g. dimension SPF. While developing the HCK, Brunner Hildebrand put great emphasis on creating exactly the right drying conditions for the respective lumber moisture content.

The Hildebrand Weight Precision Technology, which is integrated in the kiln carts, ensures full control. To provide best results, the technical features

of each individual drying zone are customized to the drying state and moisture of the lumber passing through.

Special emphasis has also been placed on energy-saving measures in the Hildebrand Continuous Kilns, such as the company’s special GreenKilns system with large cross-flow heat exchangers and the application of frequency-controlled fan motors throughout the kilns.

Automatic indexing of kiln carts is performed hydraulically by powerful pusher units integrated in the feeding section of the kilns. The size of the HCK can be scaled to the customer’s needs in terms of total KD production.

Systems can be single-track or multi-track with lengths according to the desired production volume.

It´s also applicable for drying of different lumber dimensions simultaneously in one continuous kiln.

SAWLINES - GILBERT

LUMBER PROCESSING

Gilbert and Scantec form German alliance

G

ilbert has appointed Scantec Industrieanlagen as its official agent for the Gilbert Planermill Division in the DACH region and Eastern Europe.

Scantec, based in Feldkirchen, Germany, offers professional consulting, customer-oriented sales and the highest level of service. The company has planned, delivered and installed more than 750 projects ranging from

Heidi Danbrook, Sales Manager, Gilbert individual machines to major turnkey projects in the sawmilling industry.

“Scantec has decades of experience in the wood industry

Gilbert planers are designed to deliver high performance while producing a luxurious lumber finish. Using “Pull-Through: technology, the Gilbert planer runs up to 4000 ft/min (1200 m/min) and reaches over 95% efficiency: it rarely ever stops! Its exclusive, user friendly, automatic positioning system increases flexibility and produces outstanding lumber finish.

and excellent contacts to the leading sawmills and wood processors,” Heidi Danbrook, Sales Manager at Gilbert. “We are very fortunate to have Scantec as a sales partner in our team.”

Scantec Managing Director Stephan Lohmeyer: “Gilbert won us over right from the start with the quality and performance of their products. The Gilbert Planer equipment is a perfect addition for us in the high-performance wood processing sector.”

Today, over 130 Gilbert Planers are operating worldwide; in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Proven to be the fastest planer in the world, the Gilbert High Speed Planer runs over 300 boards/minute, leaving any competition in the dust.

For the past 30 years, Gilbert has been a recognized leader in the design and manufacturing of forestry, sawmill, construction and surfacing equipment. The company is located in Roberval, Canada and employs 125 people who devote themselves to offering the best planer expertise and technology on the market.

Gilbert won us over right from the start with the quality and performance of their products. The Gilbert Planer equipment is a perfect addition for us in the highperformance wood processing sector Stephan Lohmeyer, Managing Director, Scantec

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Reliability matters. ...especially in uncertain times International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 23

SAWLINES - SPRINGER

LUMBER PROCESSING

SPRINGER wins a major high-tech contract in Sweden New generation of dry sorting: SPRINGER and SCA continue successful partnership

W

ith its latest major order, the Swedish SCA Group has again proved that it trusts SPRINGER’s pioneering state-of-the-art technology and innovative product solutions. The Austrian family-owned business is designing and constructing a new, innovative and high-performance dry sorting plant for SCA Bollsta.

Tailor-made automatization and digitalization solutions are

The ED 3000 - The innovative machine concept of the ED 3000 enables an efficient & automatic wrapping of lumber packages in planing & lumber mills

We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership with SCA. The new dry sorting plant combines superior digital technology with user-friendliness and efficiency Timo Springer CEO, SPRINGER Maschinenfabrik GmbH

The Robotic Labeling System guarantees a fully automatic labelling of packages and stacks. It can be positioned as required in the stacking machine, packaging and package manipulation implemented, such as the beltless SPRINGER-E-CUT 200 trimmer, the fully automatic SPRINGER-ED 3000 Wrapper, the SPRINGER-Robotic Labeling System (RLS), as well as the SPRINGER IOT and GO-LIVE! system, which creates a complete digital twin of the real plant and brings it to life through a real-time data connection.

“We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership with SCA. The new dry sorting plant combines superior digital technology with user-friendliness and efficiency”,

comments Timo Springer the CEO of SPRINGER Maschinenfabrik GmbH. During the contract negotiations, our Swedish distribution partner LOAB gave us excellent support and reconciled the interests of SCA and Springer.

According to Gert Fischinger, head of project planning, the order was issued following a very intensive, two-year project planning process

24 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Groundbreaking SPRINGER-ECUT 200 trimmer with electrical actuation for the sawn timber industry. As the construction height has been reduced to a minimum, it can be easily integrated into all types of lumber processing lines

and was based on SPRINGER’s latest product innovations.

The system is the largest single installation as well as the fastest one on the market. It can handle up to 230 boards per minute and 28 handovers per minute, which means that an annual resorting capacity of more than 750,000m³

boards can be achieved with no more than three people operating the system. All plant sections are pre-installed, pre-assembled and commissioned at SPRINGER’s production facility.

Completion and handover of the project is scheduled for May 2023.

About SCA SCA was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Sundsvall, Sweden.

SAWLINES - STENNER

LUMBER PROCESSING

Stenner Horizontal Band Resaw - MHS9

Stenner’s Irish success The latest model of the MHS9 has helped transform Coolrain Sawmills into an enviable operation

O

ver the past five years, much has changed at Coolrain Sawmills in terms of production efficiency.

“We have looked at all aspects of the business from the point of view of assessing if we were doing things as well as they could be done and focussing on making best use of the manpower we have available,” Owner Declan Hutchinson said.

It was decided to make a major investment in the primary breakdown area including 3D scanning, automated material handling and stacking. The results were fantastic, with the sawmill producing 20% more product.

However, that resulted in real pressure being placed on the existing Stenner MHS9 horizontal resawing line.

Hutchinson contacted Stenner and began assessing what options were available and settled on the latest version of the MHS9 with five saw units. Much has changed on the machine since the original purchase with a highly efficient spray lube system making best use of Stenner Bandsaw Lubricant; improved sawguide systems; and

saw units that have feedworks that can be adjusted to be horizontal to the feedtrack rather than the whole saw unit tilting.

The most significant improvement, though, is the use of Master and Slave PLC’s, from Schneider. This simplifies the wiring and also gives the opportunity for Stenner staff to interrogate the machine remotely via the Internet.

To ensure the machine capability was maximised, a handling system was ordered from MPM, a Lithuanian manufacturer who Stenner represents. Initially, a stacker and manual infeed were installed. Early on it was noted that the speed of the line was limited by the ability of the man on the infeed so some experimentation was carried out.

“We pushed the line to assess the capability and discovered that we were running at about 25 m/ minute but the Stenner could saw accurately at 40 m/minute,” Hutchinson said.

Further discussions with Stenner resulted in an order being placed on MPM for an automated vacuum-based infeed, which is now

We pushed the line to assess the capability and discovered that we were running at about 25 m/minute but the Stenner could saw accurately at 40 m/minute Declan Hutchinson, Owner, Coolrain Sawmills Ltd

on site awaiting installation, as and when the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Saw Servicing on site is under the control of experienced saw doctor Christy Coroon. To give Coroon the tools required to service the extra blades, an order was placed at the 2019 Ligna for an Iseli BAP 110 profile grinder. A second BAP is on order for delivery in the Autumn.

Stenner Managing Director, Syd Mather: “Stenner are absolutely delighted to have been the chosen supplier for these three projects and are extremely grateful to Declan and Christy for favouring us with this significant business.

“I can’t wait to get over and see the line running to its maximum capability.”

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 25

Phased investing: recovery and conversion up, downtime reduced

Projects come in all shapes and sizes, and often the market dictates the best course of action. One must also take into account existing bottlenecks and restraints, and production lost to downtime. Kiwi Lumber’s mill at Masterton, New Zealand faced these issues and took them on one by one in a phased plan to modernize the sawmill.

