International Forest Industries Magazine DEC 18 JAN 2019

LOGGING • SAWMILLING • EWP’s • BIOMASS Biomass Felling Heads Steep Slope Logging Operation Focus: John Deere Tigercat Vermeer Autolog USNR CBI

DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

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LOGGING • BIOMASS

CONTENTS

24 JOHN DEERE - OP FOCUS

28 BIOMASS

38 VERMEER - OPERATION FOCUS

Lyle Newton & Island Pacific group are helping to revolutionize steep slope logging in the Pacific Northwest

This year’s biomass feature offers, smart, flexible & cost-effective solutions

Wood waste recycling makes sense for Langley, British Columbia based BEVO, propagated plants producer

40 CBI - OPERATION FOCUS

42 STEEP SLOPE LOGGING

53 FELLING HEADS

SCRRRA grinds brush for member municipalities at no cost and sells backyard compost so that residential organics can be responsibly composted

Steep slopes are the new battle grounds for the world’s major suppliers of forestry equipment

The need to offer operator’s evermore revenue generating solutions is again clear

60 INDEXATOR

66 JOHN DEERE - 910G & 1010G

70 TIGERCAT

Indexator is expanding their XR compact rotator range with the small and powerful XR 300

John Deere’s G-Series line-up is expanding with the light weight 910G and 1010G forwarders

BTB spoke with owner-operator, Eli Coblentz of Coblentz Logging to get his thoughts on his 602 cable skidder

DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

REGULAR FEATURES

6 Logging News 72 Advertising Index

LUMBER PROCESSING

COVER: CT Log - The future here and now CT Log scanner gives forestry industry the inside story on maximizing value. CT Log enables a full digital reconstruction of a scanned log.

Based on the scan, the log can be virtually broken down into different value-optimized cutting ‘masks’ until the one that gives the highest value and best suits the customer’s

LOGGING • SAW

needs in terms of appearance and quality is identified. CT scanning allows the industry to move from cutting optimization by volume or log grade to optimization of the actual board grade, thus maximizing value and minimizing waste.

Biomass Felling Head s Steep Slope Logging Operation Focu s: John Deere Tigercat Vermeer Autolog USNR CBI

CONTENTS

MILLING • EWP ’s

• BIOMASS

DECEMBER 2018

/ JANUARY 2019

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International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 1

LUMBER PROCESSING

CONTENTS

D ECEMB ER 2 0 1 8 / J A N U ARY 2 0 1 9

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19 19 LUCIDYNE

22 AUTOLOG

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62

Since 1950, the Southern Forest Products Association has sponsored the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition - the premier venue for equipment manufacturers to display their products and services to the wood processing industry.

Every two years, an international audience gathers to experience the latest technological advances serving the forest products industries.

62 INDUSTRY VOICE Record revenues and investment in forestry equipment was the dominant theme in this year’s Industry Voice feature

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ISSUE 66 DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

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 Editorial Director John Chadwick john@internationalforestindustries.com 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 Lansdowne Media Services Ltd Advertising Manager Phil Playle phil@internationalforestindustries.com Group Advertising Manager David Lansdowne david@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 – 2014 IFI uses, as preference, SI units throughout.

All dollars are US unless otherwise stated.

EDITOR’S COMMENT Wood you be without us?

If it’s possible, the forestry sector has become even more indispensable

T

he December-January edition of the magazine is probably my favourite for the year, simply because it carries the Industry Voice feature.

electricity but they are getting bigger and more efficient and there are already batteries powering houses. It won’t be long before sky scrapers are built with cells in the basement.

Each year, we reach out to some of the leading suppliers in the sector and ask them a range of questions designed to help us form a view of how the market is behaving. It’s an exceptionally instructive exercise.

The metals for green energies, ironically, come from mining. And, while it is difficult to imagine a time when we can do without mining, we are becoming better at recycling and we are, where possible, substituting metals out of civilised uses.

There is value throughout but in this year’s responses one answer has stayed with me long after reading: “The forestry industry has been robust for several years now and as it continues to offer more growth as the world continues to grasp and warm to the facts that it is an environmentally friendly and renewable resource.”

This came from Tigercat’s International Sales Manager, Gary Olsen, and I’m not sure if a truer, more timely phrase has been uttered in forestry this year.

Logging has traditionally suffered from a double-edged sword: raw materials underpin modern life but cutting down trees in the eyes of many is a grubby way to make a living.

It’s a similar scenario to that faced by the hydrocarbon and mining industries.

As the saying goes: Whatever it is you’re looking at, it’s either been dug up or cut down.

But, more recently, forestry has differentiated itself as a raw materials supplier of some moral and environmental merit, while its former contemporaries battle.

Hydrocarbon producers are in the most trouble and they know it. We are in the midst of an energy revolution. This threat has been circling the industry for decades in the form of renewables such as wind, solar and hydropower but while there was no way to store the energy produced during peak times in nature’s cycles for dispersion at peak times in the usage cycle, it has been toothless.

Lithium-ion batteries and increasingly vanadium cells are providing storage solutions for more efficient energy use. At the moment, these batteries are largely confined to cars, which still regularly top up with grid

4 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

One immediate example that comes to mind is the uptake of wood for large scale construction. Earlier in the year I wrote about the record being challenged for the world’s tallest timber building – a record that continues to change hands as teams from around the world outdo each other with ingenuity and creative wood applications.

That skyscraper with a cell in the basement may very well be made of wood.

Forests also play a part in the energy solution and therefore supply a small nail in the hydrocarbon coffin by contributing biomass to the mix.

Yes, biomass is still a carbon-based fuel but forests are also carbon sinks and they are renewable. Biomass uses chips but it also takes advantage of waste products. Both these elements mean it gets a big tick from society.

The world’s population is growing and, by definition, so is consumption. But while other traditional raw material suppliers face an uphill battle, the forestry sector is encouraged to broaden its wings.

There will be market share for just about any product you can imagine up for grabs as the world seeks to limit the extractive industries. Forestry will expand and move into that vacuum as fast as our professionals can innovate and deliver new and better ways to work with wood.

Enjoy Chris Cann

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LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

Enviva announces firm off-take contracts with Mitsubishi Corporation Enviva announced recently that the conditions precedent to the organization’s previously announced take-or-pay off-take contracts to supply 630,000 metric tons per year (MTPY) of wood pellets to a major Japanese customer have been satisfied and the agreements are now firm.

Under the terms of the agreements with Mitsubishi Corporation, Enviva will be the exclusive, long-term imported biomass fuel supplier to the Aioi Bioenergy Corporation, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation Power Ltd. And Kansai Electric Power Co, Inc., which is converting an existing oil-fired power plant to biomass.

Under these contracts, Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) (the “Partnership”) and Enviva JV Development Company, LLC, the Partnership’s sponsor’s joint venture with John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), will supply approximately 180,000 and 450,000 MTPY of wood pellets, respectively. Deliveries under the contracts are scheduled

to commence in late 2022 and continue for at least 15 years.

“Our partners at Aioi Bioenergy and Mitsubishi Corporation are at the forefront of Japan’s commitment to reducing the impacts of climate change,” said John Keppler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enviva. “We are privileged and honored to be the sole source of supply of sustainable wood pellet fuel to the Aioi facility, one of the largest dedicated biomass projects in Japan announced to date, and we look forward to helping Mitsubishi and Kansai deliver on the promise of renewable energy.”

Enviva Partners, LP and its sponsor have now finalized longterm off-take agreements with counterparties in Japan that will total 1.5 million MTPY by the end of 2022.

About Enviva Partners, LP Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) is a publicly traded master limited partnership that aggregates a natural resource, wood fiber, and

processes it into a transportable form, wood pellets. The Partnership sells a significant majority of its wood pellets through long-term, take-or-pay agreements with creditworthy customers in the United Kingdom and Europe. The Partnership owns and operates six plants with a combined production capacity of nearly three million metric tons of wood pellets per year in Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida. In addition, the Partnership exports wood pellets through its owned marine terminal assets at the Port of Chesapeake, Virginia, and the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina and from thirdparty marine terminals in Mobile, Alabama and Panama City, Florida.

About Enviva Holdings, LP Enviva Holdings, LP is the world’s largest producer of wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. Through its subsidiaries, Enviva Holdings, LP owns and operates wood pellet processing

John Keppler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enviva

plants and deep-water export terminals in the Southeastern United States. They export pellets primarily to power plants in the United Kingdom and Europe that previously were fueled by coal, enabling them to reduce their lifetime carbon footprint by about 80 percent. They make pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests, and employ about 800 people and support many other businesses in the rural South, where jobs and economic opportunity are sometimes scarce.

Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine issues statement commending Nine Dragons investment in Maine mills The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC) issued a statement last month commending ND Paper LLC’s twin announcements that it will invest $111 million in its Rumford mill over the next two years to increase production capacity, and plans to purchase the idled Old Town bleached kraft pulp mill with an eye toward restarting the facility and producing unbleached softwood pulp there.

The announcements by ND Paper, the newly formed U.S.based subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Ltd., are good news for Maine’s loggers and log truckers, according to Dana Doran, Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine.

“Maine loggers and log truckers are highly skilled and hardworking,

but they need dependable markets for Maine wood to succeed in today’s global forest economy,” Doran said. “These investments

by Nine Dragons will increase demand for Maine wood, including for softwood pulp which is very welcome news in a state that has lost a significant portion of its softwood pulp market due to mill closures in recent years. The investments also represent a vote of confidence in Maine’s workforce and wood resource, and we applaud ND Paper for recognizing the value in both.”

The investments are timely given the recent announcement by FOR/Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap), a coalition including the PLC that is working to diversify the state’s wood products businesses, attract capital investments, and develop greater economic

6 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

prosperity for communities impacted by recent mill closures, of an action plan to grow Maine’s forest economy from the current $8.5 billion (annual) to $12 billion by 2025. The investments announced by ND Paper show that this growth is not only possible, but already beginning to occur, Doran said.

Growth in wood markets means Maine must now begin planning for sustaining and expanding the logger and trucker workforce in the state, Doran said.

“These announcements by ND Paper and recent investments by other mill owners in Maine including Sappi North America’s $200 million upgrade at its Somerset Mill in Skowhegan show that Maine’s logging industry and the wood it supplies to mills like these remains vital to our

Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine

economy, and we need to start investing in the future of that industry, including the training of future loggers and truckers, the infrastructure they need to operate effectively, and the business climate they need to succeed.”

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LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

China-U.S. trade dispute sparks uncertainty The market uncertainty being caused by the China-U.S. trade dispute is now one of the most important topics to watch, even amid myriad changing developments and issues that continue to impact market dynamics worldwide. The first volley was made by the U.S., and then (on August 23) China retaliated with a 25% import tariff on U.S. SYP logs.

Following that, on September 17, the U.S. announced 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports (effective September 24).

The next day (September 18), China announced 5%–10% tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods (also effective September 24). Most of the timber and wood products exported from

the U.S. to China are included on the list of items affected.

Southern yellow pine log shipments from the U.S. South had been slowing before the implementation of the 25% tariff, impacted by China Customs’ decision in April to increase phytosanitary inspections and begin full enforcement of documentation requirements on incoming log shipments; as a result, the July trade data revealed a drop in SYP log exports of 25% from April. In addition, the CFR price of SYP logs being offered

by U.S. suppliers has seen large declines in the last several months versus other species.

While the U.S. represented only a modest share of China’s total log

and lumber imports in H1/2018 (13% of softwood logs, 2% of softwood lumber, 7% of hardwood logs, and 21% of hardwood lumber), fully 54% of U.S. log exports and 38% of lumber exports went to China in 2017. Clearly, the U.S. export industry relies heavily on the China market.

China’s predominant wood products exports to all markets are wood furniture and seating products (63%), followed by plywood (14%). Of China’s timber and wood products exports to the U.S. in 2017, US$12.9 billion (35.7% of the total) went to the U.S., led by wood furniture and seating (US$9.28 billion). Overall, the U.S. represented 41% of China’s wood furniture export value last year.

Russ Taylor, Managing Director, FEA Holdings – Canada Inc

There is little doubt that both countries will be impaired by this tariff war, with both ultimately losing competitiveness in each other’s markets.

Ence acquires Iberdrola’s 90% stake in Puertollano solar thermal plant in Spain

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Ence Energía, S.L.U. has signed an agreement with Iberdrola Renovables de Castilla La Mancha, S.A.U. for the acquisition of its 90% stake in Puertollano solar thermal plant, for an amount that could reach up to Euro 145.8 million.

The agreement is subject to IDAE, owner of the remaining 10% of the plant, not exercising its right of first refusal.

The agreed price amounts to Euro 139.5 million, excluding a cash balance of Euro 41.5 million.

Additionally, the agreement defines an earn-out up to Euro 6.3 million.

With this transaction, Ence takes its first step towards diversification to other renewable

technologies, which allows the Company to obtain similar profitability to that of its biomass generation plants. This acquisition will provide Encewith a stable annual EBITDA of Euro 18 million before synergies.

The solar thermal plant in Puertollano is adjacent to the new 46 MW biomass plant that Ence is building in the same location, in the former Elcogas site. This is an example of a successful transition from a fossil fuel generation model to renewable energy while keeping rural industrial employment, thanks to the use of surrounding agroforestry biomass as fuel.

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SkogsElmia is held every fourth year and attracts about 30,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors. The new fair manager for SkogsElmia is Mattias Pontén, a certified forester with great expertise and solid experience of the forest industry.

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Vermeer, the Vermeer logo and Equipped to Do More are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. Š 2016 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

New Tigercat dealer in Russi Tigercat announces that EkoNivaTechnika-Holding is now a Tigercat dealer for areas of Western Russia and Siberia.

Matt Roberts, Tigercat sales manager for Europe and Russia comments, “We are very happy to welcome EkoNiva to the Tigercat

dealer network. The company’s vast experience and proven record in customer support, combined with their operational excellence as a leading heavy equipment dealer in the Russian Federation, is an outstanding match for our products.

We are confident that forestry customers in EkoNiva’s area will see great benefit to adding Tigercat products to their fleet with the support of EkoNiva’s strong network of branches and technicians.”

Ekoniva strives to establish a long-term, honest and mutually beneficial cooperation with its customers, stating.

Australia harvests estimated at 32.9 million m3 of logs in 2017-18 period A report released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) today highlighted continued growth in Australia’s forestry sector thanks to favourable conditions in key markets, particularly housing and international trade.

ABARES Executive Director, Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds, said Australian forest and wood products statistics: March and June quarters 2018, reported the fourth consecutive year of growth for the value added by the forestry and forest product manufacturing industries, to $8.8 billion.

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“We are seeing strong domestic demand for wood products, with a 4.4 per cent increase in house commencements compared to the previous year, while the number of new other residential buildings— such as units and townhouses— also increased,” Dr Hatfield-Dodds said.

Domestic demand for wood products remains at high levels.

Following four years of consecutive growth, the estimated volume of logs harvested stabilised in 201718 at 32.9 million cubic metres.

Exports of Australia’s wood products were higher than ever in 2017–18, increasing for the fifth 17:22

consecutive year to reach a record $3.6 billion, on the back of record high exports of woodchips, paper and paperboard, and roundwood.

Overseas demand for woodchips, sourced mainly from Australia’s commercial hardwood plantations, remains strong with woodchips exports reaching $1.3 billion. The report finds the Chinese market accounted for the majority of total wood product export growth in 2017-18. In fact, according to ABARES, 47 per cent of Australia’s wood product exports went to China, a market now worth $1.7 billion.

Australia’s demand for overseas

Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds, ABARES Executive Director

wood products in 2017-18 also increased, to $5.6 billion across all major wood product import categories, driven by growth in imports of wood-based panels and miscellaneous forest products.

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LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS

ArborGen and Gerdau sign Brazil agreement ArborGen has entered into an agreement with Gerdau Aços Longos S.A. (Gerdau) that gives ArborGen exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Gerdau’s genetically improved eucalyptus clones in Brazil. The partnership will expand the products ArborGen can offer its customers and allow it to expand into new markets. The company began offering Gerdau seedlings in November 2018.

ArborGen is one of the largest sellers of eucalyptus and pine trees seedlings in Brazil. It already has

exclusive rights to commercialize International Paper’s eucalyptus clones in Brazil and is developing its own proprietary clones as well.

Working primarily through contract nurseries, ArborGen’s eucalyptus products are already available in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul,

São Paulo and Paraná states.