Log optimization scanners Auto rotation conveyor

26 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Ring turner

SAWLINES - USNR

LUMBER PROCESSING

This line has the capability to reciprocate the pieces back through the quad bandmills for a second pass.

T

he Masterton mill has been undergoing capital investments and retrofits for several years, and the injection of modern technology is paying off.

The mill has spent a lot of time and money updating its sawmill, and it is now reaping the rewards through vastly improved recoveries and conversion, and reductions in downtime.

One area that needed updating was the front end of the mill, with the first phase in this area replacing an aging primary breakdown line with a sharp chain infeed and newer quad bandmills.

The second and most recent phase involved the implementation of a log positioning infeed, new scanning and optimization, and

new log decks. Previously, over two separate projects the mill outfitted the edger and trimmer lines with USNR’s BioVision sawmill grade scanning systems, allowing the mill to expand its product line. (Read more about these projects in our magazine issue #43). Throughout this extensive modernization, USNR and Skookum Technology (USNR’s agent in the region) have provided the majority of engineering, equipment supply, installation, and commissioning.

Kiwi Lumber is a privatelyowned company with three thriving sawmills located in the North Island of New Zealand. The Dannevirke and Putaruru mills are dedicated to processing pruned logs to maximize grade recovery of

high-value clear lumber. Masterton is a structural mill that produces framing timber for mostly domestic construction, as well as a wide range of treated landscaping products.

Phasing in Duncan Oakley, Mill Manager for the Masterton operation, explained, “This project was part of a larger plan we undertook to replace the old line, install quad bandmills, and we always wanted to go with a positioning infeed system. We decided it was too big a project to do all in one go, both for capital outlay and resourcing aspects. We realized if we phased them it would be more manageable for keeping product flowing to our

customers, and for minimizing downtime disruption.”

The old line was optimized, but Duncan described it as “scan and pray”. The scan provided data for log rotation, but positioning was completely manual. “We weren’t offsetting the position of the log at all. The operator would do his best utilizing a couple of joy sticks to try to make the turn the optimizer called for, but it was difficult to get any accuracy.” Duncan explained the motive for the investment.

“Our primary target was gains in recovery and in conversion.”

The scope of the project went back as far as the log decks.

Duncan explains, “From the chipper canter back to the debarker, everything is new.” The supply

Quad bandmills

Positioning infeed Canters

Kiwi Lumber’s log line layout

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 27

The newly automated line is now in full operation.

begins with the new log decks feeding the autorotation conveyor.

The logs are scanned, then turned with USNR’s ring turner before being positioned ahead of the canter heads and quad bandmills.

The Masterton mill along with its sister operations, rely

Operator, Hayley, has a bird’s eye view of the line from the new control room

28 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

exclusively on USNR optimization.

As Duncan remarked, the company has a lot of confidence in USNR as a technology partner. “USNR is well positioned to support us in New Zealand.” He explained that USNR’s technical support has proven effective and reliable,

and that support from Skookum Technology on the ground in New Zealand is very good.

Major project This second phase on the primary line was a major project for Masterton. “This was the biggest

This project was part of a larger plan we undertook to replace the old line, install quad bandmills, and we always wanted to go with a positioning infeed system Duncan Oakley Masterton Site Manager

in total, with the 4th week in commissioning.

One feature of the new line is the System Quality Inspector (SQI).

“We’re happy with that; it’s a live check on a continuous basis.”

The SQI provides a real-time measurement system and trending reports comparing the optimizer’s predicted solutions with the actual machine output. The SQI system allows for faster initial system tuning, feedback on overall system performance, and is a long-term tool to predict maintenance requirements.

Another feature of the line is the capability to reciprocate the pieces back through the quad bandmills for a second pass. Duncan says they utilize this feature on about 10% of the logs.

Ongoing gains

project we’ve ever taken on at one time. We put a whole new front end on the mill. At its peak we had about 60 tradespeople on site, operating with two shifts throughout the installation and start-up.” Duncan explained that a new control room was also constructed. Overall the mill was down for about 3 weeks HALCO AD:Layout 3

3/8/10

“We are happy with the results we are getting. The gains we’ve achieved in recoveries are ongoing, and they’re good.” Duncan said that with the old log decks they were getting a lot of downtime as a result of reliability issues. “Now downtime is significantly reduced.

And with the new log breakdown technology, we’ve increased our recoveries.”

With so many projects in recent past, Duncan says he wants to spend some time to take advantage 17:22

of all the new technologies they’ve implemented. “With all of the investment we’ve done across the mill we want to get the best out of the new equipment and technology. There are further gains to be had just spending time improving what we are doing.

With so many projects in quick succession we need to fine-tune our process and get those extra percentages of benefit.”

Duncan also talked about the need for a different caliber of personnel to operate the new systems. “With all the projects we’ve done we needed to have greater expertise on site in terms of optimization and automation, and to shift away from manual tasks.

We’ve also invested in our staff and upskilled our people. It’s one

thing to have the technology, but you also have to make sure you have the skills to reap the benefits ongoing.”

Page 1

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International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 29

Forwarders

Fully Loaded The importance of keeping up with modern cutting heads is inspiring forwarder suppliers to even greater heights and placing today’s operators in even greater comfort

I

n terms of glamour in the forestry machine sector, the forwarder is unlikely to feature prominently.

Essentially a tractor, the primary role of the forwarder has been to keep pace with the fast-changing capabilities of harvester heads.

The heads, meanwhile, with cutting edge computer systems able to cut to the specifications directed by the sawmill, and to handle ever-greater volumes of such demand, have generally generated more excitement.

As understandable as that may be, forwarder technology has never lagged. This may sound like faint

30 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

praise, but a lag of any measure by forwarder manufacturers would create a bottleneck in the supply of stock from the stand to the sawmill.

Forwarders have become more agile in working in tighter stands, while at the same time increasing capacity for big jobs. They have become more powerful, while at the same time adhering to increasingly stringent emissions standards for engines. And they have all the while continued to improve the comfort, visibility and operability of the cabs.

This year’s review features

the industry’s most prominent suppliers, as they walk entrpreneurs through all these aspects of modern forwarder technology.

Komatsu Forest has a wide range of forwarders, from the smallest, which is optimal for thinning, to the powerful forwarder for final felling. The Komatsu forwarders are productive and stable machines with great operator comfort designed for demanding days in the forest.

Komatsu 895 - 2020

The diesel engine can run at lower revs, the hydrostat shifts better, which means that it becomes more distinct and faster Jonas Skyttmo, Skyttmo Skogsentreprenad

designed with the rotation of the oscillated joint following the direction of the rear frame. The reason for choosing this design is to make the load area as stable as possible.

The front frame of the forwarder is already stable and constantly has a low centre of gravity, whilst the centre of gravity in the load area will vary depending on how large and high the load is. When the load area is empty, the centre of gravity is low. When the load area is full, the centre of gravity

All new features and improvements are based on enabling the operator to maximize production in a manner that is sustainable for both the operator and the forest. The latest new feature presented is the Xtreme Transmission option for Komatsu 895.

The Komatsu concept: Superior trailer stability Komatsu forwarders are known for their stability, thanks to the Komatsu concept, encompassing a low centre of gravity and an articulated joint facing the same

direction as the rear frame.

The stability of a forwarder is crucial to achieve good productivity. With a stable machine, the operator can work freely with the crane and maintain a high and even transport speed. This allows them to focus on planning your driving instead of having all focus on how the rear of the machine can handle the obstacles. The machine can be operated in a more relaxed way, keeping the operator alert, fresh and focused.

Komatsu forwarders have a unique design that makes them very stable. The forwarders are

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 31

is higher – which affects stability.

With the Komatsu design, the stability is constant, even when the forwarder is turning.

Ergonomics and cabin comfort A sustainable operator environment, in the cab, is important for making every day productive. All Komatsu forwarders offer a spacious cab with good visibility in all directions and a quiet, ergonomic and comfortable work environment.

Komatsu Forest offers a wide range of extra equipment to make the cab even more comfortable and well-functioning. Examples are: KCC Advanced hand controls with five extra programmable buttons, blinds on all windows and/or sun blinds, radio with Bluetooth and hands-free support, air-ventilated seat, lunch box heater, cooler box, side screen wipers and allergy filter 3 μ (mu) etc.