“This expanded agreement allows ArborGen to address important markets such as Minas Gerais and Bahia. The new clones offers growers high wood density and excellent yield, making them ideal for charcoal and energy

Gabriela Monnerat, general manager of ArborGen Brazil

markets,” said Gabriela Monnerat, general manager of ArborGen Brazil.

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The Norske Skog group has decided to invest about A$ 7 million ($5 million) to upgrade the Nature’s Flame wood pellets facility in New Zealand to more than double its annual production capacity to 85,000 tonnes. The increased production capacity will be commissioned in the 4Q 2019.

The approval of the 85,000 tonne capacity upgrade is also a building block for potential further expansion of Norske Skog’s pellet operations in New Zealand.

Eric Luck, Regional President Norske Skog Australasia, comments: “The investment supports Norske Skog Australasia’s ongoing strategy to “Build Our Future from Fibre and Energy”.

The additional production capacity is aimed at producing premium industrial grade pellet fuels for both the domestic New Zealand commercial and industrial market, as well as for the rapidly growing Japanese and Korean green energy generation markets.”

Nature’s Flame’s state of the art plant at Taupo was acquired

by Norske Skog in 2015, and is well positioned in the centre of the north island where the bulk of New Zealand’s forest based industry is located. Wood pellets produced by Nature’s Flame are a premium heating fuel made from wood residues from nearby timber processing facilities.

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International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 11 07.12.2018 12:15:23

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Robust exhibit sales for 2019 Forest Products Expo Nearly 100 companies have contracted fully 80% of the available exhibit space for the 35th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition – Expo 2019 – to be held June 26-28, 2019 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

“Participation in Expo is reaching an early sell-out; most of the larger exhibit spaces are already occupied. Many of the exhibiting companies are determining the equipment they’ll bring for display in Atlanta. And some have expanded their exhibit

space based on strong, pre-show orders,” commented Eric Gee, SFPA’s exposition director. “Expo 2019 is the best place to be for companies wanting to showcase the latest equipment, products and services for the wood industry,” he added.

Sponsored and conducted by the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) every two years since 1950, this event has traditionally included many of the biggest names in the business displaying everything from sawmill machinery to materials

handling equipment, attracting key representatives from the nation’s largest wood products manufacturers. Expo 2017 featured 183 exhibitors, with a total attendance of just over 2,000.

An online sales kit and exhibit space application is now available at www.sfpaexpo.com.

“We have also rolled out new event management software that streamlines the exhibit space selection and confirmation process,” Eric noted.

Eric Gee, SFPA’s exposition director

CatchMark Timber Trust reports negligible impacts from recent hurricanes CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. provided an assessment of impacts on operations following Hurricane Michael, which affected regions across Georgia and South Carolina in the U.S. South Timber Basket. Of the company’s more than 340,000 acres located in the two states, only 500 acres suffered blowdown

damage from heavy winds.

Todd Reitz, CatchMark’s Senior Vice President for Forest Resources, said: “We were extremely fortunate in experiencing negligible damage from recent storms in the region. The timber in our affected acreage will be salvaged immediately, and those

operations have begun and will be completed during the fourth quarter. Our thoughts and concerns are extended to everyone who has suffered at the hands of Hurricanes Michael and Florence as well as to all first responders and volunteers who are assisting in the ongoing recovery throughout the area.”

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has reported that timber damage, related to Hurricane Michael, in the state totaled an estimated $1 billion from the destruction of about one million acres.

Holtec supplies log yard to Piveteau Bois in France Holtec supplied log yard to Piveteau Bois in Saint Florence. The log yard is designed for processing 500,000 cubic metres logs per year.

Short logs and long logs are

loaded, butt-reduced, debarked, measured, cut and sorted in parallel. The start-up is closed to finishing.

Piveteau Bois is one of the three

largest saw mills in France with a cutting capacity of about 800,000 solid cubic metres and a pellets production of about 200,000 tons per year at three sites.

Hyne grows production capacity Hyne Timber has just announced a significant expansion to its Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing capability in Maryborough, Queensland.

Already a significant manufacturer of GLT in addition to softwood timber products, this expansion investment with the support of a Queensland Government Jobs and Regional Growth Fund will launch the company into a globally

competitive product offer.

The new state-of-theart manufacturing plant will accompany the existing plant in Maryborough’s Industrial Estate which is now in its 40th year of production.

This announcement comes as engineered timber manufactured from plantation softwood is increasingly preferred for larger scale commercial and residential construction projects due to

12 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

its superior sustainability and environmental credentials.

Hyne Timber CEO, Jon Kleinschmidt said investment to increase manufacturing capability has never been more timely.

“GLT is the talk of the design and construction industry, but a lack of competitive Australian supply options has prevented many projects from using it. “Increased capability here in Australia will be a game changer for the construction

sector and a very positive area of growth for Maryborough.” Mr Kleinschmidt said. Construction of the new plant is expected to commence within a matter of weeks.

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Pollmeier expands its product range with spruce laminated veneer lumber As of 2019, Pollmeier Massivholz GmbH & Co. KG will be offering spruce laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which is to be produced at the Creuzburg / Thuringia site. So far, only beech veneer plywood, known as BauBuche, has been produced in the plant, which went into operation in 2014.

“I see the new veneer plywood products made of spruce as an ideal addition to our product range.

Spruce laminated veneer lumber is an established material that is used in structural timber construction for many standard components in non-visible areas. By contrast, beech laminated veneer lumber is mainly used for visible timber

constructions and heavily loaded individual components. This means that spruce laminated veneer lumber is not in competition with our BauBuche products, “explains Managing Director Ralf Pollmeier.

“In recent years, we have optimized our veneer lumber production. Now everything is running smoothly and we want to go into 3-shift operation in 2019.

This gives us sufficient production capacity for the production of laminated veneer lumber products from both types of wood. Both product lines have high growth potential, “adds Pollmeier.

Pollmeier will offer spruce laminated veneer lumber in

various strength classes both as an exclusively longitudinal product as well as with transverse layers.

The new Pollmeier Fichte LVL will be presented to the public for the first time at the Bau in Munich in January 2019 (stand no. 318 / hall B5).

In 2012, the hardwood specialist Pollmeier surprised the industry with the construction of the world’s first hardwoodprocessing laminated veneer lumber plant. Thus Pollmeier entered new technological territory.

After the start of production in autumn 2014, the production had to be partially rebuilt and optimized.

Ralf Pollmeier, Managing Director

The beech veneer plywood from Pollmeier was a world novelty and is still the only constructional material industrially manufactured from hardwood. The BauBuche has been able to prove its efficiency in numerous reference projects throughout Europe and is today valued in both timber engineering and interior design.

Rayonier invests in two Quebec mills Rayonier Advanced Materials is investing to update the primary breakdown line at its La Sarre, Quebec plant. The company is installing a new Small Log Line that will feature a Knuckle Turner and Extended Length Infeed with slew, skew and tilt capabilities, PGLR log

rotation monitoring and correction system, canter, sideboard profiler, Quad Arbor Sawbox and VSS vertical shape sawing gang system.

The stud mill operation processes Eastern SPF logs from 3” - 17” diameter, with the line’s maximum operating speed at 600

fpm. The La Sarre mill will also install a sawmill Multi-Track Fence as it retools to improve its process.

Close on the heels of the investment in the La Sarre operation, Rayonier A.M. ordered a new VSS vertical shape sawing gang system for its mill at Bearn,

Quebec, as well as a planer mill Multi-Track Fence for that location.

The Bearn mill produces random length lumber.

Timber Queensland Board elected Timber Queensland held its Annual General Meeting last week. A unanimous decision by members present, elected Mr. James Hyne, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Hyne Timber as the new Chair and Mr. Paul Bidwell Deputy Chief Executive, Master Builders Queensland as Deputy Chair.

Timber Queensland Chair Mr. James Hyne said the incoming Board has a strong eye to the future given the significant potential for further industry growth and development. “A key strength of the industry body is its diversity of members and Directors who understand all facets of the industry and the opportunities that are available for future growth,” said Mr. Hyne.

“Timber Queensland provides a

united, powerful voice on political, technical, market development, industrial and environmental issues. As an industry, we have a positive story to tell as timber really is the ultimate renewable,” he said.

The other Directors elected at the AGM included: • S kene Finlayson, Managing Director, Finlayson Timber and Hardware • R obert Tapiolas, Director, Parkside Group • C urly Tatnell, Chairman, DTM Timber • D oug Simms, Managing Director, Simms Group • I slay Robertson, Chief Operating Officer, HQPlantations • J ohn Ryan, Fabrication Sales

14 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

Manager, Sunshine Mitre 10 • B ob Engwirda, Chief Executive Officer, Hurfords Wholesale “We also look forward to the launch of the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of the Queensland Forest and Timber Industry Network in 2019, with the inaugural reception to take place in the Premier’s Hall on 27 February,” Mr. Hyne said.

Timber Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Mick Stephens said the Board has identified some key priorities going forward, including long-term resource security and manufacturing competitiveness, including low cost energy and opportunities such as promotion of bioenergy.

“Now, more than ever before, our industry’s future rests on

Government decisions that will be made during the next few years. These decisions will impact resource availability and will influence manufacturing investment and the use of our products in the built environment,” said Mr. Stephens.

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Holzwerke Weinzierl installs new chain-less step feeder Holzwerke Weinzierl installs a new chain-less step feeder at its mill in Germany. The commissioning of the system is planned for the beginning of January 2019 – at this time the existing log sorting plant will also be shut down, states Holtec.

Holzwerke Weinzierl is developing very dynamically and has already expanded significantly

in recent years. To keep satisfying the increased requirements of the internal timber logistics and the storage they bought a new site.

This new area provides the possibility to renew the whole timber logistics – with a new, highperformance and innovative log sorting line.

In 2017 Holtec already received the order to deliver a completely

new sorting line for short logs.

Holtec designed a system which corresponds exactly to the needs of Weinzierl including a special turning unit which transfer the short logs at a 90 degree angle to a second sorting line.

Red Stag to showcase timber construction Rotorua-based timber products company Red Stag is about to embark on several building projects to showcase the potential of timber as a construction material in large-scale building projects.

Red Stag is New Zealand’s largest saw miller, employing 300 people with annual turnover of NZ$220 million reports Stuff.co.nz.

The building projects come ahead of plans to build a NZ$35 million Cross-Laminated-Timber plant near its Whakarewarewa plant at Rotorua to be operating in 2019 and producing laminated panels up to 16.5m in length and

4.9m wide.

The first project will be fivelevel apartments at Clearwater Resort on the northern outskirts of Christchurch using cross laminated timber, and other panel products.

The Ministry of Primary Industry through its Primary Growth Partnership is covering about 8 per cent of the NZ$20m Clearwater project.

After completion of the Clearwater project there will be two in Auckland - a retail and office complex, and a hotel. The Government was already building three-story timber structures

in Auckland as part of Housing New Zealand projects, managing director of Red Stag wood solutions, Jason Cordes, said.

Red Stag is also planning to expand its truss and frame operation located in Hamilton Airport’s industrial park which produces frames and trusses, floor cassettes and wall panels - designs which bring floor and wall construction together in components to speed up construction.

Cordes, said the New Zealand industry was on the verge of providing large scale laminated

timber construction. The opportunities offered in large-scale timber construction had already been demonstrated overseas, he said.

“In Christchurch we will showcase good architecture, good engineering and the best in acoustic properties and fireresistance. We will make the whole process transparent so everyone can see how it is done and how economically viable timber can be.”

SCREW TECHNOLOGY the new generation of log handling systems

www.springer.eu

Springer Maschinenfabrik GmbH | office@springer.eu | www.springer.eu | Hans-Springer-Strasse 2 | A-9360 Friesach | T +43 4268 2581-0 | F +43 4268 2581-45 Springer Microtec Inc. | office@springer-microtec.com | www.springer-microtec.com | 201, 1847 West Broadway | Vancouver, V6J1Y6 | Canada | T 604.879.4628

TP_Springer_Fullpage_13122017_final.indd 1

KW: 50 | 13.12.17 09:58

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 15

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Setra reports 3Q operating profit of SEK 54 million ($6 million) Wood products company Setra is reporting an operating profit of SEK 287 million ($31.9 million) for the period January–September 2018. Net sales totalled SEK 3,325 million ($369.4 million). Operating profit for the 3Q amounted to SEK 54 million ($6 million), with net sales of SEK 966 million ($107.3 million).

“We’re reporting an operating profit for the first three quarters of SEK 287 million ($31.9 million), which is an improvement of SEK 180 million ($20 million) on the

previous year. USA and Europe have been extremely strong markets.

The building trade in Sweden has been subdued because of the hot summer, although industrial construction remains strong. We have seen some uncertainty in some markets during the third quarter, with the Chinese market in particular afflicted by a drop in deliveries and falling prices. This is seen as a temporary setback, however, as consumption is fundamentally strong. Deliveries

to Egypt have also fallen, primarily due to a shortage of USD. However, other markets have been able to compensate,” explains Hannele Arvonen, President and CEO at Setra.

Cash flow from operating activities for the period January– September amounted to SEK 318 million ($35.3 million). The Group’s financial position is strong.

The Group’s financial net debt amounted to SEK -120 million ($13.3 million) at the end of the period, which corresponds to a net

Hannele Arvonen, President and CEO at Setra debt/equity ratio of -8%.

Setra is one of Sweden’s largest wood products companies.

China: Wood processing consolidations In China, a massive restructuring effort to eliminate outdated and polluting wood processing mills, many of them being plymills had, by the end of 2017, resulted in around 3,000 plywood mills across the country being closed.

A total of 621 fibreboard production lines were dismantled or shut down eliminating over 20 million cubic metres of production

capacity. However, within a year fibreboard output had recovered.

In addition, more than 900 particleboard production lines were either relocated or closed reducing the installed production capacity by around 17 million cubic metres.

Overall in 2017 there was a 15% decline in the number of woodbased panel enterprises.

These changes affected mainly

the smaller companies such that by the end of 2017 production capacity had consolidated in fewer but large and medium-sized enterprises.

This restructuring has resulted in an increase in cross-industry mergers and acquisitions within the industry.

By the end of 2017 there were 117 continuous flat pressure fibreboard production lines

throughout the country with an annual production capacity of 19.4 million cubic metres accounting for 41% of the national total production capacity of fibreboard.

There were also 40 continuous flat pressure particleboard production lines in operation.

sawmilling, mobile sawmills are usually powered by electric motors, often in combination with suitable generators that produce the electricity on site. Alternatively, some versions are equipped with a combustion engine.

To ensure the sawmills are as mobile as possible, they are usually designed to be transported by car, which means they are restricted to the maximum towing weight of 3.5 metric tons. Naturally, that has implications for the power and performance of the mobile sawmill.

However, SERRA started to wonder what the point is in having a lightweight mobile saw that is only ever towed by a heavy tractor or truck. That question ultimately led to the development of the new XT 135 model. The new product is based directly on the heavy stationary XE models and features an extremely robust build.

The XT 135 is designed to offer unlimited equipment options and aims to impress with its sheer performance data. For instance it processes logs up to 135 cm in diameter, has a large cutting length thanks to a hydraulically foldable extension, boasts a variable saw head with plenty of space above the saw blade, offers easy access to the saw blade through a hydraulic lid opening, and the weather cover on the lockable operator station even provides a little bit of shelter.

When weight counts for nothing!

SERRA XT-135 mobile saw The sawmill specialists at SERRA based their new XT 135 mobile saw on their stationary XE models to create a whole new performance class of mobile saws.

SERRA - one of Germany’s most innovative companies, according to the judges of the “Top 100”

competition - specializes in sawmill technology and in particular in horizontal band saws. However, it is increasingly also becoming the go-to company for highperformance mobile sawmills.

These products help cut down on product miles, as they are taken to the raw material (wood) rather than the other way around.

Predominantly used in contract

16 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

SERRA

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Taranaki NZ : Agreements secure industry future China Forestry Group NZ (CFGNZ) is once again backing local wood processing with a ground-breaking agreement on harvesting and processing wood from Taranaki’s largest forest.

China Forestry Group NZ and Taranakipine sawmill in New Plymouth have signed a supply agreement that supports long term wood processing in New Plymouth and employment for the 170 workers at Taranakipine.

It’s another initiative that demonstrates China Forestry Group NZ’s ongoing commitment to New Zealand.

Forestry Minister Shane Jones – who strongly supports the private forestry sector collaborating for the benefit of New Zealand – was also in attendance.

“This is exactly the sort of cooperation we need to see between our overseas- owned forestry companies and New Zealand sawmills,” Shane Jones says. “I’m pleased that China Forestry Group NZ and Taranakipine have been able to reach this agreement and I commend both parties for their commitment to

our forestry sector – for regional development and employment benefits.”