The hydraulic cab suspension Comfort Ride has been developed in close cooperation with Komatsu Forest’s customers and can improve the operator comfort even more. The design with optimized geometry, 4-point suspension and well-protected cylinders with long stroke effectively counteracts shocks, vibrations and sway. This

improves comfort and reduces fatigue for the operator.

Irresistible tractive force with Xtreme Transmission Komatsu 895 has a high tractive force and the climbing ability angle with the standard transmission is already very good. With the new option, Xtreme Transmission (XT), the difference is remarkable.

For operators who work in hilly terrain, it is important that the machine can easily get up for steep slopes. With XT the machine gets the extra power needed. The transmission includes a brand-new hydrostat system, gearbox and a new bogie with more powerful hub reductions and optimized balancing properties.

Overall, XT gives a very high tractive force of 307 kN, compared to the standard gearbox’s 262 kN. XT is also an excellent choice for machines to be used for scarifying operations. The option is only available for Komatsu 895.

Development in close cooperation All new features and improvements are developed in close cooperation with Komatsu Forest’s customers.

Already in spring 2019 Skyttmo Skogsentreprenad AB started running a Komatsu 895 equipped

32 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

with Xtreme Transmission, and they have had a close dialogue with Komatsu Forest throughout the development process.

Skyttmo Skogsentreprenad performs felling and scarifying operations primarily within Jämtland County, Sweden. Most employees have extensive experience in forest work and the company has about ten permanent employees. The machine park consists of three harvesting groups and two forwarders equipped for scarifying operations, all machines from Komatsu.

The Komatsu 895 XT is used exclusively in scarifying operations and has been running for about 6300 hours at the time of writing.

Four separate operators have operated the machine during this period, and they are all equally satisfied. Owner Jonas Skyttmo has only positive feedback.

“The gearbox is much better; it has a better register and quickly shifts from 0-10 km/h which would not have been possible with the regular gearbox. The diesel engine can run at lower revs, the hydrostat shifts better, which means that it becomes more distinct and faster,” says Skyttmo.

Fuel consumption has also decreased slightly. The main advantage mentioned, however, is

that the transmission is stronger and lasts better and longer. The terrain they work in is very varied, sometimes good conditions but often very steep and rocky.

“The conditions that are the toughest and those that wear the most is when the machine can run at high speed - then the transmission will have to work harder,” says Skyttmo.

During this spring Skyttmo Skogsentreprenad had a new Komatsu 895 delivered, also equipped with XT.

Continuous improvement In the autumn of 2020, Komatsu Forest will present several exciting news for Komatsu forwarders.

The Komatsu forwarders are productive and stable machines with great operator comfort designed for demanding days in the forest.

Komatsu´s solution with the oscillation in the rear direction means that the distance between the center of gravity and the edge of the support surface remains constant regardless of the steering angle – meaning the forwarder stays stable throughout the turn.

The new option Xtreme Transmission gives the Komatsu 895 forwarder extra power and an irresistible tractive force.

In these troubled times, togetherness is more important than ever.

Together we will get through this.

Also, we encourage you to share glimpses of your everyday life with #komatsutogether on social media.

Your posts and our reposts will make this imposed social distancing at bit more social‌ Your friends at Komatsu Forest

34 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

ACTIVE CRANE VERSION 2.0

PONSSE ACTIVE CRANE For smooth loader control The PONSSE Active Crane - now developed to VERSION 2.0 - offers more accuracy and reliability for the system to those situations which have traditionally been challenging to automation.

As we know Active Crane is easily controlled using two levers, one of which controls the grapple height from the ground and the other controls the direction of movement.

What is essential is that the operator does not need to control all the functions simultaneously.

The operator just needs to specify the desired grapple location and the system will automatically perform the lifting, folding and extending.

The operator can easily switch between using the Active Crane and conventional loader control with a push of a button.

The Active Crane is based on the Sensor Module technology that has been thoroughly tested in field conditions. Similar technology has been used for years in the PONSSE Scorpion levelling system and the PONSSE Active Frame cabin suspension system.

The tried and tested technology ensures the utmost reliability and easy serviceability of the Active Crane.

The Active Crane is available for PONSSE forwarders equipped with a K90+, K100+ or K121 loader.

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 35

PONSSE ELEPHANT & ELEPHANT KING WITH K121 LOADER

K121 LOADER

More efficiency for load handling The PONSSE K121 loader extends Ponsse’s loader selection to a whole new size range. The new loader combines high torque and lifting power with increased reach, a new type of loader geometry and good controllability. These features come together to create the most powerful loader on the market, enabling shorter loading and unloading times.

The new loader makes working more efficient, especially in conditions where load handling takes up a large proportion of the working time. It facilitates the handling of large trees and work on slopes where high power equipment is required.

FAST LOAD HANDLING FOR SHORT DRIVING DISTANCES Loader capacity is of great importance in conditions where load handling takes up most of the working time. If the driving distances are short and loads are large, loader use may account for over 60 percent of the working time.

Such sites include, for example, plantations where driving distances are short and loader efficiency has a major impact on productivity.

The new geometry and good controllability of the PONSSE K121 loader together with the ability to install a larger grapple enable significantly quicker load handling.

More power for work on slopes and handling of large logs.

HARVESTING ON SLOPES IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON WORLDWIDE PONSSE forest machines have opened up new possibilities for work in steep sloping areas.

The PONSSE K121 loader further improves performance on sloping ground. In such conditions, smooth handling requires high loader power and a wide tilt angle for the crane pillar. The tilting base of the K121 has a greater tilt angle than other loaders (-12°…+24°), ensuring that the loader remains in the correct position when working on steep slopes.

PONSSE Elephant and Elephant- King forwarders are widely used on work sites where extremely large logs are handled.

The new loader model facilitates

efficient handling of large logs and, for example, loading onto freight railway wagons. Thanks to the high torque and lifting power and increased reach, logs can be lifted from far away without having to move the machine or drag the logs on the ground.

A NEW & TESTED STRUCTURE The PONSSE K121 loader has been designed to withstand the toughest working conditions. The loader has been field tested in demanding conditions in Canada, Russia and the United States where it has been put to work for thousands of hours. The field test results have been good.

The loader is very powerful and easy to control and also reliable thanks to its sturdy structure. The new loader combines high slewing torque and lifting power, increased reach, and a new type of loader geometry that is easy to control.

The hydraulic hoses and pipes have been placed inside the boom for added protection. The extension cylinders are also protected inside the boom and the rotator piping has been protected by passing the pipes directly through the hanger. In addition, hydraulic end damping has been added to the lifting cylinder to make the operator’s work easier when operating at the extreme limits of the cylinder movement. The new structural innovations ensure a maximum utilisation rate and ease of maintenance.

36 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

A REDESIGNED STRUCTURE For a long time, basic loader features have been based on similar solutions. For the PONSSE K121 loader, the traditional structure has been upgraded significantly and the structure of the booms and cylinders has been redesigned.

The structure and positioning of the cylinders are different from previous solutions. Therefore, it was possible to reduce the number of welded joints and increase the use of castings.

These aspects together reduce the tension and strain on the components and extend the life of the loader. The new structural solutions have undergone extensive field testing as well as fatigue testing at Ponsse’s factory.

The hydraulic system has also been redesigned. Thanks to the new structure of the loader, it is no longer necessary to have the hydraulic pipes and hoses on the outside of the boom, instead they have been placed inside the structure for added protection. At the grapple end, the piping passes through the hanger to the rotator.

For this reason, the hydraulic parts are better protected from external damage.

When designing the loader, the impact of work lighting on an operator’s well-being was examined thoroughly. The positioning of work lights has been done in a new way and the loader can be equipped with efficient and

well-protected LED lights.

This solution significantly reduces reflections caused by the log gate and directs the light to the areas where it is needed, in other words the load space, grapple and working area. Efficient and correctly directed lighting reduces strain on the operator’s eyes and helps them cope better with working in the dark.

The K121 loader can be equipped with a 0.50/0,52 m2 grapple.

PONSSE BISON ACTIVE FRAME

BISON ACTIVE FRAME

Faster Forwarder Ponsse launched the PONSSE Bison Active Frame at the FinnMETKO trade fair in the autumn of 2018. The main strengths of the new forwarder model are its speed and efficiency. The continuously variable transmission and the Active Frame cabin suspension system raise productivity to a new level, especially over long transport distances.

The PONSSE Bison Active Frame demonstrates its speed especially over long transport distances. The new continuously variable transmission (CVT) always balances the driving speed and engine load, ensuring low fuel consumption and high productivity.

In addition to fuel efficiency, the benefits of the powertrain include high tractive force and seamless transmission – work doesn’t have to stop when changing the driving speed. The PONSSE Bison is equipped with the PONSSE Active Frame cabin suspension system.

The system has a simple and functional structure, dampening any lateral movement affecting the operator effectively and unnoticeably. The Active Frame allows the operator to stay alert and productive hour after hour, even at high speeds. The large load space combined with the powerful and easy-to-use loader ensure efficient load handling at all work sites.

CVT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREST MACHINES The transmission of the PONSSE Bison Active Frame is based on CVT technology. Product Manager Juha Haverinen, who is responsible for forwarders at Ponsse, tells that the experiences have been good.

“Thanks to the CVT, driving speed can be increased considerably

if the situation permits. This is especially useful over long transport distances.” The CVT includes seamless changing of gear ratios and thus the traditional

switching between slow and fast gear is no longer necessary. The operator can drive at any speed without having to stop, depending on the driving conditions. In a

machine with CVT, the traditional hydrostatic transmission can be replaced with a separate CVT gear system. This enables lower fuel consumption as well as a higher tractive force, the benefits of which become obvious when driving on steep hills, soft terrain or in deep snow. CVT systems are based on a very robust technology. They have been previously used, for example, in large earthmoving machines, so there is plenty of experience in demanding conditions. Ponsse is the only forest machine manufacturer to offer CVT in forest machines.

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 37

The PONSSE Manager load certificate displays work area where Parts Online service is available

New version of PONSSE Manager improves reporting of machine chain productivity PONSSE Manager presents forwarder production reporting, a function highly requested by customers, alongside the system’s other top features.

As a new feature, PONSSE Manager displays the progress of work areas in a separate graph, showing harvester production and forwarder production relative to the total estimated volume of the work area in question.

Printable load certificate

Ponsse Buffalo

Scorpion King 38 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

The PONSSE Manager load certificate displays work area identification data and local transportation per storage location, both as sum totals and operatorspecific values. The printable load certificate also includes the volume of each load, the assortments delivered, and the distance travelled.

“Forwarder production volumes will be updated in PONSSE Manager reports if the forwarder is equipped with a compatible PONSSE Load Optimizer loader scale or the Opti 4G operator load details feature, which allows operators to enter their roadside deliveries in the Opti 4G system.

These features raise machine chain reporting to a whole new level and offer a better overview of total harvesting production”, says Juho Leskinen, Product Group Manager, information systems and digitalisation.

PONSSE Parts Online, a system for ordering spare parts, can be accessed from the PONSSE Manager main menu in countries where Parts Online service is available.

These features raise machine chain reporting to a whole new level and offer a better overview of total harvesting production Juho Leskinen Product Group Manager, Digitalization & Information Systems at Ponsse Oyj

PONSSE Manager is a continuously developed data management system To support their operations, forest machine entrepreneurs need a reliable partner to develop services that truly improve customers’ business. PONSSE Manager is a modern forest machine monitoring and data transfer system that forest machine entrepreneurs can use to see their machines’ location, productivity figures and fuel consumption, among others.

With PONSSE Manager, entrepreneurs can improve the efficiency of their business and enhance productivity, thanks to real-time field operations monitoring. With Manager, entrepreneurs can monitor the progress of stands, plan and manage machine transportation, keep track of machine outputs according to assortment and print out measuring certificates.

In addition, Manager informs entrepreneurs of machine maintenance needs and displays any maintenance-related notes made by the operator.

the inserting of piles into the load space. The trailer can be equipped with handy, spacious toolboxes, work lights and grapple rack.

As this is a tractor, driving the combination on normal roads is possible in most countries. For road use, the trailer is usually equipped with efficient brakes, rear lights and a warning triangle. The Kesla 144ND can be equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes.

A good pairing for the trailer: the Kesla 316 loader

Kesla 144 Trailer

The forwarder alternative: Tractor forest trailer & loader Business owners don’t necessarily have to invest in a purpose-built machine

A

tractor equipped with a heavy-duty forest trailer and loader is a good alternative to the purpose-built forwarder. In Kesla’s assortment, the 144 trailer has the most suitable features to double as a forwarder with its net carrying capacity of 12 t.

Intelligent drive system – KESLA proTRACTION The 144 trailer can be equipped with efficient two or 4-wheel nave drive. The new Kesla proTRACTION drive system is connected to ISOBUS of the tractor. It offers all new benefits such as automatic

direction control, automatic drive speed adjustment, drawbar control and downhill brake control. Drive speed varies between 1.3-3.2 km/h.

It is worth noting that when the speed exceeds 5 km/h, the control system automatically switches off the drive.

The 144 trailer has 3.2 m2 load space area, meaning 15 m3 of wood is easily transported. The bunks can referred to as forwarded bunks, which are really heavily made. The standard trailer has four bunks each have two posts but the amount of bunks can be increased up to six, while bunks at

the rear can always be equipped with double posts. Frame extension is also available for the extra-long load. The bottom part of bunks use a saw-tooth form, which helps the load to stay in its place.

The trailer is normally equipped with tractor-pattern forest tyres, with steel layers including inner tubes. Rims are strengthened and tyre valves completely protected. In heavy conditions, chains and tracks are available for better traction and less surface pressure.

The front screen and front screen supports keep the combination sturdy and help with

Ideal for heavy duty work, the Kesla 316 loader is the best possible option. It is available with either one extension (7.2 m) or with double extension (8.8 m). Both versions have a lifting torque of 80 kNm; that is, from 4 m they still lift 1,540 kg and 1,370 kg, respectively.

The combination’s sturdiness is ensured with extremely strong flapdown-stablizers, with a width when extended of almost 4.8 m. The loader, when used for professional purposes, is usually equipped with the Kesla proC control system, which makes the loading with two mini joysticks smooth and precise. The proC and proTRACTION are used with the same screen, situated inside the tractor cabin.

A well designed trailer and loader set offers an interesting option as opposed to a forwarder.

The set is strong enough to handle most situations. It does not always need transportation to the logging site as it can be driven there. As the forwarding is just one of its functions, the set can be used for various other purposes, as well.

Kesla 316 Loader International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 39

1910G

40 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Loaded with features to boost performance and ensure lasting durability, the forward-thinking John Deere line of G-Series forwarders is built for the toughest environments. Comprised of six powerful models (910G, 1010G, 1110G, 1210G, 1510G and 1910G), the G-Series lineup combines next-gen technology and comfortboosting design to provide loggers with precise and proven forestry machines.

Each G-Series machine is compatible with the TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager technology suite, designed to enhance an operator’s experience.

Utilizing a mobile network to share real-time information, TimberMatic Maps enhances visibility and eliminates guesswork with jobsite-mapping. The map provides important data such as precise location or estimated volume and mass. Additionally, operators can update the map with areas of interest, soft ground, or hazards, which are shared in real-time with other crew members for increased jobsite awareness. TimberManager, a web-based solution, offers managers full visibility to the progress of the worksite, from the land harvested to the machines at work. This enables better productivity tracking and overall jobsite management.

A notable feature on all of the G-Series machines is the Intelligent Boom Control system (IBC). With IBC, boom operation is simplified, as the system automatically controls the lift, slew and extension of the boom based on the location of the grapple. As a result, accuracy is improved, ultimately increasing the number of loads completed during each work

shift. Additionally, IBC reduces operator fatigue by removing the need to control each independent boom joint movement. With IBC the operator only controls the boom tip directly, while the system manages the rest.