The agreement will see China Forestry Group NZ supply minimum monthly volumes to Taranakipine over the long term and at agreed pricing.

Te Wera forest is very steep in parts, requiring specialist equipment and personnel. So, to help with harvesting, China Forestry Group NZ negotiated an agreement with Northland harvesting company Stokes Logging to relocate part of their crew capacity and business to Te Wera.

“The partnerships with Taranakipine and Stokes Logging are a material demonstration of China Forestry Group NZ’s ongoing commitment to New Zealand and how forestry owners and local processors can better work together,” says Steve Walker, Chief Operations Officer of China Forestry Group NZ. China Forestry Group NZ will underwrite the cost of Stokes Logging relocating with a takeor-pay commitment to 100,000

tonnes per year for seven years, to December 2026. This commitment will see a number of families move to Taranaki with their moving costs covered by China Forestry Group NZ. “These agreements are based on mutually beneficial commercial outcomes. At the same time, we appreciate that we have an important role to play in the New Zealand forestry industry as a supportive and understanding partner to local operators and as kaitiaki of the natural and cultural resources entrusted to us,” Steve Walker says.

As part of China Forestry Group NZ’s commitment to achieve Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for all its forests, the Te Wera forest is now fully certified under the PF Olsen Group Scheme for FSC certification.

This certifies that the forest management meets the principles of sustainable forest management, including management of social

Steve Walker, Chief Operations Officer of China Forestry Group NZ. and environmental characteristics of value.

The FSC certification of the forest also has commercial benefits, as many consumers now insist on sustainable sourcing.

Tom Boon, CEO of Taranakipine, says securing supply from an FSC certified forest was a key concern for Taranakipine.

“This agreement with China Forestry Group NZ will secure FSC log supply. Now we can grow our markets in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the US with wood products from sustainably managed, renewable plantation forests,” says Boon.

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Using the internal defects, CT Log evaluates appearance, quality and strength before the breakdown of the log. Sawing and bucking is continuously optimized based on the highest quality and value. More world leading scanning solutions at www.microtec.eu

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International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 17

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Westervelt to build new sawmill in Alabama Westervelt company will construct a new lumber mill in Thomasville, Alabama, company announced.

The new facility will produce Southern yellow pine lumber.

The Thomasville Mill will join the company’s existing facility in Moundville, Ala., which has been operating since 1997.

“This new mill represents our commitment to the State of Alabama and to the region,” said Westervelt President and CEO Brian Luoma. “South Alabama was always our preferred location, and the local community offers the workforce and resources that will support our long-term strategy for this facility. We are grateful for the support of Governor Ivey, Chairman Rush and Mayor Day, and we look forward to being a part of this community.”

“The Westervelt Company has long played a prominent role in Alabama’s booming lumber industry and has done so while promoting good environmental stewardship,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “I’m very excited to see that Westervelt is thriving and that they are building their second mill in rural Clarke County. This

manufacturing facility is going to have a major impact on this area and give dozens of people a chance to earn a living from a trusted company.”

“The Westervelt Co.’s deep roots in Alabama date back for generations, and I’m pleased to see this family business continue to invest and grow in the state,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “The company’s new lumber production facility in Clarke County represents an important job-creating project for a rural area, and it will provide a boost for the forest products industry throughout the region.”

“We are very proud to welcome The Westervelt Company to the region,” said Clarke County Commission Chairman Jackie R. Rush. “I’ve been involved in these discussions from the beginning, and throughout the process, The Westervelt Company’s team has been a pleasure. We’re all looking forward to helping them succeed in our community.”

“The City of Thomasville has been honoured to be a partner with the Clarke County Commission,

18 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

the State of Alabama and many others as we worked shoulder to shoulder to attract The Westervelt Company to rural southwest Alabama,” said Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day. “This project will have a tremendous impact on our community and our rural region.”

“We’re excited to be a part of this community,” said Joe Patton, Vice President and General Manager, Wood Products. “It’s not only a great fit for us because of the location and proximity to our resources and facility, but because this region and our new neighbours have so much more to offer.”

The facility will produce approximately 250 million board feet of lumber annually and create 125 new jobs. The expansion will take advantage of the proximity of the company’s timberland and other facilities, as well as workforce and existing customer bases.

“We are extremely happy that The Westervelt Company has elected to make a large capital investment in Clarke County and the Alabama-Tombigbee Region,” said Frank Dobson, Director of Development, Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission. “The

Brian Luoma, Westervelt President and CEO

company has a strong history with the State of Alabama and will provide good jobs to our area while continuing their legacy of stewardship.”

“The BID Group is extremely proud to be chosen as the turnkey supplier for The Westervelt Company’s new sawmill facility,” said Travis McDonald, Turnkey Solutions Senior Vice President. “We have a longstanding relationship with their team, and they are widely recognized throughout the industry as innovative and successful operators. Along with Westervelt’s engineering group, we will construct a facility with a no-compromise approach to safety, efficiency, logistics and productivity.”

Construction is expected to begin mid-2019, with operations beginning in late 2020.

SAWLINES – LUCIDYNE

Lucidyne offers a quantum leap development in automated scanning & optimization

W

hen lumber packages are produced on-grade, buyers know they are getting the most consistent, highest-quality, best value product available. Finding those suppliers who can deliver consistently on-grade is critical to the lumber buyer.

GradeScan by Lucidyne Technologies, Inc., is delivering a quantum leap development in automated scanning and optimization that is breaking records for on-grade lumber production. The new software, Perceptive Sight™ Intelligent Grading, uses Deep Learning (artificial intelligence) to dramatically improve lumber grading results.

The first GradeScan system with Perceptive Sight was installed in February of 2017, and since then over a dozen additional GradeScans with Perceptive Sight have been commissioned, with another eleven scheduled in the next several months. This new platform is delivering powerful results that are fueling not just new sales, but record requests for upgrades to Perceptive Sight.

One customer was so impressed with the results from their newly purchased GradeScan with Perceptive Sight that they fast-tracked the purchase of a second system for their sister mill, and are now in the process of upgrading a legacy GradeScan to the new platform.

Because Perceptive Sight uses Deep Learning techniques, new characteristics in a mill’s wood basket can be quickly incorporated into the software, delivering fast, high-quality results.

Recently introduced is Lucidyne’s new QCAssist Tablet, a now-standard component of GradeScan. The tablet is a Surface Pro loaded with proprietary software that allows mills to collect and evaluate lumber data on the go, without having to return to the

computer room and re-enter data to a spreadsheet.

New characteristics appearing in the lumber are immediately and automatically uploaded to Lucidyne for further evaluation and updates are automatically downloaded back to your system, and active by the mill at their convenience.

The QCAssist tablet: • D isplays board images for verification • D isplays the GradeScan solution and grade failure reasons • I dentifies grader override boards • C aptures corrected board data and notes • F acilitates evaluation of multiple, consecutive units of lumber without returning to the computer room • I mmediately uploads board data to Lucidyne for further evaluation

each one has been delivered a successful, seamless, on-time start-up.

GradeScan has a number of additional capabilities including:

• A utomatically populates and update package data and board files

• Deep Pile

Lucidyne’s customers who have not yet upgraded to Perceptive Sight are finding the QCAssist tablet a powerful tool for evaluating the uplift they can expect from the upgrade. With QCAssist, customers can automatically upload packs of mill-run data to Lucidyne to run on the in-house Perceptive Sight platform, and compare the results from the legacy software to those from Perceptive Sight. Even before any additional training is done on those samples, most customers see the immediate value of upgrading to Perceptive Sight.

Lucidyne reports a surge in orders for new GradeScan systems, and upgrades of existing systems to Perceptive Sight. This boom in sales included projects that were on a very tight timeline, requiring the company to manage multiple simultaneous installations.

Lucidyne’s team of engineers and field technicians has the flexibility and elasticity to meet the demands of these multiple projects, and

• C ut-In-Two Optimization without mechanical changes

• Re-Run • Close-Coupled Installations

• Optional PLC controls In addition to GradeScan, Lucidyne is re-introducing its ChopScan product line, using the same powerful artificial intelligence software that GradeScan delivers, coupled with leading edge highresolution sensors. Perceptive Sight on ChopScan delivers results for a wide variety of products, sizes, species, grades and speeds.

An impressive reports package includes reoptimization and cutbill pricing, and reports detail board width, category, run, shift and total value. The software provides access to underlying data so mills can configure their own data extraction, and perhaps most powerfully, the Supplier Database archives board data by source and grade. This gives mills the power to evaluate suppliers to negotiate prices and identify best-quality suppliers.

Lucidyne’s customers who have not yet upgraded to Perceptive Sight are finding the QCAssist tablet a powerful tool for evaluating the uplift they can expect from the upgrade

Lucidyne continues to raise the bar in the lumber industry for innovative mill solutions that maximize fiber and value recovery, and deliver consistently highquality, on-grade, best-value lumber to the marketplace.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 19

World-class log breakdown designs by USNR

SuperSaver merry-go-round line at Nordwood’s Viiratsi Sawmill, Estonia. A flexible system that manages a broad variety of saw patterns

U

SNR’s expertise in sawing technology is well known and respected wherever modern mills operate and compete for a slice of the lucrative lumber market. From high capacity and performance chipper-canters and bandsaw lines, to profiling circle saw lines, USNR has done it all many times over. Following are a few of the recent successes and new orders that prove USNR’s experience is more than just talk.

Australia: Reciprocating quad bandsaw line AKD Softwoods began its quest for a new state-ofthe-art sawline for its main Colac, Australia operation. The goal was to lower production costs through improved productivity and recovery, and lift flexibility by enabling a greater product range.

Shane Vicary, CEO of AKD said,

“We recognized that we needed to invest in efficient, state-ofthe-art equipment to maximize productivity and recovery to ensure our operation could be cost competitive.”

The new line, started in March 2018, includes a reciprocating quad bandsaw line designed for logs up to 650 mm (25.6”) in diameter and down to 150 mm (5.9”), in lengths up to 6.3 m (20.66 ‘). Design speed is 16 logs per minute.

The reciprocating sharp chain transition allows the mill the flexibility to saw off up to 4 flitches at the quad bandmill, then stop the forward motion and back the cant up to run through for a second pass, taking off up to 4 more flitches before releasing the center piece. Shane explained, “We felt that reciprocation would

give us that additional flexibility to cut larger logs at Colac, and/or multiple cant sizes which we could not do previously, and therefore conserve capital for other projects.

The line has been running really well, right from the first day.”

Estonia: SuperSaver merrygo-round line

Nordwood’s Viiratsi Sawmill, located in Estonia, installed a log breakdown line in late 2017. This SuperSaver merry-go-round line meets the mill’s requirement for a flexible system that could manage a broad variety of saw patterns.

“The main objective of the investment was to offer forest owners the opportunity to supply all the possible assortment of logs

to one factory. The Viiratsi Sawmill had been a small log mill. Upon completion of the new line, we can handle logs with diameters from 8 to 50 cm (3-20”) at the small ends, and with lengths of 3-6 meters (1020’),” commented Tõnu Ehrpais, Viiratsi mill manager. “We based our decision on our raw material, optimum sawing patterns, and the maximum possible curve sawing recovery.”

The Viiratsi sawline is a complete USNR line from the Cambio 800 debarker to the resaw and the Catech edger line.

Manufactured in Sweden, the log line and edger also integrate USNR optimization and controls, featuring advanced sweep sawing optimization for maximum recovery.

The Norra Timber sawmill at Sävar, Sweden is touted as the world’s fastest bandsaw line

BAND SAW LINE AT NORRA TIMBER, SÄVAR, SWEDEN 750E ROTARY LOG TURNER

LOGPOS S4 CONVEYOR

20 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

CHIPPER CANTER 2500

FLOW

CHIPPER CANTER 2500

SKID BAR CONVEYOR

SAWLINES – USNR Sweden: Logmaster HPS bandsaw line In 2018 Northern Forest Owners’ (Norra Timber) sawmill at Sävar completed the transformation of its sawline – touted as the world’s fastest bandsaw line. The log breakdown features bandsawing technology, and the secondary process includes a new edger line, all from USNR. The sawline encompasses a 750E Rotary log feeder, LogPos S4 log infeed, two ChipCanter 2500 reducing units, and three Logmaster HPS bandsaws. The line processes a wide range of timber in all dimensions, from 120 to 400 mm (5-16”), and log weight can vary from approximately 70 kg to one tonne.

“The new production line runs at its targeted capacity, about 230,000 cubic meters of sawn lumber annually,” says Johan Fredriksson, Project Manager at Norra Timber. “It operates really well. We don’t have much room for error, especially with log gaps of only 40 cm (1.3 ft.).” Johan said he believes the line can operate at up to 180 meters/min. (600 ft./min) with the saw blade speed of 100 m/ sec. (330 ft./sec.).

Another goal was to dramatically reduce the kerf on the saws. Johan reported, “Our normal kerf is 2.8 mm (0.11”) and we have performed tests with 2.2 - 2.4 mm (0.086-0.095”) We need more tests before we get there, but kerfs of 2 mm (0.08”) are absolutely within reach with these saws.”

Shape Saw. Wood Trade Company in the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia has ordered a circle saw line with profiling. Delivery will take place in the spring of 2019 and will include two ChipCanter 2500s, two EuroSaw FDP profiling saws and a Cambio debarking line.

Baikal Wood Company, operating in the republic of Buryatia in Russia, has ordered a comprehensive upgrade of an existing sawline for increased speed and lower maintenance costs. The new equipment consists of a knuckle log turner and type 448 log infeed, two 240-12 chipper canters and a 433 cant feeder.

Installation will take place in the spring of 2019.

A complete primary breakdown circle saw line with profiling, and an edger line has been sold to Magistral-Transit in the Irkutsk area

LUMBER PROCESSING

The control room at AKD Softwoods offers a birds eye view of the entire log breakdown line of Russia. The primary breakdown is a EuroSaw S4D and the profiling saw is a EuroSaw FDP, with model 240-12 chipper canters.

USNR offers designs and

configurations for both sorted and unsorted log operations. Whatever your processing needs, we’ve likely already produced a line that is similar.

New lines on order Angelina Forest Products is constructing a new mill at Lufkin, TX. The new equipment is currently in manufacturing and the mill is slated to start up in 2019. The new log breakdown line will encompass a reciprocating quad roll log turner, PGLR (log rotation correction), canter, profilers, Quad Arbor Saw Box (circle saws), and Vertical LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW

FLOW

SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR

Reciprocating quad bandsaw line at AKD Softwoods, Colac, Australia

ROTARY CANT TURNER

LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW

FLOW

SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR

LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW

TO TRIMMER FLOW

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 21

SAWLINES – AUTOLOG

LUMBER PROCESSING

The GEN3 Log Optimizer is a significant upgrade on its predecessor

Next generation optimization Improving operator productivity has been taken to new levels with the latest technological capacities in the Autolog GEN3 Log Optimizer

A

utolog is proud to launch the GEN3 Log Optimizer at the beginning of next year. GEN3 is more than just a new buzz word, according to the manufacturer.

“It’s a new way to build software for the sawmill industry,” the company stated.

GEN3 software is built on state-of-the-art architecture using all the best practices in software development – agile development with sprints and scrum, design and design review, code and code review, continuous integration, unit testing, with the latest programing language and tools. This is the

22 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

foundation of GEN3.

The result is a better performing product, better tools and simulation features and a rich user interface.

GEN3 gives Autolog the ability to boost the performance of the product because the firm’s engineers can use the full capabilities of new computer technology. This includes high scan density and better true-shape modelling.

Autolog also benefits from its position independent of mechanical manufacturers, which give the company the ability to

optimize any type of primary log breakdown and to replicate any curve sawing from downstream machine.

Better performance also means better control on the process with the ability to select a solution based on a risk factor or to force a minimum opening face on all four faces. Log rotation is an example of how GEN3 software can mitigate a mechanical constraint due to wear and tear.

“As an example, based on the known log rotation error, the optimizer will determine if the selected solution is still viable

Our cutting-edge architecture allows operators to simulate, capture logs and do advance analysis without affecting the production

The interface allows data to be followed, communicated and stored

Mario Godbout, Autolog Chief Technology & Quality Officer

or change for the next optimal solution,” Mario Godbout of Autolog stated.

The number of logs per hour lost on mechanical setting time to gain only a few cents on the solution can be significant. Having the possibility to control that has, therefore, been ensured as part of GEN3 Log Optimizer performance.

Operators will save time by looking at only what is important from the result.