Three cab options – fixed, rotating, or rotating and leveling – are available on all G-Series machines. Available with a cab rotation of 290 degrees, these machines provide a clear view of the boom and grapple. Decreased operator fatigue and increased productivity are ensured due to the large windows, comfortable ergonomic armrests, fully adjustable air-cushioned seat and automated climate-control system.

The 1210G, 1510G and 1910G models can be transformed with the optional Variable Load Space (VLS) feature. With VLS, load-space width can be adjusted, allowing for more flexible forwarding and sorting of short pulp and energy wood. The configurability of the VLS option provides better and quicker grapple access.

The long-bogie 1010G, 1110G, 1210G and 1510G models deliver lower ground pressure than the standard machines, making these forwarders ideal for soft terrain.

Additionally, the long-bogie models improve the sideways stability of the rear frame while driving.

910G and 1010G Models Available in either a six-wheeled and eight-wheeled configuration, the 910G and 1010G models provide the power operators need to tackle even the most demanding conditions. The compact machine design on the 910G and 1010G can be customized to meet various worksite and operational

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 41

needs by choosing from different boom, load-space, axle and cabin options. Each model is built with a shorter frame in front of the engine to minimize overhang, resulting in easier operation in challenging terrain. Ideal for thinning operations, the 910G features balanced bogie axles.

The versatile 1010G machine is available with heavy-duty bogie axles, as well as a low-ground pressure rear bogie axle option.

The design of the 1010G machine provides improved, terrain-friendly operation and performance in soft soil applications. Additionally, the 910G and 1010G machines both feature a rigid front axle on the six-wheeled configuration and are available with an unbalanced front bogie axle option.

Mid-Size 1110G, 1210G and 1510G Models Stable and agile, the 1110G is built for thinning jobs, boasting 6.6 percent power and 4.1 percent torque than its predecessor.

Additionally, this machine is available with a short wheelbase, and, by moving the rear axle of the

G-Series model forward, the load space on the 1110G is unchanged.

The 1210G features 7.6 percent more power and 7.8 percent more torque than the previous models, whereas the 1510G offers 5.1 percent more power and 8.7 percent more torque. With an increased slewing angle of 44 degrees, the 1510G is more agile than its predecessor.

Large 1910G Model Largest forwarder in the lineup, the 1910G machine’s elevated drive hydraulics and firm 4.5 percent tractive force make it perfect for tough conditions. This forwarder has 7.5 percent more engine output and 21 percent more torque than its predecessors.

All of the G-Series models are supported by the in-base JDLink™ telematics solution. Combined John Deere Connected Support, the dealer is able to assist with machine monitoring and remote diagnostics and programming, enabling the dealer to quickly identify and diagnose problems, even from miles away.

The John Deere 1210G

42 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

HAGGIS LINK NOW FITTED AS STANDARD

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BENEFITS Maximum contact area Reduced contact pressure Protects C-Link from premature wear Specially designed to inhibit link twisting Less re-tensioning and adjustments required Bearing surfaces matched Reduced wear

www.clarktracks.com International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 43

The heavy duty Tigercat 1055C is a 14 t capacity forwarder designed to excel in both selective and final felling applications. The Tigercat F135T85 crane offers up to 8.5 m (335 in) of telescopic reach. With an expandable bunk and a choice of two wagon frame lengths, the 1055C is highly configurable and an excellent all-around forwarder.

The 1055 features Tigercat’s innovative low-wide bunk system found on the larger 1075C and 1085C models. Low-wide provides superior line-of-sight to the load and reduces operator strain.

With a 20 t capacity, the 1075C is designed for long distance forwarding and tough terrain.

The standard F165T85 crane or optional F195T85 crane can

handle all of your forwarding needs. With optional extreme duty Tigercat-built bogies, the 1075C excels in tough terrain and slopes and operates with minimal soil disturbance due to the extralong 1.89 m (74 in) bogie walking beams. An optional two-speed transmission is perfect for long forwarding distances and moderate terrain.

The 1085C has a massive 25 t capacity. It excels in severe duty, steep slopes, and scarifying applications. An optional steep slope package includes a 25° rearward tilting crane, a moving reinforced gate, 21 t rear frame tethering lugs, and an optimized steep slope bunk design.

A baffle system in the fuel tank ensures a constant supply on steep ground. The front bogie

A 14 t 1055C forwarder on a thinning operation in Sweden.

44 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

pinion and transmission are pressure lubricated. The Tigercatbuilt drivetrain provides torque that is unmatched in the industry.

WideRange provides plenty of tractive effort to carry large loads on steep slopes and achieves a maximum working speed of 7 km/h with a single gear ratio. The 1085C can attack and manoeuvre steep slopes under load with ease.

Hooked crane profile and lowwide bunks Tigercat cranes are capable of heavy loads and tough duty cycles.

The slew base has a tapered roller bearing system designed to last the life of the machine, and no plain slew bearings or spherical rollers often used in other cranes.

The crane’s hooked profile is designed to increase the working

A 25 t 1085C forwarder equipped with low-wide working in Quebec, Canada.

envelope of the crane for reduced machine travel and improved productivity. But where the crane really shines is when used in combination with Tigercat’s new low-wide expandable bunk systems.

In addition to a conventional flat loading expandable bunk system, Tigercat has optional low-wide bunks, which are inclined rearward to reduce overall gate height and eliminate the need for a vertically sliding gate.

In combination with the hooked crane, the low-wide bunk system significantly reduces the chance of crane contact with the gate or bunk stakes. Operator visibility and productivity is enhanced. The operator enjoys a clear sightline to the top of the load, increasing log placement accuracy and decreasing

cycle times. In addition, the grapple stays within the operator’s view through the entire loading and unloading cycle for reduced operator strain.

The low-wide system is available for both the 1075C and 1085C forwarders.

Operator’s station Crane control is very smooth and predictable with optimized flow sharing features so crane movements are precise over a variety of loads and conditions.

Tigercat forwarders are equipped with a modern, spacious and comfortable cab.

Extended windows provide excellent visibility to the load area and the ground. Operators comment about an open feeling even after a long shift in the cab. A

rear window guard provides more protection and comes standard on all forwarder cabs. A quiet environment is important for operator comfort and productivity.

The forwarder cab is insulated and isolation-mounted for reduced noise and vibration levels.

A variety of operator convenience options is available. Each machine comes with a TPM system for maximum tire life. RemoteLog® telematics and LogOnTM come standard on Tigercat forwarders along with a data package paired to the warranty period purchased with the machine.

engine, driveline, and pumps is through the tilt-out hood enclosure and tilting cab. Hydraulic valves and computer control modules are located in one compartment in the wagon frame.

Easily accessed from ground level, hydraulic adjustments are simple to perform. Hydraulic cleanliness is easy to maintain with spin-on hydraulic filters and an electric oil-filling pump.

Electrical reliability is excellent due to short wire runs between the control modules and valves located immediately beside them.

Service Tigercat forwarders have unsurpassed service access to all electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems. Access to the

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 45

46 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

A 20 t 1075C forwarder equipped with low-wide working in eucalyptus in Brazil. The hooked crane, low gate and angled bunk system enhance productivity in addition to making it easier for the operator to see the load.

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 47

Timbeter started cooperation with the government of Costa Rica Timbeter will help to facilitate the data exchange between the companies and government, reduce administrative burden of companies and increase their operational efficiency.

“The timber industry has an important role in providing renewable material and fighting illegal logging”, Anna-Greta Tsahkna, CEO of Timbeter said.

“We need to make sure that forests are managed sustainably.

Digital solutions like Timbeter help companies to be more efficient and transparent and also easily provide needed data for the government that will help to fight the illegal logging. And now, we are happy that we can work together with the Costa Rica government and the forestry private sector in the country”.

T

imbeter and the government of Costa Rica kicked-off a project with the goal to support the digitization of forest management, and increase competitiveness of the local forestry sector.

The Estonian Environmental Investment Center (KIK in Estonian) is funding the project to bring Timbeter’s technology to Costa Rica, and integrate their technology with the digital solutions developed by the government of the Central American nation to oversight the forestry sector, facilitate sustainable forest management, and fight illegal logging in the country.

The government of Costa Rica, through their Ministry of Environment and Energy, will explore opportunities to integrate Timbeter’s Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and cloud technology to support their efforts and investments in monitoring and controlling the forestry sector.

By simplifying data exchange between the government and companies, the target is to reduce administrative burden and bring more efficiency and transparency to sustainable forest management.

In a call to kickstart the project, the Vice Minister of the

48 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Environment and Energy, Pamela Castillo, said that the project comes in an opportune time since Costa Rica is planning to reactivate its economy after the COVID-19 emergency by promoting goods and services that are nature based.

Costa Rica is known for its efforts on sustainable natural resources management and as a green pioneer in a region of the world that is highly vulnerable to climate change.

Rafael Monge Vargas, Director of the National Center of Geoenvironmental Information and local counterpart of the project in Costa Rica, highlighted that “with this cooperation we aim to strengthen the Costa Rican Forest Resources Information System (SIREFOR), through the incorporation of state of the art digital tools, that facilitate the work carried out by the Costa Rican authorities for the control and

The timber industry has an important role in providing renewable material and fighting illegal logging Anna-Greta Tsahkna, CEO of Timbeter

monitoring of forest harvesting activities”.

Timbeter has already brought important results in forestry operations, creating a safer working environment for collaborators, and reducing the use of hazardous materials like paint. But Timbeter also brings affordable digital transformation to medium and smaller companies and private forest owners, and creates conditions for more fair and transparent trade transactions, enabling local farmers, and communities that depend on the forest for their livelihood to get better access to the market, and

the right price for their legally sourced timber.

Timbeter is an Estonian startup that has built the world’s largest database of photometric measurements of roundwood, which allows real-time tracking of timber assets down to individual shipments and piles throughout the forestry value chain. Timbeter is working with state forests in Poland and the Netherlands, and other countries of the world, and its clients include some of the largest companies in the sector such as CMPC (Chile), International Paper (Brazil), Faber-Castell (Brazil), Siam Forestry Group (Thailand), Mekong Timber Plantations (Laos), Port Blakely (USA), SEQH (Australia) and many others.

Timbeter’s technology brings transparency to the forestry

sector through the use of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, GPS and cloud computing. Through geotagging, it is possible to know

The State Forests of Poland National Holding partners with Timbeter

The Poland State Forests National Holding (LASY PAŃSTWOWE) launched a pilot project to use

Timbeter in the Nowe Ramuki Forest District of the country.

During the pilot project, the District

will use Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technology for measurements, and digital reporting.

It will also use, for testing reasons for now, Timbeter’s cloud storage solution to save all the information in digital form, have a real time overview of all the measurements made in different parts of the district by different officials, taking advantage of geolocation information, remote collaboration and reporting.

The pilot project is scheduled to the end of August 2020, and the goal is to assess the use of Timbeter in the Poland State Forest operations. The test connection for

the origin of the measurements done through Timbeter’s solutions, the information is available throughout the supply chain.

exchanging data of measurements made during the test is already set.

Anna-Greta Tsahkna, CEO of Timbeter, said “There is a need for increasing the efficiency of daily operations performed in the forestry sector all over the world, as well as a requirement for centralization of data for timber management and oversight of operations. Timbeter enables state forests and companies around the world to bring transparency and traceability to the whole supply chain and minimize possible errors”.

Timbeter is a digital timber measurement solution that uses machine learning technology and artificial intelligence for accurate log detection.

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 49

SUCCEEDING IN THE UPPER PENINSULA DEMANDS SMART PRODUCTION PLANNING

50 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Story - Kevin Orfield Photography - Todd Dacquisto

Logging in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is all about fi nding the most effi cient way to move more wood in tough terrain and harsh weather. With tight market windows, quotas are constantly changing, so wood has to get to the landing and on trucks to the mill as fast as possible.

I

magine the following scenario. A logging company is in massproduction mode on a large pine job, laying down wood faster than it can be forwarded to the landing.

Over the weekend the logging site gets blanketed with almost a foot of snow, burying 200 cords of wood. That was the scenario faced by Sanville Logging, Cornell, Michigan, last winter.

“In the past we might have spent days looking for that wood,” says Foreman Eric Poehlman. “But with John Deere TimberMatic™ Maps, the forwarder operator knew exactly where to go by looking at the GPS location of the piles on his machine’s monitor. That saved a ton of time. Without the technology, we would have not found all the wood, but using it we picked up every stick.”

Over a century of logging The founders of Sanville Logging would not recognize the company’s current, state-ofthe-art mechanized operation, which features two John Deere 1270G Wheeled Harvesters and two 1110G Forwarders equipped with TimberMatic Maps and the TimberManager™ map-based planning system.

The company is still based out of the original family homestead built in 1898. “The turn of the 20th century was the ‘logging baron era’ of Michigan,” says owner Doug Sanville. “My grandma served as the logging camp cook and my grandfather was in charge of a section of the railroad — logging followed the railways back then.

And everything was done with a broadax, a crosscut saw, and horses. My dad even had horses when I was young, although I think that was just a carryover from that era.”

In the late 1970s, Sanville’s father began running the family logging business. Sanville remembers accompanying his dad to the woods when he was very young. His first jobs included measuring and piling wood. As he got older, he graduated to running a chain saw.

In the late 1990s, Sanville left logging for a short time, opening an archery shop. “I enjoy hunting, but logging is in my blood,” he recalls. “It’s not the easiest path, but like other loggers, I’m out here because I love it.” In 2000, Sanville took over the company from his father and uncle.

Sanville Logging began the transition to mechanized logging

during the mid-1980s. Today the company runs seven harvesters and six forwarders, including the 1110G Forwarders and the eightwheel 1270G Harvesters. “We’re getting into rougher, more uneven ground,” says Sanville. “A lot of the easiest wood has been harvested in areas that are not ready for the next harvest cycle. The eight-wheel harvesters provide the flotation and stability we need in tougher, wetter, and frozen ground.”

Worth its weight in gold Sanville Logging typically runs three crews, harvesting a mix of hardwood and softwood, depending on what the mills demand. Short market windows mean the company typically harvests today what the mill uses tomorrow, so it often needs to quickly transition from one product to another.

To help with planning, Sanville Logging recently began using John Deere TimberMatic™ Maps and TimberManager™. “Jim Bell, our dealer representative from McCoy Construction & Forestry in Escanaba, really spearheaded these efforts,” says Poehlman.

[TimberManager] has made my job so much easier — I don’t think I could go back to the old way of doing things ERIC POEHLMAN Foreman, Sanville Logging

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 51

“Without his endless help, we would not be where we are with it today.”

TimberManager allows Sanville and Poehlman to monitor production using a PC, tablet, or mobile phone without even being at the jobsite. “With multiple crews running, we can’t be at every site

I can see what has been cut, what has been forwarded to the landing, and how much is left to harvest ERIC POEHLMAN Foreman, Sanville Logging

every minute of the day,” says Sanville. “Using TimberManager, we can view harvesting and forwarding progress in real time, which really helps us monitor and plan our operations.”

Poehlman runs TimberManager on a tablet that he has mounted in his truck. “It’s worth its weight in gold,” adds Poehlman. “I don’t have to physically be at the job to know what is going on or play phone tag with operators. I can see what has been cut, what has been forwarded to the landing, and how much is left to harvest. This makes it simpler for me to line up trucks to move the wood as quickly as possible to the mills. It’s made my job so much easier — I don’t think I could go back to the old way of doing things.”

Operators love the system, according to Poehlman. Using TimberMatic Maps onboard the machine, they can see all equipment locations and the current logging situation in real time. Forwarder operators don’t have to hunt around for wood anymore. They can immediately

see where certain species are located and choose the optimal route to pick up and transport a full load of a desired assortment to the landing. And in the morning, everyone can see exactly where they left off the day before.