Another feature that operators will like is the live simulation.

This feature will send the logs being scanned to the simulator and the solution will be displayed on screen beside the optimizer’s solution. The operators will be able to compare the effect of the new parameters before pushing them to production.

“This GEN3 feature is another secure way to improve the LRF.” Have you ever doubted the solution of a log optimizer? Then you know how hard it is to analyze and find out why it has not used the sawing pattern you have in mind. GEN3 provides a tool to ease your life. Simply enter the

sawing pattern you have in mind on the simulator and it will show you where it does not fit on the log. Simulation files can hold up to 20,000 logs to help build sound statistical simulations.

And of course, GEN3 offers all of what the previous previous generation offered such as an unlimited number of configurable products and optimization based on price or volume; optimization according to planer target dimensions; full support of profiling tools; a log turner that can be set for horns down, up or minimal movement; and a second scanner that can be added to validate and/or do a correction on log rotation.

The GEN3 user interface uses the Gen2 graphics but with added tools and navigation. Its high definition, browser-like user interface allows for multiple

screens across all systems and flexible, per-user customization.

Everything is logged so operators can always follow what has been done or changed. They can export a report to any popular format like PDF, XLS, etc. They can archive parameters or reports to be accessed later.

Everything is centralized in a SQL database for safety and accessibility.

“Our cutting-edge architecture allows operators to simulate, capture logs and do advance analysis without affecting the production,” states Mario Godbout Autolog Chief Technology & Quality Officer.

Alpha testing was done in Béarn, QC. The new GEN3 Log Optimizer was installed in parallel with the mill’s log optimizer.

Autolog was able to capture logs and see solutions in the GEN3 Log

Optimizer without interfering with the actual production.

“Our new methodology proved that the solutions from GEN3 are better than the existing ones. We will be beta testing in Clermond Hamel’s mill in late December.

We will be in parallel for a few days and will then switch to the new GEN3 Log Optimizer in full production sending solutions to the PLC.”

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 23

WINNING AN UPHILL BATTLE

Photography David Lee Copywriting Kevin Orfield

24 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

LYLE NEWTON & ISLAND PACIFIC GROUP ARE HELPING TO REVOLUTIONIZE STEEP SLOPE LOGGING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

V

ancouver Island and New Zealand may be an ocean apart, but their logging conditions are similar. Big wood is harvested in tough conditions that often include steep slopes. Since 2013, New Zealand has been revolutionizing steep-slope logging. Now loggers on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest are demonstrating how the technology can be successfully implemented in North America.

Lyle Newton, owner of Island Pacific Group of Nanaimo, British Columbia, is on the vanguard of this revolution. “The future is steep-slope logging,” says Newton. “As logging sites get steeper and steeper, we’re going to stay out front and demonstrate how to do things better and safer.”

“Lyle is one of the pioneers,” says Wes Lade, territory manager, Brandt Tractor, Island Pacific Group’s John Deere dealer. “He’s changing how steep-slope logging is done in the region.”

OVERCOMING STEEP ODDS The forestry industry has dominated Vancouver Island’s economy since the first sawmills appeared there during the 1860s. British Columbia produces the most softwood timber in North America, and much of it goes through the Port of Vancouver. In fact, 21 percent of all traffic through the Port of Vancouver is forest products, which are shipped to more than 100 countries around the world.

Vancouver Island is home to some of the largest and oldest trees in the world, including the majestic Douglas fir. Historically, old-growth fir was harvested in 80year rotations, but today 40-year cycles are more common.

Our crew visited Newton at a logging site on the south end of Vancouver Island between the cities of Nanaimo and Victoria. Old-growth stumps were visible among second growth, making it even more challenging to harvest on steep slopes. “It’s tough ground,” Newton says of logging on Vancouver Island. “The ground was once old-growth timber with big trees and good volume. Now you have smaller trees and smaller volume.”

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 25

KIWIS HELPING CANUCKS To safely get more production out of its cable-logging operation, Island Pacific Group has needed to innovate. The answer came from the other side of the Pacific in New Zealand.

In recent years, New Zealand’s logging industry made major changes to improve the safety of logging on steep slopes. In 2013, the country’s largest forest owner mandated that 100 percent of groundbased harvesting and 80 percent of steep-slope harvesting needed to be mechanized. Since then, hand felling has been almost completely replaced by mechanization. But one of the biggest changes — and the one that has improved safety to the greatest extent — is the introduction of winch-assist harvesters. With its strong reputation for safety and productivity, the system is steadily gaining popularity in British Columbia and the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

“They’ve been doing it in New Zealand for over a decade, and the remote-operated bulldozer (ROB)

system has been operating for five or six years now,” says Newton.

“We brought it over here because it makes our operations safer and more efficient. Now instead of four hand fellers, we have one harvester. It’s opened up a lot of cutting opportunities because many other companies can’t afford to make it work on steep slopes.”

ISLAND PACIFIC LOGGING Island Pacific Group is an early adopter of the ROB system, which was designed by New Zealand logging contractor Lars Rosewarne and engineer Iain May. The company currently runs

It’s opened up a lot of cutting opportunities because many other companies can’t affort to make it work on steep slopes Lyle Newton, Owner of Island Pacific Group 26 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

three ROB systems, which allow machines to work on slopes up to 45 degrees. By comparison, untethered machines become unstable on slopes of about 20 degrees. Island Pacific is the exclusive distributor of the ROB system for North America. The ROB system the company employs comprises a John Deere 909MH Tracked Harvester tethered to a Deere 850J Dozer, which provides a solid anchor. Twin winches, each capable of supporting up to 21 tons, are mounted on each side at the rear of the dozer. Fairleads are mounted at each end of the dozer’s blade, giving the harvester

a wide swath to work across. The dozer’s hydrostatic drive provides smooth, remote control of the winches by the operator from the harvester’s cab. The winch is synchronized with the movement of the machine working on the slope and maintains a constant tension in the cable. “The system provides traction assistance to the harvester by helping keep the tracks flat on the ground,” explains Newton.

“Without it, the tracks would just spin and you simply wouldn’t be able to log on steep ground.” There is minimal site damage because of the increased traction of the felling machine.

As logging sites get steeper and steeper, we’re going to stay out front and demonstrate how to do things better and safer Lyle Newton, Owner of Island Pacific Group The founder of Island Pacific Group grew up on Vancouver Island and has been logging for over 40 years. “At the age of 14, I was painting bunkhouses for Frank Beban Logging in the Johnson Straights of Vancouver Island,” Newton remembers. “I worked my way up through the rigging to running equipment while I got around to Beban’s various logging camps.” At the age of 21, he went into business with Randy Harding, who was looking for someone that knew how to run a grapple yarder.

“We did stump-todump logging and road building on the Queen Charlotte Islands. When the high lead logging started to change into helicopter logging, we made the move to Vancouver Island and the coastal mainland and into a helicopter; adapting to more sophisticated logging methods.”

Over the years, Newton acquired company operations, turning them into contractor operations and grew from 12 employees to over 500. At its peak, the stump-to-dump operation logged up to two-million cubic meters in a single year. Today the company has downsized to 140 people. “It’s harder to attract young workers and tougher to make money,” Newton reflects.

Island Pacific Group annually harvests approximately 60,000 cubic meters of old-growth forest and 500,000 cubic meters of second growth, mostly Douglas fir and hemlock. To get it all done, the company runs four John Deere 2154G Road Builders and four 3156G Log Loader/Processors, in addition to its Deere harvesters and dozers. “The 2154G is supertough, good on fuel, and builds roads the way we need to build them.” The 3156G Log Loader equipped with a processor head gives the lifting capacity to handle large wood and the reach to sort wood efficiently at the landing.

Newton likes the improved operator stations on the G-Series Swing Machines. “The cabs are really big — lots of room.

And visibility is great, which is critical for what we do.” Uptime is essential when the machines are so

dependent on each other.

When one machine is down, many others often can’t work either. The company uses John Deere JDLink™ telematics to ensure its machines are working — and working properly.

“We can track machine hours and idle time to make sure we’re getting the most out of our operators and equipment,” says Newton. “Our dealer Brandt Tractor can also monitor and troubleshoot our machines remotely via satellite.

They don’t have to make a separate trip out to the bush to diagnose the problem. They can come out with the right part the first time, and that’s huge when the machine is often hours away.”

Newton describes his association with Brandt as a partnership. “We have a great relationship. They provide the parts and service when I need them to keep us up and running.”

With reliable machines and strong support, Island Pacific Group plans to keep growing its steep-slope operation. In addition to John Deere harvesters, dozers, and swing machines, the company also owns two Deere 848L Skidders, which it is considering tethering and incorporating into its steep-slope operations. Newton is equipping a new John Deere 950K Dozer with 33-ton winches as the anchor machine for the ROB system and larger machines. This will allow more opportunities including the oil pipeline industry.

“Brandt has been great at delivering the machines we need to keep ahead of the curve,” says Newton. “And John Deere makes a good machine we know we can depend on. The two never miss a beat.”

Island Pacific Group is serviced

by Brandt Tractor Ltd., Nanaimo, British Columbia.

BRITISH COLUMBIA’S FORESTRY INDUSTRY FAST FACTS • L argest producer of softwood lumber in North America.

• H ome to the tallest wood building in the world: the University of British Columbia’s Brock Commons Tallwood House, at 18 stories.

• F orest products are shipped to more than 100 countries worldwide.

• Provides 140,000 jobs.

• E xports to China have increased 20 times since 2003.

• 1 1 percent of Western Canada’s rail traffic is related to forest products.

• T hree seedlings are planted for every tree harvested.

• L ess than one percent of forestland is harvested annually.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 27

Chipping away at improvements

Biomass The 3300B-series has been repackaged, to significantly reduce the size of the machine, while not compromising performance

This year’s biomass feature offers, smart, flexible & cost-effective solutions

T

here is a genuine split of possibilities displayed in this year’s main biomass technology feature, not to mention the two associated Operation Focus articles.

We have said for a number of years the capacity issues with chipping solutions, while still important, have taken a backseat

to other industry-led demands of manufacturers.

This year, we look at six distinct suppliers taking their own views on how the chipping industry is moving, looking to get ahead and meet demand with their latest generation of units.

Peterson has concentrated their business on high-volume, easy to

move machines, which have been popular in both land clearing and traditional biomass applications.

Peterson believes their focus on chip quality and superior knife life has made a significant difference for customers utilizing their products.

They continue to evolve their biomass chipper product line, with significant changes to their smallest drum chipper, the 3300-series machines.

“In 2018 we introduced both the 3310B tracked drum chipper, and for those who need an option

with traditional wheels, we have introduced the 3300B drum chipper” said Michael Spreadbury, Marketing Manager for Peterson.

“The 3300B-series was repackaged again, to significantly reduce the size of the machine, while not compromising performance”.

“Peterson also added a retractable powered feed deck for short wood applications (less than 3-meter wood), and that has been a popular option for machines for

Peterson 3310B Drum Chipper Peterson 3310B Powered Feed Deck

28 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

Superior Product Sizing

Innovative Anvil Design

4- or 8-Pocket Drums Available

Heavy-Duty Knife Assemblies

Peterson’s grate system provides ultra-consistent chip sizing; twigs and small stems which can be difficult to size are easily fractured through our innovative system.

The robust, two-sided anvil is easily serviced through an access panel from ground level. Adjusting the anvil position can be completed by one person in a matter of minutes.

Featuring durable AR400 wear surfaces, the 3310B comes standard with a 4-pocket drum rotor with one Babbitt knife per pocket. An 8-pocket drum rotor is available for chipping microchips.

Produced from the highest quality alloy chromium steel, heavy-duty Peterson knife assemblies achieve uniform production of wood chips with high accepts and minimal losses.

The 4300B-series machine is suited for high volume biomass producers who have a wide variety of feed material

In 2018 we introduced both the 3310B tracked drum chipper, and for those who need an option with traditional wheels, we have introduced the 3300B drum chipper Michael Spreadbury, Marketing Manager for Peterson

export markets” said Spreadbury.

The 3300-series is loaded transversely, a feature not seen on traditional North American biomass machines. “The transverse loading option allows for a much smaller landing, and with the rotatable spout, the 3300-series machines can load trucks either with a traditional top load or end load spout, up to 240 degrees without needing to reposition the machine—so now we can parallel load, or position several trucks for loading depending on the size of the landing, or the contractor’s needs.”

Light and maneuverable, the 3300-series machines are easy to transport from job to job.

With a 540 hp (402 kW) Caterpillar engine, the 3300-series machines have the power to handle

up to 24-inch (61 cm) diameter logs. The fully enclosed engine compartment keeps things clean, but is easily serviced by large access doors on both sides of the machine.

Using the proven drum and knife design used on the larger 4300-series drum chippers; the 3300-series’s main components are robust and offer long life. The 3310 is available with a four-pocket drum for typical biomass applications, or an 8-pocket drum for microchip applications.

More Power, More Applications 4300-Series For applications needing more production, Peterson’s popular 4300-series machines pack a

Caterpillar 755hp (563 kW) engine to get the job done. Popular with both biomass and land clearing applications, the Peterson 4300B-series machines are being used in a variety of terrain and feed stock jobsites. “Peterson has had a tremendous amount of success with the 4300B-series for pipe-line right of way contractors who need the extra mobility in tough terrain” said Spreadbury.

The 4300B-series machine is suited for high volume biomass producers who have a wide variety of feed material from brush and small feed stock to logs up to 24 inches (61 cm) in diameter.

At 58,500 pounds (26 535 kg), the track mounted 4310B Drum Chipper is designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs. The

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 29

The 4310B Drum Chipper comes equipped with a wireless remote transmitter 4300B, which comes on wheels, weighs in at 52,000 lbs. (23,586 kg.)

The chipper utilizes a 36 inch diameter by 44¾ inch (91 by 114 cm) wide drum with either 6 or 12 knife pockets. Traditional Babbitt type knife systems are standard equipment. Chip length

hydraulic clutch, sloped feed deck for ease of feeding the chipper, and wear resistant AR 450 wear surfaces on the drum pockets and shell. Optional material sizing grates further reduce oversize twigs and branches in the chips, and an optional chip accelerator helps with loading.

The end load spout is standard, and an optional top loading spout is available.

6300-Series For those needing even higher production, or have large diameter feedstock, the C27-powered 6300-series drum chippers are

Peterson 6310B Drum Chipper

done. “The 6300-series machines performance is really inspiring—we have seen these machines utilized on land clearing jobs in orchards, or just making biomass microchips, and their throughput is amazing.

We always advise our customers to have plenty of trucking lined up with these machines, as they fill up a traditional chip van fast!” said Spreadbury.

The 6300-series drum chippers are suited for high volume biomass producers who have a wide variety of feed material, from logs up to 36″ (91 cm) in diameter, to brush and small feed stock.

The 6300-series machines are powered by a 1050 HP (772 kW) C27 Caterpillar engine. At 85,000 pounds (38,555 kg), the 6300B was designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs. The tracked 6310B weighs in at 86,000 lbs.

(39,010 kg).

The 6300-series drum chippers have two drum configurations, an 8-pocket drum to make standard biomass chips, or a 16-pocket drum to make microchips. An optional grate system has been redesigned to allow for adjustment from a microchip to a 1¼” chip with the same grates. Traditional Babbitt type knife systems are standard equipment, or an optional Key Knife system is available.

Peterson’s chip accelerator system, adds load density, or throws chips well away from the machine for land clearing operations.

The chipper utilizes a 50″ (127 cm) diameter by 60″ (152 cm) wide drum. Other key features include a sloped feed deck for the ease of feeding and wear resistant AR450 wear surfaces on the drum pockets and shell. The feed chain has been upgraded to WDH120 for improved strength and long life.

Additional Information For those looking for more information about biomass drum chippers, visit www.petersoncorp.com. Also, check out Peterson’s Chipperpedia pages for even more detailed explanations about details specific to drum chipping operations and technical explanations of machine parts and operations: www.petersoncorp.com/chipperpedia

Peterson 6300B Drum Chipper can be set from 1⁄8 to 1¼ inch (3 to 32 mm) depending on rotor and knife configuration.

Other key features include a

The 4310B Drum Chipper comes equipped with a wireless remote transmitter, putting control in the palm of your hand.

30 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

an industry-leading solution.

Available in both wheeled and tracked options, the 6300-series drum chippers can get the job

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The Komptech Axtor 4510 is one of the manufacturer’s smallest units but is not without power

With the new Axtor 4510, Komptech is offering an all-purpose wood chipper that is the smallest in the Axtor series but, like its bigger brothers, is “perfect” for both chipping and shredding, according to the manufacturer.

“It’s the perfect entry-level machine for small to medium-sized plants as well as contract service providers,” Komptech said.

The new Axtor 4510 rounds out the proven Axtor series at the bottom end. Like the larger Axtor 6010 and 8012, this new machine can shred as well as chip and is designed for wood and green cuttings. In shredder mode with free-swinging teeth it makes composting material, while in chipper mode with fixed blades and lower speed it makes biomass fuel that is ideal for heating plants.

With 456 HP and the same rotor dimensions as the Axtor 6010, the new Axtor is a balanced package with “exactly the performance and economy that its target group is looking for”. With its small dimensions and its total weight of 19 t in the two-axle trailer version, not only is it very easy to move around, it’s also right-sized for small to medium-scale facilities.

Naturally, the easy transportation makes it likewise ideal for contract service providers, who need to react flexibly in terms of work sites as well as in their service offerings, from shredding to chipping.

Chipping and shredding – flexible and fast conversion Conversion from shredder to chipper is fast and simple: In three hours or less, the free-swinging shredder blades can be replaced by fixed holders with precision-cut chipping blades or tough shredder blades. Conversion using fixed teeth is even faster, going from shredder to chipper mode in under one-and-a-half hours.

“There are few limits to the flexibility of the Axtor 4510,” Komptech stated.

The machine can be very precisely configured for the

intended use. Whether waste wood, trunks, forestry residue, bark or green cuttings, with different blades and the right screen basket it can deliver astonishingly high throughput with excellent fuel efficiency.

For example, with woody green cuttings as a structuring material for composting, throughput of up to 150 m³ per hour is possible.

Well thought out, well executed Komptech didn’t just downsize one of the big machines to a smaller scale, but instead put customer needs first. One example

The 4510 was designed from scratch as a more flexible product

32 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

is the Axtor 4510’s outstanding maintenance access, with hydraulically lifting engine cover and roomy service platform with integrated folded ladder.

The same goes for the massive sectional steel belt intake system, the continuous discharge conveyor with a cone height of 4.5 m, and the hydraulic tilt hopper. Everything is designed with the user in mind, from avoidance of leakage during material transport to the tough components to the clever details that help work go smoothly on-site.

Cost-effective, compact, manoeuvrable, and economical – those were Komptech’s prime goals in the development of the Axtor 4510. Easy transportation and flexible use in shredder or chipper mode make this a machine that can absolutely stand up to the “big guys.”

CBI ChipMax 484B Portable Whole Tree Chipper

CBI’s whole tree chippers are some of the most productive and reliable wood chippers in the world. The CBI ChipMax 484B is no exception.

This compact and reliable whole tree chipper consistently outproduces the competition by up to 50% on a daily basis and has a high-production capability of 100-plus tons per hour. CBI whole tree chippers are purpose-built machines customized to fit each customer’s individual business needs.

market with an eye on productivity and customer flexibility. The rotor, chipper box and feed system are the strongest in its class as this drum chipper provides owners

with years of trouble free service.

Featuring two rotor options, the CBI 484B (TBC435) can make highquality fuel chips custom sized from 12–25 mm or “micro-chips”

from 2–12 mm from logs up to 24” in diameter.

These wood microchips produce a consistent fiber length that dramatically reduces the overall cost of producing pellets as well as improves the function of small boilers. If you’re looking for a whole tree chipper solution for your application, the ChipMax is an extreme-duty biomass production workhorse.

The versatility of this whole tree chipper doesn’t stop with its production capabilities. The CBI 484B (TBC435) is available as a portable, track-mounted, or truck-mounted drum chipper that can be used at any remote location.

Configured as a truck-mounted unit with a hydraulically-operated, 360-degree swing bearing, it is road legal in both width and height for ease of transport. Frequent moves between jobs is never a problem for this industrial whole tree chipper.

The ChipMax is an extremeduty biomass production workhorse Compact yet enormously productive, the CBI ChipMax 484B (TBC435) whole tree chipper hit the

SHREDDING AND CHIPPING MADE EASY. Axtor 4510

Universal wood shredder

NEW

- 2 IN 1: SHREDDER AND CHIPPER - CONTRARY-RESISTANT - HIGH THROUGHPUT - MAINTENANCE-FRIENDLY www.komptech.com International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 33

JENZ HEM 583 R Cobra

Efficient work thanks to intelligent systems GFA and CFA

‘Smart’ in a technology context is a term that we encounter nearly everywhere these days. Almost everything has become smart; smart cities, smart houses, smart cars, the list is endless.

But what exactly is a smart Jenz chipper, for example?

Smart systems from JENZ allow compensation for errors, the possibility for analysis, offer more security, and, particularly, greater efficiency.

It takes two to tango The operation of a machine should be simple. So, it makes sense to choose systems and concepts that customers already know from everyday life. Hans Heinrich Hermeier, Product Manager at Jenz, also recognized this aspect during customer discussions.

“Machine control is about making the operation of complex machines as easy as possible,” he said. “The aim is to reduce the complexity for the driver to secure more productivity with easy control.”

“Simply said: the driver should load, the chipper should chip. The solution: the easy2 controller. A smart interface between man and machine that is as easy to use as your own smartphone.”

In detail, the easy2 controller consists of several components: the touch display, easy2TOUCH, and an additional operating element, the easy2SELECT joystick. In the vehicle variation

with the Cobra cabin version, the operator also has an integrated easy2CONTROL armrest on the operator’s seat.

The touch display is the command center of the machine and combines modern hardware with high robustness and strong performance. User profiles can be created, limit values defined and assistance systems applied.

Remote service and updates are also possible thanks to the new intelligent software. In order to save valuable time in case of an unscheduled malfunction, on request, machine data is recorded and transmitted to the Jenz server.

‘Smart’ also applies to the assistance systems of the easy2 controller, which help to carry out recurring tasks. These include, for example, the setup/breakdown assistant and the forward drive assistant, which makes the machine even faster ready for use.

“With the setup/breakdown assistant, the supports, the discharge tube and the alimentation are brought into

34 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

working position at just the touch of a button. The same applies to dismantling after the end of work,” says Dominik Meden, also Product Manager at Jenz.

The forward drive assistant allows the machine to move quickly along the material. With prolonged operation of the foot brake the chipper unit is put into stand-by mode JES (Jenz-Energy-Saver).

When the rotor is coupled in, the material discharge is stopped and

The machine virtually recognizes which material is expected Dominik Meden, Jenz

uncontrolled ejection is avoided. As soon as the handbrake is applied, the machine is immediately ready to continue working.

The easy2 Controller

Originally, the material was fed to the rotor at a constant infeed speed. As soon as a limit speed was reached, the feed roller stopped. After recovery of the engine, the retracted material could be transported to the rotor again. The consequences: overloading of the engine and thus less productivity.

Hermeier describes the solution for more efficiency: “The former system has been further developed and adapted to the requirements of shredder and chipper machines.

For the shredders, we use the GFA (grinding feed assistant) system, which works very well.

“The engines work very efficiently even under full load.

However, this system did not fit 100% to the requirements of our chippers and thus it was further developed for this product group to the CFA system (‘chipping feed assistant’).”

The aim of both systems is to make the machine more sensitive and responsive to its needs.

The infeed speed of the rotor is therefore adjusted so that a reversing is avoided; the advance remains constant. As the rotor speed decreases, the infeed speed decreases as well and the engine can ideally maintain its maximum torque permanently. A shutdown of the feeder or even the stalling of the engine can be almost avoided.

“This results in a consistent and machine-friendly utilization but above all a first-class quality of the chips,” explains Hermeier.

For smart chippers, the CFA system also offers the option of regulating the infeed speed according to the opening angle of the upper roller.

Meden points out: “The machine virtually recognizes which material is expected. It can react on time so as not to drive at full speed on, for example, 60 cm of beech logs.”

Whether GFA or CFA system, a smart Jenz machine can adapt the feeder depending on the material and thus react optimally and achieve excellent results.

Foreign matter program helps with investment protection Foreign matter in the input material is not a problem for Jenz machines with IPS (Impact Protection System). Knock sensors on the counter knife detect hard impacts caused by foreign objects. If such an impact is detected, the machine responds in a fraction of a second and initiates a “foreign matter program” for machine protection.

The fact is that the first

without consequential damage.”

The engines work very efficiently even under full load impact with the system cannot be prevented, but the machine is protected against unplanned failures and consequential damage.

This system can be adjusted respective to conditions of use in three stages: hard, medium and soft.

Meden is proud that this “rather smart system prevents further fatal damage and can usually be continued after a blade change. Experience shows that subsequently several 10,000 operating hours can be achieved

The machine virtually recognizes which material is expected and can react on time

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International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 35

Microchip and Macrochip drum options provide greater range of wood chip sizes

From countries adopting policies to help reduce greenhouse gases to people looking for more natural, sustainable solutions for heating their homes and feeding their plants, quality processed wood material is in high demand.

Capitalizing on the growing number of revenue streams for wood chips requires more than just a connection with customers — forestry and logging companies also have to be able to produce a variety of material sizes to meet the needs of the end user.

A common issue forestry companies face is not having the ability to produce the appropriate size of material to meet the needs of their wide variety of customers.

For example, the biomass industry usually prefers smaller or microsized wood chips to accommodate pellet stoves, wood burning plants and so on, but the chippers that crews use in the field are not able to produce the appropriate size, resulting in the need to regrind material. Regrinding material multiple times can significantly impact a business and requires additional equipment.

Manufacturers like Vermeer have recognized the market demand for wood chips of varying sizes and have developed equipment that delivers more sizing options.

According to Vermeer applications specialist for Recycling and Forestry Brad Van Rheenen, the design of Vermeer whole tree chippers gives contractors

the ability to produce a broader range of chip sizes. “We offer two different drum options on Vermeer whole tree chippers — a microchip drum to produce a range of smaller sized chips, and a macrochip drum that can also be easily adjusted to produce different, larger sizes of chips,” he explained.

Two drum options The main difference between the Vermeer microchip and macrochip drum options is the number of pockets. “The microchip drum has two full width pockets, while the macrochip drum only has two,” Van Rheenen said. “Producing smaller chips requires more cuts per revolution, so by doubling the pockets and knives on the microchip drum, we are able to produce smaller chips in one pass.”

Operators can add spacers under the knives for each drum size to make additional sizing adjustments.

“Whether a company selects the microchip drum or a macrochip drum, the ability to make quick adjustments between jobs or in the field is important,” Van Rheenen added. “Making a few small adjustments can help reduce the amount of regrinding that has to be done to fill an order with different material size requirements.”

Selecting the right drum The Vermeer microchip drum produces chip sizes between

36 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

1/8” (3.2 mm) to 5/8” (15.9 mm), which is suited for producing wood pellets for residential and wood fuel plants, as well as chips for landscaping, gardening, animal bedding, composting and playground applications. The macrochip drum can produce chip sizes between 5/8” (15.9 mm) and 11/4” (31.8 mm). Applications for wood chips in that size range include silt socks, erosion control, capping landfills, mulch, wood fuel plants and land clearing.

To determine which chipper drum is right for a company, Van Rheenen recommends contractors evaluate how the processed material is being used and which markets are they being sold to.

“If the chips are simply going back to the forest floor as part of a land clearing project, it may be more efficient to use a macrochip drum and a large depth of cut,” he said. “Larger chips will not decompose as rapidly as smaller ones.

However, if a company is selling the chips to an end user, the drum type will depend on the needs of customers.

The goal should be to create a size that most closely matches the needs of the customer.”

Making adjustments While having different drum types provides companies with a lot of flexibility, the ability to easily make size adjustments to the drum is equally important. On many

chippers, making adjustments or performing routine maintenance can be time-consuming and laborintensive because the process of babbitting requires working with molten lead. Vermeer developed a new approach with its patented pusher bolt knife design.

“Knives on Vermeer whole tree chippers can be positioned quickly with just a wrench,” Van Rheenen said. “We use threaded holes in the end of the knives where pusher bolts take the place of babbit. This design makes it much easier to make adjustments and sharpen knives. Our unique pusher bolt system helps prevent knives from sliding outward toward the shear bar.

“Another unique feature of the Vermeer microchip and macrochip drums is that they are completely threadless,” Van Rheenen added.

“Instead, we use a replicable hex nut for knife retention, which makes it much easier to replace a knife if it gets damaged.”

The design of Vermeer chipper drums makes it easier to efficiently make adjustments, which is beneficial for forestry and logging operations that cater to a wide range of customers. It also helps reduce the need for regrinding.

Growing demand As more and more countries, communities and individuals discover the advantages associated with using natural and renewable wood chips, markets will continue to grow, and new ones will emerge.

To create chip sizes for a broad range of applications and help minimize operation costs, choose wood processing equipment that can be quickly and easily adjusted.

SPECIFICATIONS - DRUM CHIPPERS MODEL DC-4042 GENERAL DIMENSIONS

Introducing the DC Series

DC Series Options

Transport Length

34’-10” [10.61m]

Precision Husky Corporation manufactures Precision quality Drum Chippers for biomass fuel applications. Available with 2 or 4 knife design and additional options that are designed to suit customers specific needs.

• Cummins 600HP [447kw]

Transport Height

13’ [3.96m]

• CAT 700HP [522kw]

Weight

45,000 lbs. [20,455kg]

• CAT 580HP [433kw]

Axle Weight

30,000 lbs. [13,636kg]

• Auto Reversing Fan

Tongue Weight

15,000 lbs. [6,819kg]

Width

9’-10” [2.99m]

• Air Compressor Drum Chippers Model DC-4042

Chipper Drum Opening

42” Wide [1067mm]

Drum Diameter

40” [1016mm] Diameter

Drum Speed

1000 RPM

Drum Knives

Two (2) 11” [279mm] Four (4) 15” [381mm]

Drum Shaft

6” [152mm] Diameter

Support Bearings

4-15/16” [125mm] double row spherical

Discharge System

Powerful & reliable forestry & biomass equipment

Spout

Adjustable 8” x 20” [203 x 508mm] Precision Whole Tree Chipper 2366 operating in Europe engineered to be highly responsive with a smooth powerful swing and perfect balance.

Routine service is fast with an easy access design, like centralized hydraulic pressure checks and turntable bearing greasing from the operator’s cab. Husky booms are the largest available with super heavy-duty sub frames.

Options • End Loading Discharge • Top Loading Discharge • Bed Infeed Chain Conveyor • Knuckleboom Loader

Whole Tree Chippers

Capabilities

Superior chipping performance

All four sizes of Precision Whole Tree Chippers have rugged frame construction, over-sized stabilizers, air compressors, trash separators and more powerful fans that pack more chips per van. Power options range from 400 to 1050 horsepower [298 to 783 kw]. Because Precision Whole Tree Chippers are built stronger, have more standard features, with a reputation of trouble-free service, it is the choice of experienced operators and owners.

The optional Husky Loader, manufactured by Precision Husky in the same plant as the Whole Tree Chippers, the Husky XL-175 is standard on the Model 1858 and 2366. The larger XL-245 loader is included for the model 2675

Precision is one of the best known chippers in the world. The Precision chipper design allows 25% more anvil contact, preventing wood slapping and turning.

This produces a smoother slicing action insuring uniform sized chips while using less horsepower. Knives are positioned in the disc in such a way as to allow 10 to 15% more roundwood capacity than others the same size.

Discs are made from high quality steel and stress relieved prior to machining and all bearings are heavy-duty double spherical rollers. For ease of maintenance, wear points are protected by easily removed and replaceable components.

and 3084 Whole Tree Chippers.

Husky Knuckle-Boom loaders are

• Trailer or Track Mount • Radio Remote Control

The H3060 mid-sized grinder. Each Grinder Model is built with a down cut design, which allows you to switch out the hammermill for a two or four knife chipper drum International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 37

Simple math leads to expanded operations for Bevo Farms Wood waste recycling makes sense for Langley, British Columbia, propagated plants producer

By Matt Eul, Vermeer

S

imple math – that’s the answer Leo Benne, president and general manager at Bevo Farms provides when asked why North America’s top propagation company got into the wood waste recycling business. With 48 acres (19.4 hectares) of greenhouses in Langley, British Columbia, and another 5.5 acres (2.2 hectares) in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, it takes an incredible amount of energy to keep Bevo Farms’ facilities at the right temperatures during the colder months of the year.

So, when natural gas prices began to rise in the early 2000s, the company began considering alternative fuel sources and added a wood boiler for its heating system – a decision that eventually led Bevo Farms into the wood waste recycling industry.