Rain, snow, or sunshine, the wood has to get to the mills.

“Using TimberManager I can guide forwarder operators to pick up at certain areas first before rain or snow comes in,” says Poehlman. “Through TimberMatic Maps, operators can see the precise GPS location, volume, and species of trees. So if I’m sending a truck to pick up hardwood bolts, I can direct the forwarder operator to display only where bolts are located and not logs, pulp, or anything else. This helps us get bolts to the landing as quickly as possible.”

As the job progresses, production data and logging routes are updated continuously, so everyone can see the actual, upto-the-minute status of the jobsite.

As timber is transported, operators can mark the map to indicate the exact volume of timber at the

Doug Sanville, Jim Bell, dealer representative from McCoy Construction & Forestry in Escanaba, & Eric Poehlman 52 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

storage area. This makes it easy to plan for transporting timber to the mill and moving machines where needed.

“It really helps with logistics to know how much we are cutting in a day and when the job is going to be done,” says Poehlman. “I can have a lowboy ready, so we don’t have a machine sitting idle on a jobsite.”

Every minute counts Map creation is simple.

TimberMatic Maps accommodates all common map formats from hand-drawn plans to PDFs. Standard satellite or topographical imagery can be loaded directly through a cellular connection onboard the machine.

Using TimberManager, Poehlman can change map features and share updates via an online, cloud-based solution without having to visit each machine.

“I’m no computer whiz and this

This technology helps us identify the who, what, where, and how of the job, so we can plan what we need to get done every day.

It keeps us working efficiently DOUG SANVILLE Owner, Sanville Logging

technology is new to me, but it’s truly easy for me and the operators to use.”

Using the Areas of Interest or Points of Interest functions, supervisors and operators can easily mark hazards, obstacles, soft ground, or challenging terrain. “These are shared in real time, so operators can see if there is a steep cliff or wet area they need to avoid,” explains Poehlman. “I can also set cut boundaries with an alarm, so operators know if they are approaching the property line.”

Improving efficiency is the biggest benefit of TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager, according to Poehlman. “We have big quotas to fill and need our machines to run every day and be efficient as possible. And this system helps us accomplish that. It simply takes the guesswork out of everything.”

“Every minute counts when we’re out there trying to get top production out of these machines,” adds Sanville. “This technology helps us identify the who, what, where, and how of the job, so we can plan what we need to get done every day. It keeps us working efficiently.”

Sanville Logging Inc. is serviced by McCoy Construction & Forestry Inc., Escanaba, Michigan.

Sanville Logging runs seven harvesters and six forwarders, including the 1110G Forwarders and the eight-wheel 1270G Harvesters International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 53

Stora Enso - Drone pilots scanned thousands of trees: insect damages identified from the air

Stora Enso’s drone research used a drone and a multispectral camera to detect insect damages in Finnish forests. The image interpretation application was able to identify trees where spruce bark beetles nestled. The new forest health data can be used for example to plan forest management, timely silvicultural work and harvesting.

T

he spruce bark beetle, which damages spruces in particular, is estimated to become more common in the northern forests as the climate warms. Stora Enso Forest division’s drone was able to detect spruce bark beetle exposure much faster and more efficiently than the human eye. Research flights were conducted in in South Karelia, Finland in the vicinity of Lappeenranta in the summer of 2019, and the research results were recently finalised.

The spruce bark beetle prevents the normal flow of water from tree’s root system to the top of the spruce, which causes the tree to die upright before long. A multispectral camera connected to the drone identified the trees whose fluid circulation was disturbed. In the image, the exposed trees appeared in different colors than the healthy trees. This enables the observation of spruce bark beetle damage even in a large forest area, says forest specialist Saana Pulkkinen, from Stora Enso Forest division, who did her thesis as part of the research.

The study showed that the observation of spruce bark beetle exposure made by drones and the image interpretation application was reliable. It also turned out that the larger the tree in question, the easier it was to detect the exposure. In addition, the image interpretation application was programmed to identify spruces from the other tree species:

54 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

Mikko Juhola SVP, Innovation & Development, Stora Enso Forest division identification was 97% correct. The findings of the application were further confirmed by a field trip.

From the point of view of image interpretation, a cloudy weather was the best for the flights.

This was still research work and testing, but we can already now rely on our image interpretation application when it identifies an unhealthy or damaged tree. At some points, the application was still cautious in its interpretations, but the situation will improve as we get more data on the forests that have been photographed. Based on the research results, the health classification of trees was 86% correct, Pulkkinen states.

Drone research is part of a bigger development stream that we call precision forestry.

Precision forestry will offer new opportunities to monitoring forest, management decisions optimization and increasing the value for forest owners and the industry, says Mikko Juhola SVP, Innovation & Development, Stora Enso Forest division.

In addition to Finland, forest research flights and image interpretation have been performed in Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Health information on thousands of conifers has been accumulated on flights. Stora Enso’s drone pilots have already scanned hundreds of hectares of forest, and more and more forest data is being accumulated. Descriptions are always made with the permission of the forest owner.

Cooperation between our various forest units will ultimately benefit forest owners not only in Finland, but also in other countries where we operate. As a first step, we intend to utilize image interpretation data to locate spruce bark beetle damage. Going forward, data accumulated from the forest can also be used in forest plans and inventories. We will continue development work so that in the future we can provide drone scanning as a service to forest owners. Already now, some of our forest experts use the drone in their own work, for example in seedling monitoring, Mikko Juhola states.

The new Forest division, which started operations in the beginning of 2020, includes Stora Enso’s Swedish forest assets and the 41% share of Tornator with the majority of its forest assets located in Finland. The division also includes wood supply operations in Finland, Sweden, Russia and the Baltic countries.

Stora Enso’s forest expert Saana Pulkkinen

New retailer for Ponsse in South Africa Starting from 2 June 2020, Ponsse’s retailer in South Africa is M.T.S. Parts CC. The company started as Ponsse’s official retailer, being responsible for the sale and maintenance of PONSSE forest machines, as well as spare parts services in South Africa.

This change aims to strengthen Ponsse’s after-sales services in South Africa. M.T.S. Parts CC. offers comprehensive maintenance services and has solid experience in PONSSE forest machines and cooperation with forestry companies. M.T.S. Parts has operated as Ponsse’s service partner in the Mpumalanga Province since 2014.

“M.T.S. Parts CC. was chosen to represent Ponsse because of its reputation as a reliable company and its customer-driven approach.

It can provide PONSSE customers with strong support both in sales and maintenance services. Strong customer support has always been of primary importance to Ponsse, and it has also been the key to the success of M.T.S. In addition to service centres, the company uses well-equipped

service vehicles to bring maintenance services close to customers”, comments area director Janne Tarvainen who’s in charge of the cooperation between Ponsse Plc and M.T.S. M.T.S. Parts CC. offers a broad service range to forestry, agricultural and mining companies of all sizes, as well as to municipal operators. The company is based in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

“Our main goal has always been the prosperity of our customers, and we want to offer the best possible service for them. Together with Ponsse, we are determined to be the most reliable partner in the business and to live up to our promise to be “A Logger’s Best Friend”. Based on these principles, we have achieved a solid market position in our operating areas.

M.T.S. was founded in 2005, and we have supported diverse brands, such as Dezzi Equipment, Matriarch Equipment and Bell Equipment.

Now, we will be working with the best forest machine manufacturer in the world”, says director Chris Odendaal from M.T.S. Parts CC.

FURTHER INFORMATION Janne Tarvainen, Ponsse Plc Area Director (South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal) Tel. +358 40 1830 914, janne.tarvainen@ponsse.com

Chris Odendaal, Director, M.T.S. Parts CC Tel. +27 137 524 571, chris@mtsparts.co.za Address: 9 Suikerriet St, Nelspruit, 1201, South Africa

New cab and power plant for the 220E loader Tigercat has recently released the 220E loader with notable improvements, including an upgraded operator’s station and the addition of the Tigercat FPT power plant.

Conforming to Tier 2 and Tier 4 emission requirements, the quick and light-weight 220E is powered by the Tigercat FPT N45 Tier 4f or the Tigercat FPT N67 Tier 2 engine, delivering 125 kW (168 hp).