Who is Bevo Farms and what is propagation?

The words ‘farm’ and ‘propagation’ are two terms not typically associated with the wood waste recycling and biofuel industries, and Benne wouldn’t classify his organization in those industries either. Instead, he is focused on producing hundreds of thousands of tomato, pepper and cucumber plants, more than 65,000 chrysanthemums, 100,000 poinsettias, plus thousands of annuals such as geraniums, begonias and dahlias each year.

38 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

After Bevo Farms’ staff nurture the plant seedlings to an ideal level of development, the plants are distributed to greenhouses, field farms, nurseries and wholesalers across the continent, and that’s what a propagation plant producer does.

Bevo Farms has been in the propagation business for more than 30 years, and over that period of time perfected its craft of producing quality and healthy plants. Benne says the company has also developed new types of plants and unique machinery.

“We’ve never been an organization to shy away from a challenge and are constantly looking for ways that we can improve our processes,” said Benne. “For example, we developed a cubic farming machine that can hold up to 2,700 lettuce or basil plants at one time, growing them to maturity every 21 days.

It’s an innovation that helps us produce more plants for less money – something our customers certainly appreciate.”

It’s that level of customer focus that led Bevo Farms to invest in a wood boiler and eventually its own Vermeer HG6000TX horizontal grinder.

Getting into wood waste recycling “Natural gas prices are what got us looking at wood as an alternative fuel source,” said Benne. “We

started off buying and burning primarily cedar shavings for the first five to six years. We weren’t happy about the effect the cedar shavings were having on our boilers.

“There was a lot of maintenance because it’s quite a harsh fuel to burn. Around that time there were a lot of companies in the area investing in wood boilers, which put a strain on the availability of cedar and drove up the cost. It

We’ve never been an organization to shy away from a challenge and are constantly looking for ways that we can improve our processes Leo Benne, President & General Manager at Bevo Farms

VERMEER

was then we decided to take the process in-house.”

From there Bevo Farms purchased an electric high-torque, low-speed grinder, before making the upgrade to the current Vermeer HG6000TX horizontal grinder.

“As we grew, so did our needs,” said Benne. “Doing the math, we determined we would be a lot more efficient with the Vermeer horizontal grinder than what we were getting from the electric one. Not only do we get more production out of the unit, but it does a much better job of producing consistent material sizes which gives us a better, cleaner fuel source.”

The efficiency of the Vermeer HG6000TX grinder helped reduce Bevo Farms’ costs and overall maintenance expenses.

“We get our material from a local trucking company that hauls away waste wood from area mills and other businesses,” explained Benne. “The scrap material we’re working with includes pallet and sawmill waste primarily. Most of it is relatively clean, but occasionally there can be some metal debris mixed in.

“With our previous grinder, if we didn’t catch that material, we would have spent the next two hours changing teeth – that got old quick. Our Vermeer horizontal grinder does a much better job of handling the variety of materials we process through it.”

The Vermeer patented Series III duplex drum with reversible hammers and cutter blocks is one of the reasons Bevo Farms’

OPERATION FOCUS

HG6000TX horizontal grinder provides better performance. This proven design can nearly double the wear life contractors get from hammers and cutter blocks, which helps to simplify and extend required maintenance. The thrown object deflector (TOD) helps to limit the amount and distance debris is thrown during operations – something that Benne says is important to them while running the machine.

While Bevo Farms’ horizontal grinder primarily operates onsite, the company did select to go with a track-driven model.

“Having tracks just makes manoeuvring the grinder much easier,” said Benne. “Having the ability to reposition the machine quickly and with less people saves us time and money.”

Supplying others with biofuel After adding the horizontal grinder to its equipment fleet, Benne said they began to produce more material than what they needed to heat their operations – that’s when they started selling the extra to other companies in the area.

“We used to have to hire another company to come in to help us grind from time to time, just so we would have enough material to make it through the cold season,” he explained. “Now, we more than keep up and can fill our large storage areas and sell the rest, which helps offset the cost of having a dedicated person running that operation for us. It also helps keep our costs low and allows us to help other companies get what they need.”

Bevo Farms runs its grinding operation year-round and has been able to work with its raw material provider to secure all the additional wood waste material they need to keep their grinder busy creating biofuel material.

“We’re pleased with the end product the grinder produces,” added Benne. “It burns cleaner than the cedar shavings we used before, which helps reduce maintenance time and expenses on the wood boiler. I’m happy we made the switch.”

Fluctuating fuel prices In recent years the price of natural gas has dropped significantly putting pricing more in line with what it costs to produce biofuels.

It’s a trend that Benne has paid a lot of attention to.

“By having both a natural gas and wood boiler, we can make decisions quickly depending on the price of natural gas at the moment,” he explained. “However, we all experienced how fast prices can change, which is why we will continue to produce biofuel material no matter what the current price is.

“We want to make sure we always have enough supply for our expanding operations, and whatever we don’t use, we can turn around and profit from.”

While Benne may never consider his organization to be a producer of biofuel, his innovative mindset has helped keep Bevo Farms’ operating costs low, so they can do what they are the best at – propagate high-quality plants for their customers.

“It all comes down to the math,” Benne concluded.

Don Hoytema, grinding operation manager at Bevo Farms, in British Columbia, where they’ve turned to horizontal grinders to create fuel from wood waste for their heating systems.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 39

A trailer hitch was hiding in a brush pile [he] was grinding in Griswold, CT

SCRRRA Controls Compost Contamination in Connecticut

S

outheastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) was established through the state’s legislature in 1987 to serve twelve towns in the southeastern part of the state. The idea was to create long-term solutions for waste and pass value along to the residents.

Under this collective model, member municipalities deliver a minimum amount of solid waste to SCRRRA’s waste-to-energy burn plant in Preston, CT to be processed for a small fee. The Authority also manages a closed ash landfill, provides assistance for new and existing recycling programs, maintains educational recycling programs, and offers an array of waste management services.

They’ve grown and continually adapted over the years to execute their mission.

SCRRRA grinds brush for member municipalities at no

cost and sells backyard compost so that residential organics can be responsibly composted. As a result, anyone demonstrating proof of residency to one of the twelve towns can dump brush and tree trimmings free of charge.

By collecting and grinding yard waste, SCRRRA is able to make a significant environmental impact while selling the end-product to larger manufacturers.

It’s beneficial for all stakeholders.

On top of providing this great value to residents, the Authority also bears the responsibility of removing contamination and properly disposing of organics.

They combat the issue with educational outreach and the latest equipment innovations.

Educational outreach SCRRRA is extremely committed to reducing contamination along every stage of the waste management process. The Authority offers recycling education classes to provide residents with a background on composting, recycling, solid waste, and household hazardous waste. They also offer presentations, backyard composting demonstrations, a trash relay, recycling jeopardy, and school composting outreach programs.

Their free educational class covers the subject matter in the broader environmental and scientific framework. Modules are flexible depending on topic, age, and class size to engage attendees.

One of their most interesting

40 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

tactics to instill new habits in residents is the gamification of recycling education, which includes an interactive “SCRRRA Recycling Challenge” online game. The waste sorting game lets players drag and drop various materials between the transfer station, backyard compost, recycling bin, garbage can, and hazardous waste options.

It’s a fun way to raise the baseline understanding of “what goes where” and encourage residents to adopt new behaviors.

Recognizing the importance of preventing contamination upstream, at the household level, SCRRRA’s educational programs aim to have a lasting impact.

But they still have to be prepared for and manage tramp metal in raw material.

“We’ve seen everything in the brush piles from the kitchen sinks to the lally columns used in basements,” explained Lenny Weise, who operates the horizontal grinder for SCRRRA. “Sometimes there are car parts in the brush piles. What anybody can put in the back of their pickup truck, they

dump in the piles.”

BioCycle’s State of Organics Recycling in the U.S. report indicates that at least 62 percent of composting facilities in the United States process raw yard trimmings and brush—similar to what’s dropped off at the transfer stations served by SCRRRA. Of the 35 states reporting, 14.4 million tons of yard trimmings were diverted per year and represented the largest diverted category of material in America.

Properly diverting tramp metal from yard waste represents a massive opportunity for the country to reduce compost contamination, and equipment manufacturers are responding with innovation.

Equipment innovations SCRRRA recently upgraded to a CBI 6800CT Horizontal Grinder, which has been developed for woodwaste professionals who need to process high-volumes of the toughest materials and detect any metal mixed into piles.

Weise immediately noticed the improvement in production, performance, and durability of the 6800CT compared to other grinders. A trailer hitch was hiding in a brush pile he was grinding in Griswold, CT when it was loaded into the grinder. When the hitch made contact with the rotor, electronic sensors alerted the control system and reversed the infeed. The top feed roll raised automatically and the hitch was able to be easily located and removed. There was no damage to the machine, not even a single broken tooth. Minutes later, they were back up and running.

“You can put a lot more in a CBI compared to the other machines that I’ve run and they seem to hold

up to everything I do to them,” Weise said. “It’s just an aggressive, mean machine when it comes to grinding wood. It’s just built like a tank.”

MDS systems may seem like old news, but advancements and stateof-the-art precision offer next level performance.

CBI’s Metal Detection System (MDS) is alert enough to detect a bag of bolts in a plastic sandwich bag. The MDS uses an accelerometer to detect and monitor the rotor’s vibration patterns, picking up the unique harmonic frequency of metal hitting metal and translating the change to a user dashboard mounted on the side of the machine. Milliseconds after tramp metal strikes the rotor, the MDS system automatically stops the rotor, raises the top feed roller, reverses the infeed, sets the engine to an idle, and goes into a controlled shutdown of the machine. This pre-measure prevents damage to the machine long before it becomes an issue.

Beyond the obvious cost savings advantage of protecting the grinder, the MDS is an excellent method of diverting metal during the primary grind stage of composting. An intuitive display screen lets the end user set “trip point” sensitivity on a scale of zero to five, tailoring the system to the application.

Frank Franciosi, Executive Director of the United States Composting Council, has personally experienced the havoc that tramp metal can cause to an operation and underscores the industry-wide importance of tramp metal diversion.

“Contamination reduction is a big focus in the industry and it’s great anytime you can pull something out before it ends up in the final product,” Franciosi said.

“You want to catch it upstream before it breaks up into smaller pieces that could make it into the compost which can devalue the product. From a safety and equipment standpoint, it’s critical to remove pieces of metal from a waste pile to prevent the next employee or piece of equipment from encountering it.”

As a secondary measure, CBI grinders come with the option to have magnets installed. These various types of magnets are designed to pull nails from shingle grinding applications or collect smaller bits of metal coming off the discharge belt.

SCRRRA recently upgraded to a CBI 6800CT Horizontal Grinder

High-production and premium quality SCRRRA will be using their new 6800CT as part of a mobile storm debris response plan. The yellow monster is designed to process land clearing debris, pallets, clean industrial waste, stumps, logs, mulch, bark, shingles, and whole trees as fast as it can be loaded, producing valuable end-product and giving Weise command over intense deadlines.

Across the United States, many composters run material through horizontal grinders in their approach to break down, turn, and blend the primary grind. The 6800CT’s rotor has a 15 percent larger screening area, wrapping more than 190 degrees around the rotor and allowing production rates to surge beyond 200 tons an hour—an innovation for yard waste processors who want to produce high volumes at the lowest possible cost per ton.

Weise explained that SCRRRA will use their grinder mostly for primary size reduction. The grinder will also be deployed for preventative measures. Their increased production capacity means processing the brush piles faster and reducing the risk of fire.

“Towns are going to see a very big improvement in how neat their transfer stations are and there’s going to be a lot less worries about the brush piles catching on fire,” Weise explained. “If there’s a hurricane or tornado, we can go out and help.”

Many of the brush piles contain various sized materials from small yard waste to large diameter wood from the local town crews.

The 40” diameter x 60” wide upturn rotor has a forged, thick, high-strength core with 24 weld-on

hammers. The offset helix pattern cuts the full width of the rotor, distributing material across the hammers for natural efficiency.

Complete with interchangeable tips that bolt on and a grinding chamber that opens for quick screen changes, the machine is friendly to operators who want to go from attacking brush to whole trees in minutes.

Producing a consistent endproduct is key to their operation’s ability to sell and recycle mulch and compost. Their program will offer the benefit to residents for years to come and serves and an

aspirational model that can be replicated across the country.

SCRRRA’s member municipalities include East Lyme, Griswold, Groton, Ledyard, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Preston, Sprague, Stonington, and Waterford. To learn more about SCRRRA and their various programs, visit www.scrrra.org.

To learn more about CBI equipment, visit www.terex.com/cbi or call (603) 382-0556

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 41

LS855E shovel logger The LS855E shovel logger is an important evolution of the well-proven 855 series track carrier platform, making it a powerful solution for steep slope logging. It is a versatile levelling carrier suited to felling, pre-bunching and shovel logging in challenging terrain.

42 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

Uphill battle Steep slopes are the new battle grounds for the world’s major suppliers of forestry equipment

W

hen this magazine started more than a decade ago, biomass was a frontier business. Size reduction/waste processing companies became high-end chip manufactures for burgeoning biomass energy providers and harvester head suppliers were shifting their focus to tackle specialised stands grown for chips. There were even specialist bundling machines built to convert brash mats from the forest floor into chip-able lengths to into chippers.

Around the same time, a few manufacturers in certain parts of the world were looking into accessing steep slopes with greater safety and efficiency. Today, those ‘few manufacturers’ have become ‘all manufacturers’ as the market for operators in tricky terrain has ballooned.

It is impossible to capture

all the themes from what is the largest feature in this magazine – including Industry Voice – suffice to say traction, stability and manoeuvrability on inclined surfaces are key pitches.

Regardless of what in the following product suite takes your fancy, as an operator on steep slopes, you’re suddenly spoilt for choice.

Tigercat continues to be an industry leader in steep slope technology in both track and rubber tire machines. With continued focus on safety when logging on steep terrain, Tigercat machines are proving to be stable and powerful, yet efficient and comfortable.

Levelling track machines Tigercat’s levelling track machines are used in a wide range of applications for steep slopes such as shovel logging, felling and harvesting and use innovative technologies optimized for steep slope work.

Tigercat’s new improved patented super-duty, levelling undercarriage is longer, wider and provides exceptional stability on steep slopes. It uses two massive hydraulic cylinders and heavy steel sections for a solution that is simple, robust and reliable. Unlike competing systems, the Tigercat levelling system leans into the hill when levelling to the side which further improves machine stability and operator comfort.

Redesigned and enhanced cabs on Tigercat track machines offer improved ergonomics and operator comfort, while maintaining the rugged, forestry grade strength, which is critical for operator safety. Non-ratcheting, five-point seat belts keep operators in their seats in case of a roll-over. Three exits (top, side and front) provide workers with three escape routes.

Tigercat forestry cabs are certified to internationally recognized standards (TOPS, OPS, ROPS, FOPS).

To further enhance the ability of Tigercat’s track machines to work on slopes, an optional cable assist mount has been developed.

The tether anchor bolts firmly to the main carbody structure of the undercarriage and allows either single or double cable tethers to be attached to the track machine.

Steep Slope Logging

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 43

1185 harvester with WideRange

The Tigercat 1185 is powerful and stable in all conditions The tether can then be connected to a variety of different third party winch system that can assist the track machine up or down slopes.

LS855E shovel logger The LS855E shovel logger is an important evolution of the wellproven 855 series track carrier platform, making it a powerful solution for steep slope logging. It is a versatile levelling carrier suited to felling, pre-bunching and shovel logging in challenging terrain.

Equipped with the Tigercat 5195 directional felling head, the machine is well suited to steep slope felling, bunching and shovelling. The combination is an asset in large timber, avoiding the additional time, travel and repositioning required to double cut oversize trees with a fixed wrist felling head.

The feller director configuration allows the machine to fell and extract independently or fell and bunch for a skidder or yarder. The introduction of the new switchable, 3-way ER boom control allows the operator to choose between ER, semi-ER and conventional. The new semi ER function allows the operator to extend the boom on a horizontal plane using a single joystick, but retracts the boom with the increased power of both cylinders, doubling the pull force.

transmission and the hydraulically balanced bogie axles are engineered and built by Tigercat for extreme forest duty, long life and high uptime

635G skidder Tigercat builds the most advanced, efficient and refined skidders, as well as the only six-wheel drive skidders – the largest being the 635G. With six-wheel drive and a massive grapple, the 635G is built for extreme duty and super high production logging operations.

Tigercat’s patent pending cable routing and mounting system for skidders is offered as a factoryready cable assist package. The clever concept routes the cables through the blade and attaches

to the frame structure behind the front axle, closer to the payload.

With other systems that route the cable underneath the blade, there is always the danger of damaging the cable with the blade. Not only is this possibility eliminated, but the operator can raise the cable if required, say to clear an obstacle, merely by raising the blade. This is crucial in very soft or steep terrain, long distance skidding, oversized logs and continuous duty cycle around-the-clock applications.

With the Tier 2 engine option, Tigercat brings the benefits of Tigercat power and support to harvesting professionals around the world.

Rubber-tire machines Tigercat also produces skidders, harvesters, and forwarders with unique innovations to enhance productivity on steep or soft terrain. The drivetrain components including the pump drive,

The Tigercat 635G 6-wheel skidder for extreme duty applications

44 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

The Tigercat 1185 is a new 34 t heavy duty, premium, high production harvester designed for extreme duty clear fell applications, steep slopes and tough terrain. Tigercat’s unique WideRange drive system increases working travel speed while delivering extremely powerful tractive effort for high performance in steep terrain and quick in-stand travel on good ground. Tigercat designed bogie axles, transmission and pump drive gearbox are engineered for extreme forest duty.

With an extreme duty slew system and 360° continuous rotation, the cab rotates with the crane. The cab and crane automatically level when holding a button on the control pod. Once the button is released, the autolevelling disengages.

A full-length curved windshield and large side windows provide exceptional visibility to the wheels as well as above the cab. The comfortable, climate controlled seat keeps the operator in place with a four point harness.

The strong Tigercat built crane has a hooked profile to allow for visibility out the right cab window.

The crane is a simple design with no external parallel linkages and uses Tigercat’s patented ER system. Both fixed and telescopic booms are available.

Cat® 552 Series-2 Feller Bunchers and Harvesters with enhancements handle steep slope logging Cat® track feller bunchers and harvesters help loggers boost production in the woods, and their efficiency and durability help increase profitability. They are designed with the best combination of lift capacity, swing torque, and tractive effort ratios for high production.

The Cat 552 Series 2 model is a full tail swing machine designed for high-production clear-cutting or final felling in rough terrain. It is a leveling machine for improved operation in steep terrain, and Caterpillar also offers steep slope harvesting enhancements for this model.

The Cat 552 Series 2 is equipped with the Cat C9 ACERT™ 226 kW (303 hp) engine, which has a proven track record of reliability and durability. Power management software is tailored for the unique engine-hydraulic interactions in a forestry application and delivers a high level of machine performance.

Hydraulics ensure uninterrupted operations on a continuous grade of 100% or 45° Extended service and maintenance intervals reduce machine service time, increasing machine availability and cutting operating costs.

The closed center hydraulic system includes fully adjustable electric over hydraulic controls and plentiful flow capacities; two or three pumps, depending on the

configuration, power the hydraulic system to give loggers smoother multi-functioning.

“The combination of swing and lift capacity reduces cycle times and increases production,” said Jared Dunn, product application specialist for Caterpillar Forest Products. “And wide track gauge and long length increase overall

operator comfort.”

An on-demand reversing fan helps keep the radiator debrisfree, and the high-capacity cooling system keeps the engine running at the proper temperature, optimizing performance, durability and fuel economy.

Large structures such as swing bearings and booms have

NEW

Compact and powerful The XR 300 is here Indexator heavy duty series – XR rotators – is expanded with a smaller powerful unit, the XR 300.

We offer a wide range of compact, powerful, slewing bearing rotators designed for extreme applications – where loads and demands on the rotator function are extremely high. Both for rigid and dangle mount. indexator.com

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 45

The combination of swing and lift capacity reduces cycle times and increases production Jared Dunn, Product Application Specialist, Caterpillar Forest Products

Like all Cat units, the 552-2 is reliable and durable been designed for longer life and durability. The tracks and all undercarriage rolling components are high-grade to extend track life, reduce repair costs, and increase stability. The machine has excellent ground clearance and an open carbody design, increasing mobility by eliminating interference with obstacles.

“Strong drawbar pull, along with excellent ground clearance and the ‘open tunnel’ undercarriage design, makes for a highly maneuverable machine that easily climbs steep slopes,” said Dunn.

The Cat 552 Series 2 features the only two-way simultaneous leveling system in the industry.

The unique three-cylinder system design significantly reduces stress loads into the leveler structure, lower frame and track frames.

Caterpillar is constantly making design and component improvements to meet customer application demands and to ensure updates meet durability and reliability expectations, noted Dunn, “and steep slope logging is no exception.”

The Cat 552 Series 2 now features extended track roller frames that lower the machine’s center of gravity, increasing overall stability and significantly increasing lift capacity over the back of the machine. The extension also reduces ground pressure in steep slope operations.

A key option enables the harvester to operate with cable assistance. An optional dualanchor point, cable-assist mount may be connected via cables to a winch-assist machine at the top of the harvest area to enhance traction and stability.

Optional engine and hydraulic updates maximize durability and reliability and enable operation on a continuous grade of 100 percent or 45 degrees. The options include an engine steep slope kit for the Cat C9 engine and 552 Series 2 platform; the kit contains an improved oil pan design for steep conditions and a secondary breather system. Similarly, a

hydraulic steep slope kit includes a modified suction tube and updated breather design.

A dynamic four-point seat belt is standard from the factory along with an improved seat cushion.

The four-point seat belt features retractors on the shoulder portion of the belt for maximum mobility and is safety orange color for added visibility.

While winch-assist systems help mitigate certain safety concerns with hand-felling while increasing productivity and boosting overall efficiency, such systems do not eliminate all risks. Loggers must be provided appropriate training, follow

available best practices, exercise caution and scrutinize procedures to ensure work is performed with a close eye on safe practices.

Product Link™, the remote monitoring solution, enables efficient and effective fleet management of Cat forestry equipment. The easy-to-use interface, VisionLink™, enables customized health and utilization reports, enhanced mapping, and mixed-fleet capabilities.

Caterpillar customers are supported by the industry’s largest network of dealers who will keep them up and running with parts availability, field services, stateof-the art diagnostic programs, remote monitoring, and more.

The Cat 552-2 features the only two-way simultaneous levelling system in the industry

46 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

Hydraulic cylinders add longevity and greater lifting capacity

TimberPro has found great success with its new D-series line of tracked bunchers and harvesters.

Improving upon the already impressive C-series line-up, the D-series incorporates many new features and updates.

One of the major updates is a larger operator cab. This new cab features panoramic views from the oversized windows, digital climate control and new seat options for the ultimate in comfort.

Also new for the line-up is the Stage-5 Cummins L9 Performance Series engine. Being the only manufacturer in the logging industry using this advanced technology has allowed TimberPro to create a package that is more powerful, more efficient and more service and maintenance friendly.

The stage-5 engine goes beyond tier 4 by simplifying the emissions system with a single can SCR allowing for a much cleaner installation and ease of serviceability. This new engine is incredibly powerful with a large jump in torque, increased efficiency and longer service intervals.

Other updates include new hydraulic cylinders for added longevity and greater lifting capacity. A revised levelling system with larger cylinders, increased pin diameter and larger bushings.

Capitalizing on a new pump series has increased pump longevity while offering a new larger main implement pump with increased

flow. A new boom debris deflector and door perforations increases air flow while minimizing hazardous debris accumulation.

“Add all these great features with TimberPro’s legendary levelling capability of 28° to the front, 24° to the side and 7° to the rear and you have a buncher that is at home on the steepest of slopes,” the manufacturer stated. “Top this off with multiple tethering points that are fully integrated throughout the chassis and you can be tethered to just about any tethering system available today.”

Coming from TimberPro in 2019 is the TL775D counterweighted tracked fellerbuncher/harvester designed for extreme terrain. This new machine boasts steep slope specific 51-link heavy-duty track undercarriage being driven by dedicated closed-loop hydrostatic drives coupled to high-output final drives.

Optional 175cc and 210cc implement pumps being driven by the new 390 hp Cummins L9 Performance Series engine provide an abundance of flow for the performance operators demand.

Flow that is directed by a new, larger, higher flowing control valve delivering ultra-smooth control and precision.

The levelling system has larger cylinders, increased pin diameter and larger bushings

One of the major updates for the TimberPro D-series is a larger operator cab

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 47

German-based HAAS Maschinebau has developed a solution for traction-assistance exclusively for John Deere wheeled harvesters

Tracked solutions

The extreme conditions of steep slope logging have recently captured the spotlight of the logging industry. When working in this difficult terrain, it is important for loggers to be equipped with the machines they need to succeed and work safely. Manufacturers like John Deere recognize the unique challenges loggers face as they work on steep slopes and have developed equipment solutions that meet those needs, granting loggers access to areas once unattainable.

Constantly producing equipment based on customer feedback, John Deere is devoted to providing loggers with an array of solutions for steep slope logging applications. As a result, there is a John Deere tracked and wheeled machine that is suitable for nearly every operation.

Designed with a best-in-class levelling system, the John Deere M-Series Tracked Feller Bunchers and MH-Series Tracked Harvesters offer exceptional stability and reach that maximize forward offlevel efficiency. This allows the system to have 26° of forward tilt while electronically controlling the levelling envelope boundaries, allowing for a smooth transition when approaching the levelling limits.

The 859M/MH offers a low-tail swing option, while 959M/MH is a larger tail swing option optimal for big timber. Both machines come standard with a powerful, John Deere 9.0 L engine. Containing notably robust undercarriages, the M/MH-Series machines provide ultimate stability and tractive effort necessary for steep terrain. A variety of boom sets featuring thick plates, large pins and bushings offer a sturdy solution with the reach and durability required for steep slope logging.

The cabs on the M-Series

48 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

and MH-Series machines also provide loggers with a comfortable workspace with great visibility, ideal for long days on the job.

Speaking from experience, Corey Isley Manager of D&J Isley explains how the cab in his 859M aid in his team’s productivity.

“The 89M has a more comfortable cab. The operators are all saying they can see off the machine better so their visibility is better,” he said. “If the guys are more comfortable in the machines, they’ll be more productive.”

The John Deere tracked feller bunchers and harvesters can also be used with third-party winchcontrolled traction-assist systems.

These tethering systems, combined with the increased off-level capability of the machine, enable improved traction and functionality in steep slope harvesting conditions.

Wheeled solutions John Deere G-Series Wheeled Harvesters and Forwarders provide loggers with the exceptional

If the guys are more comfortable in the machines, they’ll be more productive Corey Isley, Manager of DJ Isley stability and power required to work efficiently on tricky, uneven terrain. The patented balanced bogie system featured on these machines delivers “unbeatable” tractive effort.

Manufactured to suit the customers’ needs, the eightwheeled harvester and forwarders can be fitted with tracks if desired for added traction and stability.

This optional feature helps provide better flotation with less ground disruption compared to chains, depending on the terrain the customer is working on.

Newest to the line-up, the

The eight-wheeled harvester and forwarders can be fitted with tracks if desired for added traction and stability

1170G Eight-Wheel and the 1070G Six-Wheel Harvester provide exceptional grip when working on steeper slopes.

The rotating and levelling cab on the G-Series Harvesters features ergonomically designed seats as well as air conditioning and heating, reducing operator fatigue and increasing operator comfort to ensure maximum productivity.

G-Series Wheeled Harvesters come standard with Processing Power Control (PPC). PPC optimizes fuel efficiency by anticipating the engine load and automatically responding with the correct power increase. The advanced twinpump hydraulic system ensures maximum power for smooth, consistent operation and complete control of the boom and harvester heads. Built to give operators the power required for steep slope operations, the G-Series Forwarders feature a larger hydrostatic-mechanical, 2-spread gearbox transmission, providing more tractive ability than previous

Tracked units have 26° of forward tilt while electronically controlling the levelling envelope boundaries

models.

Intelligent Boom Control (IBC), available on G-Series Forwarders and the 1170G and 1270G Wheeled Harvesters, provides operators with an advanced approach to boom operation. IBC enables the operator to control the boom directly with two joysticks, rather than controlling each of the independent boom movements manually.

This increases operator productivity and lessens the learning curve for young operators. In tough conditions, IBC offers loggers a leg up on the competition, providing additional convenience and precision to every movement.

German-based HAAS Maschinebau has developed a solution for traction-assistance exclusively for John Deere wheeled

harvesters and forwarders.

Understanding that steep slope logging is practiced around the world, this winch solution is installed on the front or rear of the machine and allows the operator to work above or below the extraction road. Additionally, this proven system can be fitted with an optional straw-line winch to streamline the jobsite set-up.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 49

One of main benefits with PONSSE Synchrowinch is that the cable is not running on the the ground. This prevents cable damages and sparks.

Harvesting on slopes is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and PONSSE forest machines have opened up a completely new range of possibilities. By making it possible to work on steep slopes and in similarly demanding conditions, PONSSE forest machines make it possible to harvest timber on previously inaccessible land. For steep slope operations, the cut-to-length method have proven to be very efficient way to do logging in slopes as it enables all harvesting types from selective thinning to final cutting with low ground impact. Ponsse has developed solutions, which are enabling usage of the machines in very steep slopes yet doing it in an environmentally sustainable way.

It all starts from an eightwheel machine. An eight-wheel machine is productive in steep slopes because of its stability, lower ground pressure, and better tractive effort compared to

traditional six-wheel machine.

The structure of the eight-wheel PONSSE machines are optimal for the steep slopes as the crane is located on a separate frame from the operator´s cabin.

This improves ergonomics as

the forces from the crane are not transferred to the cabin, but what is even more important is that the operator’s inclination angle remains stable even if the crane is turned – without lateral swaying.

Today, over 90% of the total

Ponsse production consists of eight-wheel forest machines that feature excellent usability on steep slopes and soft soils. As the eightwheel machines have gained more stability and traction to access more and more difficult harvesting

The cut-to-length method has proven to be a very efficient way to do logging in slopes as it enables all harvesting types from selective thinning to final cutting with low ground impact.

50 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

terrains, the requirements for other components of the machines have also grown higher.

One of the biggest differences in the productivity of different machine makes comes from the crane’s properties and the stability of the machine. Also the machine’s centre of gravity must be kept low when working in slopes.

PONSSE cranes are offering low center of gravity, sufficient tilting angle and strong slewing.

Designed especially for regeneration and sloping sites with large trees, PONSSE telescopic harvester cranes C5 and C6 are offering low center of gravity combined with strong slewing and long reach making them an optimal solution for steep slope harvesting.

The new K121 forwarder crane further improves the forwarding performance on steep slopes, by providing high lifting but especially high slewing power that is essential for steep conditions.

Such conditions also demand a large tilt angle for the crane and loader in order to ensure smooth load handling. The tilt stand for the PONSSE K121 crane has a large tilt angle from -12° to +24°,

for harvester cranes C5 and C6 tilt angle is one the most extensive on the markets, ±20°. This guarantees that the crane works at the right angle even in steep environments.

An eight-wheel machine complemented with Ponsse’s reliable traction winch, called Synchrowinch enables harvesting in most challenging slopes yet causing low ground impact.

In the most challenging logging sites PONSSE harvesters and forwarders can be equipped with traction winch to support the wheel drive and to protect soil.

The traction winch mounted on the machine’s frame assists the machine while logging in the steep slopes. PONSSE Synchrowinch helps achieve high productivity in steep ground operations. It allows operating the same machines in flat and steep work sites with no need for additional machinery or methods.

PONSSE Synchrowinch preserves soil from rutting and erosion, saves fuel and reduces stress in drive transmission components.

There are also many other features supporting the steep slope operations. For example PONSSE Seat, the first seat designed purely for forest machines can be added with tiltable seat base and fivepoint seat belts.

This means that the operator can keep a relaxed sitting position while working on steep slopes. This makes the work ergonomic and causes less strain for the operator.

These solutions reduce need of traditional sky-line working on slopes, reduce harvesting costs and minimizing the risks. PONSSE Syncrowinch winch is available for PONSSE harvesters (Ergo and Bear) and forwarders (Elephant King, Elephant and Buffalo).

Synchrowinch equipped PONSSE machines are today used in various countries around the world.

Synchrowinch equipped PONSSE machines are today used in various countries around the world.

With PONSSE Synchrowinch solution forwarding is possible to both directions without need for separate routes with full loads.

BENEFITS 1. P ONSSE Synchrowinch helps to maintain high productivity also in steeper terrain because: - Forwarding is possible to both directions (no need for separate route with full loads).

- Due to the tiltable PONSSE Seat the driver can keep a relaxed sitting position while working on steep slopes. This makes the work ergonomical and less tiring.