The totally redesigned operator’s station has a significantly improved climate control system along with a number of additional features to improve the operator experience.

The new heavy-duty suspension seat is wider and standard equipped with heating and cooling. The seat has improved adjustability and many of the frequently used rocker switches have been repositioned into the armrest mounted joystick pod for enhanced ergonomics.

The climate control system is further enhanced by the addition of window blinds for the front windshield and skylight. Acoustical engineering along with the quiet Tigercat FPT engine contributes to extremely low in-cab noise levels, while the new sound system with Bluetooth® audio allows for hands-free calling.

A new main pump and larger hoses to the boom cylinders provide faster boom and swing functions. Hydraulic component layout remains unchanged with hydraulic valves easily accessible underneath the deck plate cover, allowing for clean, easy service access. The updated electrical system incorporates hydraulic pressure sensors that can be

monitored on the display in the cab as well as improving fuel economy with an automatic engine idle down feature.

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 55

ADVERTISERS INDEX SALES OFFICES UK, Europe, South Africa, US East Coast CONTACT: Phil Playle International Forest Industries Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777 Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617 Email: phil@internationalforestindustries.com

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Western USA (AZ, CA, NV, UT) Australia, & New Zealand CONTACT: Bob Warren International Forest Industries Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777

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Western USA (MT, ID, OR,WA) & Canada CONTACT: Bob Warren International Forest Industries Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777 Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617 Email: bob@internationalforestindustries.com

US Mid-West, Central & Mountain CONTACT: Kevin Lapham J.P.Media Inc 1163 E.Ogden Ave, Ste. 705-359 Naperville IL 60563, USA Tel: +1 (630) 420 9752 Fax: +1 (630) 420 9763 Email: lapham@jpmediainc.com

South America CONTACT: Ricardo Cortés Editec S.A. Avda del Cóndor 844 Of. 205, Cuidad Empresarial Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile Tel: +56 2 757 4200 Fax: +56 2 757 4201 Email: rcortes@editec.cl

56 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020

718 Advances to G-Series The last machine in the drive-to-tree feller buncher line-up advances to G-series.

Tigercat engineering recently completed the drive-to-tree feller buncher line-up with the release of the 718G. One of the last Tigercat machines to receive a Tigercat FPT Tier 4 engine, it was a challenge to package the additional after treatment componentry required for Tier 4 compliance, while still retaining the nimble size of the industry’s finest thinning machine.

The designers have succeeded, incorporating all of the features of the larger G-series family members, as well as additional enhancements, while maintaining the approximate size of the previous E-series machine.

The 718G gets its power from the Tigercat FPT N45 Tier 4f engine which provides 125 kW (170 hp) at 2,200 rpm. The completely redesigned engine compartment allows for a high capacity cross-flow cooling set-up with a hydraulic driven, automatic variable speed fan and an automatic reversing cycle. The new compartmentalized layout keeps the cooling system, hydraulic components, and engine in three separate areas.

The new accumulation mode allows the operator to choose between normal and autoaccumulate for bunching head arm operation.

Simultaneous open and close of the clamp and accumulator arms can also be programmed on a joystick button. A saw interrupt trigger on the joystick turns off saw power temporarily when

extra horsepower is required. This is particularly useful in hilly terrain once the saw head is full and the operator is backing up to dump the accumulated bunch.

The G-series cab is quiet and well-equipped and affords excellent visibility. LED lights improve reliability and brightness. A more even light pattern provides better coverage around the machine. The front window area is nearly ten percent larger. Combined with Tigercat’s low-profile boom structure, visibility to the front is unmatched. The rear quarter windows are over twenty percent larger improving the view over the back tires – an asset in thinning applications.

Additional new features include a rear camera system, programmable joystick buttons, electric hydraulic fill pump, and ground-level fueling. Enhanced differential lock controls are timed to turn off after a pre-set duration to save axle wear.

head performance, productivity and measuring accuracy.

Various available options, from wide feed roller selection to processing knives, provide superb flexibility to adapt for almost any application in the modern forest harvesting and processing industry.

“We are looking forward to offering another innovative head that makes our customers’ jobs easier,” Fisher said. “The H212 is our compact little giant in the forest.”

The Waratah H212 is currently available to customers in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Heads Up. New Waratah H212 Waratah Forestry Equipment has introduced the H212 harvesting and processing head for dense stands

T

he new H212 from Waratah Forestry Equipment is a lightweight, agile harvesting and processing head. Waratah’s smallest harvesting head, designed for 8-16 t tracked carriers or 16-18 t wheeled carriers, provides enhanced productivity for early thinning operations. The multipurpose head can handle mixed hardwood and softwood stands as well as multi-tree harvesting, processing or debarking applications.

“The nimble Waratah H212 is built to perform in dense stands,” said Brent Fisher, Product Marketing Manager for Waratah.

“Its compact and efficient design ensures excellent manoeuvrability and visibility with precise stem catching and fell cut positioning.”

Enhanced efficiency The H212 features the new and highly efficient SuperCut 100S saw unit with improved auto tensioning and easier servicing, which can fell and process trees up to 520 mm (20.5 in) in diameter. The delimb arms, which are designed to provide premium delimbing, complement the feeding power and grip of the drive arms on large or crooked stems. Likewise, the processing arm option, with an extended upper and lower knife offset, enables picking stems from the ground or piles to reduce processing time.

The H212’s two-roller-design permits drive arms to float and easily follow crooked or straight stems while also achieving superior debarking when fitted with debarking options. The wide roller and delimb arm opening allows for fast grabbing of standing trees for increased productivity and evenly processes to the smallest top size.

A long length measuring arm together with twin diameter measuring sensors provide measuring accuracy in all tree species.

Its compact and efficient design ensures excellent manoeuvrability and visibility with precise stem catching and fell cut positioning Brent Fisher, Waratah

Greater manoeuvrability With the ability to nimbly weave through the stand, the H212 is ideal for first thinnings in dense stands.

The narrow head design provides excellent visibility even when knives and rollers are open, which helps increase agility in small diameter dense stands. The saw box also provides good visibility for aiming felling cuts as well as pivot position for efficient cutting.

The new H212’s knife geometry naturally draws the log into the head and provides superior delimbing from 30 mm to 360 mm (1.18 in to 14.17 in). That feed geometry helps hold the log when knives are opened during feeding.

The H212 utilizes the TimberRite H-16 control system. This system provides unique versatility with configurable settings for improved

International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2020 IBC

After the Storm

HG6800TX

Hurricane Michael devastated areas in the Southeastern United States in 2018. Ceres Environmental Services Inc. share their process of what it’s like to help clean up communities and remove green waste after a natural disaster.

Built for land-clearing and pipeline right-of-way operations, the HG6800TX horizontal grinder offers a high-horsepower engine on a tracked machine with a compact design. Featuring 950 hp (708 kW) in a 92,000 lb (41,730.5 kg) class, and an infeed design designed specifically for feeding larger materials, the new grinder is built to power through tough materials with less operator interaction.

WC2300XL

Vermeer and the people who make mulch

As the push toward alternative fuels accelerates, governments and industries are recognizing the advantages of using wood chips as a source for power generation. Now with a CAT C-13 Tier 4 Final engine with 440 hp (328 kW) of power, the WC2300XL whole tree chipper offers a powerful solution for producing wood chips.

We know you need industry-leading solutions to get the job done. Whether you are working on right-of-way preparation, commercial land clearing or storm clean-up, Vermeer horizontal grinders, tub grinders and trommel screens are designed to help you conquer your next job. www.vermeer.com

JohnDeere.com/Connected

D I A G N O S E D — A N D E V E N R E PA I R E D — F R O M A FA R .

WITH JOHN DEERE CONNECTED SUPPORT™, your machines are constantly monitored by John Deere and your local dealership to help reduce, or even prevent, costly downtime. Cutting-edge technology, such as remote diagnostics and programming, lets technicians perform work like they’re in the woods — even when they’re not. All so you can get back to work fast, and OUTRUN™.