2. P ONSSE Synchrowinch helps to widen the area of operation - same machines can handle even terrains and steep slopes. No need to employ additional machinery or other harvesting methods (like cable skidders, manual felling) in the same logging site.

3. W ith PONSSE Synchrowinch, the wheel spin in steep slopes is significantly reduced. No spinning means mitigated impact to soil and lower erosion risk by reducing track formation. Lower fuel consumption and decreased transmission part wearing are pros of traction assistance compared to operating without winch in slopes.

4. I nvestment cost compared to fully mechanized cable yarding systems is remarkably lower. Traction assistance logging has lower transporting costs (two machines vs. four machines) and system involves only two operators at the same time.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 51

FOCUS ON UK & IRISH FORESTRY

Veon is empowering farmers with forestry knowledge Farmers are now being empowered to take control of their own destiny in the forestry sector through Knowledge Transfer Groups.

Farmers who own forestry or wish to diversify their income streams by planting forestry on their farms are being encouraged to do so by the Forest Service and engage more with the industry to ensure that their timber flows smoothly and generates an income tax-free profit.

Veon recently announced that

it has secured funding from the Forest Service at the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine to run five Knowledge Transfer Groups (KTG) for forest owners on a nationwide basis.

These include KTGs in: 1. Wexford/Kilkenny/Waterford; 2. Clare/Galway/Tipperary; 3. Leitrim/Roscommon/Sligo; 4. Kerry/Cork/Limerick; 5. Laois/Offaly

Veon KTG outdoor meeting held in November

Veon forester supervising a lorry loading timber to bring to the market

52 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

The KTG programme focuses on developing and engendering greater understanding and knowhow among forest owners of the valuable asset which they own and increasing their forest management skills.

Adrian Redmond, Veon’s sales forester in the south-east stated: “Many of our new clients are farmers who are asset-rich and time-poor.

“The time they spend on traditional farming does not give them an economic return and they now consider planting forestry a realistic means of generating an annual flow of diversified, tax-free income whilst freeing up more time for other farming activity and their families.”

Knowledge is key and Veon reaches out to hundreds of forest owners every year. “These are forest owners who planted 10 to 20 years ago and have not engaged with the forest industry yet – i.e. built a forest road or thinned their forest,” according to Adrian.

As most private foresters are first-generation forest owners, Veon strives to inform these owners and the KTGs are an important part of this process.

Ronan Finnigan, local mid-west forest manager based in Veons Athenry Mart office, explained: “Irish forest owners need to familiarise themselves with the market prior to selling timber to ensure they are being paid a fair price for their product.

“Forest owners should bulk tender their forests so they can avail of economies of scale and secure better prices for their road construction and also for their timber.”

Ronan Finnigan, local midwest forest manager based in Veons Athenry Mart office,

Ronan, who is running the Clare/Galway KTG, explained: “Timber processors greatly appreciate the scaling of thinning and harvesting which is more costeffective for them; consequently, they are willing to pay a premium for the timber they can purchase in bulk categories.”

As Ireland’s market leaders in harvesting and thinning, Veon will organise this bulk category system, grouping forest growers activity and timber whilst ensuring that each forest is treated individually and completely separate and also organising individual contracts with each grower.

Although all of Veon’s Knowledge Transfer Groups were oversubscribed this year by forest owners seeking to get a better understanding of the valuable crop they are growing, Veon has announced that it is now opening nationwide registration for its Knowledge Transfer Groups for 2019.

Each KTG will hold seven meetings and the forest owner will receive €70 per meeting to offset the costs associated with their attendance.

Felling Heads

Quadco Shear Head, model 7320D on rubber tyred carrier

Heads for all seasons

heads starting with the 18C at 450 mm cutting capacity which can be mounted on 20 t-plus excavators, to the largest 27B capable of

The need to offer operator’s evermore revenue generating solutions is again clear

T

he last time we looked at felling heads we remarked how strongly the manufacturing sector had reacted to the operator’s need to diversify revenue streams, providing options for the business and therefore derisking cash flows.

This year, any differences are barely noticeable.

Similarly to last year, there are two ways of delivering on the required versatility. Manufacturers can make heads that are, as discrete heads, applicable to various stages of felling, or, they can supply a full and diverse range of products so there is a head for all purposes. Many suppliers do both.

Quadco focuses on reliability, low maintenance costs, and maximum productivity when it comes to engineering innovative products for loggers. Nowadays the needs of the forest industry are much diversified. Felling equipment and technology have to cover a wide range of applications like biomass harvesting, thinning, scheduled cutting of short cycle tree plantations, final felling of mature stands, exfoliated insects ridden or burnt forests, etc.

Quadco is proud to present the latest developments focused on its specialty, developed over the past 28 years the felling heads sector; high speed disk saw heads, shear heads, intermittent disk saw heads and bar saw heads.

Traditional logging in North and South America, Europe, Russia and Australia will make good use of the extended line of Quadco disk saw

Quadco Shear head model 7320 felling Eucalyptus in Australia

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 53

Quadco 24B high speed disk saw head

Quadco Shear model Q212 working in a Spruce stand in UK

cutting up to 710 mm requiring the largest feller buncher carriers.

Available models: 18C, 20B, 20SC, 22B, 22C, 22SC, 22CP, 24B, 24C, 24CP, 27B, 27SC. The B-Series is designed for bigger stem diameters. Four arms are each activated by a cushioned cylinder for better handling of heavy and tall timber.

The C-Series is designed for ease of accumulation. Four arms located higher in the head frame are activated with only two cylinders and heavy-duty timing bars for faster accumulation and shorter cycles. CP models come with front-end mounts for rubbertyred carriers.

The 7000 series heads are designed for the operations where high accumulating capacity is the name of the game. From Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil and Blue Gum stands of Australia and Asia, to energy-wood short-cycle plantations in Europe, the fast cutting and bunching felling heads allow high productivity and lower operating cost per cubic meter.

The 7000 series comes in four main models: 7224 and 7224D (D denotes front-end mount on articulated rubber-tyred carrier) are

Quadco Shear model Q212

54 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

cutting with a disk saw whereas the 7320 and 7320D shears are destined for areas where the use of saws is limited because of fire hazards (dry lands) or difficult ground conditions (rocky terrain) or very abrasive sandy soils. All these 7000 series heads are equipped with the patented multijunction accumulator arm to allow the optimal use of the tree accumulation area.

For larger diameter timber, Quadco intermittent disk saw heads (2400 and 2900) and bar saw heads (3200) offer selective cutting versatility, extra safety in confined places, some slashing alternatives and shovel logging operations.

For lighter carriers (12-15 t excavator), Quadco offers the 212 shear head, best suited for pulp and biomass harvesting. This head has a max cutting capacity of 305 mm and can accumulate up to four smaller trees. The 235° side rotation is a standard feature in the head.

All boom-mounted heads feature either a 40° or 360° lateral tilt allowing bigger tree piles to be made without compromising productivity.

The John Deere line of felling heads offers customers in all regions and applications productive solutions for wheeled and tracked machines.

Boasting superior saw recovery, performance and serviceability, John Deere felling heads help loggers maintain productivity and maximize profitability.

It is important for loggers to select a felling head that matches the correct application, tree type and conditions. When the right felling head is paired with a powerful John Deere L-Series II Wheeled Feller Buncher or M-Series Tracked Feller Buncher, loggers can increase productivity and profitability, regardless of the conditions they face.

Drive-to-Tree John Deere offers several felling heads that are ideal for drive-totree operations. These options are compatible with the L-Series II Wheeled Feller Bunchers, offering loggers a powerful and efficient solution. The one-button Quick

Dump feature on the L-Series II machines improves efficiency with the push of a button to release trees in a single, smooth motion.

The FD45 felling head was designed to offer high performance in thinning applications. With the deepest accumulation pocket of the three John Deere drive-to-tree felling heads, the FD45 improves productivity when thinning small trees. The twin-post design allows a clear view of what is being cut, increasing operator confidence.

The FD45 can be paired with the 643L-II for a productive solution in any terrain.

The FD55 felling head is a multipurpose solution for a multitude of harvesting solutions, from thinning to clearcutting. Equipped with a large accumulation area, this felling head can handle a wide range of tree diameters, from small-diameter thinning to large single stems up to 584 mm (23 in) due to its large accumulation area. Like the FD45, the FD55 model incorporates the same twin-post design, providing good visibility to the tree being cut.

Other features include larger bore cylinders, a taller horn and clean

bunch release. Most importantly, the head’s fast saw recovery jump-starts the wood flow going to the landing and delivers superior accumulation. The FD55 is best

designed for centering large trees and is also big enough to accumulate several midsized trees. The FD22B also boasts large accumulation capacity, strong

paired with the 843L-II in hilly or muddy applications, and with the 643L-II in flat conditions.

The best option for large, mature trees, the FD22B felling head is designed to tackle final harvests or large trees up to 559 mm (22 in). This model was

clamping force for better tree control, and ‘workhorse’ gathering arms — all of which promise productivity and uptime. Offering improved cutting-visibility, the FD22B can be paired with the 843LII when tackling hills or muddy ground, or the 643L-II for flat areas.

QUADCO ►High Speed Saw Heads ►Shear Heads ►Intermittent Saw Heads ►Mowers

Disks

Teeth

Wide choice of teeth and disks to suit most head brands on the market

www.quadco.com

info@quadco.com International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 55

The FS22B is designed to tackle a wide range of tasks, for everything from thinning to final cut of up to 559 mm (22 in) diameter

Swing-to-Tree For swing-to-tree applications, John Deere offers a variety of boom sets and felling heads that can be paired with the John Deere M-Series Tracked Feller Bunchers for increased productivity, regardless of the conditions.

John Deere offers two types of felling head attachment rotation features, each of which is designed for specific applications. The standard wrist FS models rotate 15째 to each side. This model is ideal for times when no specific

The FR24B felling head is compatible with the powerful 953M and 959M Tracked Feller Bunchers

56 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

alignment of the tree is required on the ground.

The high rotation wrist FR models rotate 310 degrees or 155째 to each side. The design on the FR models ensure maximum productivity and efficiency on the job. Additionally, the FR models allow the operator to cut along boundaries more efficiently without excess travel or swinging to position the fallen timber along the line.

The FS22B is designed to tackle a wide range of tasks,

for everything from thinning to final cut of up to 559 mm (22 in) diameter. The most versatile head available on all John Deere Feller Buncher models, the FS22B harnesses a versatile 30째 wrist for plus or minus 15째 rotation and firm clamping force for excellent tree control. The wider arm spacing and horn design delivers a high accumulation capacity, maximizing productivity. The FS22B is compatible with several M-Series models, including the 803M, 853M and 903M Feller Bunchers.

The FR21B and FR22B felling heads are compatible with the John Deere 803M, 853M and 859M Tracked Feller Bunchers. The FR21B is best suited for small to midsized timber, while the FR22B is ideal for mid-sized to large timber. Across both models, superior pickup force allows effortless placement of fallen trees. Both models feature the high rotation wrist to deliver best-in-class accumulation capacity and a more compact design to improve visibility to the felling head.

The FR24B felling head is compatible with the larger, more powerful 953M and 959M Tracked Feller Bunchers. Ideal for working with large timber, the FR24B is available with optional longer harvesting arms for better large diameter tree control.

Tigercat builds a full line of innovative felling attachments designed to match the high performance and productivity of Tigercat carriers. The product range includes disc saw and shear felling heads, fixed wrist and directional bar saw felling heads, and a growing line of harvesting heads. Tigercat felling attachments are used around the world and can be matched to virtually any type of mechanized felling application from small diameter pulpwood and biomass clear fell applications to selective felling of oversized, highvalue hardwood.

2000 bunching shear The original Tigercat bunching shears were designed in the mid-1990s for North American pine thinning operations. Over the years, the evolution of the 2000 series shear has made into what is considered the premium plantation eucalyptus felling head for the blue gum applications in highly abrasive soil conditions and rocky terrain.

With fast shear cycles, the 2000 has proven to be highly productive, and extremely reliable. Compared with a disc saw, maintenance requirements are less and bushfire risk is minimized.

The shear arm pivot bearing design is extremely strong and reliable. The chassis is constructed with hardened steel, with bronze alloy bushings installed in the grab and accumulator arms. The shear blades are among the toughest on the market and replaceable hardened steel wear strips are available for very sandy soil conditions.

The massive 0.62 m2 accumulation pocket allows for larger bunches, subsequently boosting skidder production and reducing fuel consumption as the skidder can more quickly accumulate a load. The shear improves the flow of the entire harvesting system.

A Tigercat 2000 shear bunching eucalyptus in Australia greater accumulating capacity than the 5000 bunching saw but the added weight of the additional trees and extra steel in the structure means that the 5300 is only suited to the full-sized Tigercat 870 series track carriers.

Feller buncher productivity and

efficiency improves because more trees are cut per cycle, reducing unnecessary machine travel.

Skidder productivity and efficiency improves because the bunches are large, well aligned and easy to pick up.

5702-26 felling saw Tigercat’s 5702 felling saw has been a highly successful workhorse on Tigercat tracked and wheeled feller bunchers for almost two decades and now Tigercat has introduced an important evolution

5300 Bunching saw The Tigercat 5300 bunching saw boosts feller buncher productivity in smaller diameter plantation wood under 405 mm (16 in). It has The Tigercat 5195 for performance when cutting and shovelling International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 57

The Tigercat 5702-26 felling head is best matched to the X870D and LX870D feller bunchers – the 5702-26 for tracked bunchers.

The 5702-26 shares the same arms, horn, wrist and asymmetric geometry of the 5702 with a larger saw housing and blade to increase single-cut capacity, throat width and accumulation area.

The 5702-26 features a 1,625 mm (64 in) diameter blade with 20 teeth spun at up to 1,050 rpm (max rated speed) delivering up to 30% more blade energy than the regular 5702. The single-cut capacity is 660 mm (26 in) for the 5702-26 compared to 580 mm (23 in) for the 5702.

As with all Tigercat felling heads, the 5702-26 is designed for durability, long life and easy maintenance. It features durable, well-guarded, cushioned cylinders and strength-to-weight optimized frames. Hardened wear plates and replaceable liners are installed in critical areas. Heavy duty spindle and bearings in saw drive system can take the punishment from harsh forestry conditions.

The 5702-26 is best matched to Tigercat 870 series feller bunchers.

5185 fixed felling saw and 5195 directional felling saw Tigercat’s 5185 and 5195 felling saws are steadily increasing in popularity globally in large timber and steep slope operations.

Contractors in native hardwood and other oversize timber applications are seeing benefits from the 5195 coupled with the LS855E shovel logger due to the excellent shoveling performance on steep slopes. This significantly decreases the amount of side cut skidder trails required to access the timber which is a big advantage in forests with strict regulations and stringent oversight.

The 5195 can efficiently top the

trees within the cut block. With continuous rotation, the head is quickly and easily repositioned and double cuts on steep slopes are performed quickly without moving the carrier. This makes the head versatile for oversized timber over one metre in diameter.

The 5195 has full 360° rotate with through-the-link central hosing for enhanced hose protection and extended hose life.

Oversized twin grapple cylinders deliver high performance and control when felling cutting and shovelling. The fully fabricated chassis and grapple arms design provide strength and added longevity.

The 5185 shares the saw performance and strength and longevity characteristics of the 5195. Where the 5185 excels is in its ability to control fell and place high value trees, avoiding breakage. In timber stands with average diameters that are approaching or beyond the limitations of a disc saw, contractors are seeing excellent productivity with the 5185.

An added benefit is the ability to top and cross-cut as well as shovel the timber uphill within reach of the skidders and prebunch for skidders or yarders.

Waratah’s largest felling head, the FL95, is built to work in the toughest, steep-slope environments.

Recently updated, the head now comes standard with extra component guarding to increase durability while the auto tension saw reduces downtime for

58 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

maximum productivity.

“The Waratah FL95 is a large, directional felling head providing ample capacity with an efficient design promoting greater machine stability – which translates to more operator productivity,” said Brent Fisher, product marketing manager with Waratah. “Our priority for the FL95 is helping our customers increase productivity and minimize effort.”

The FL95 has extra-large grapple capacities with a 62 in (1,580 mm) maximum grapple opening. The fixed saw box has a maximum cut diameter of 39 in (1,000 mm), allowing for more work to be done faster.

The FL95 was designed with steep slope applications in mind, so it offers an extreme downslope

Our priority for the FL95 is helping our customers increase productivity and minimize effort Brent Fisher, Product Marketing Manager, Waratah

tilt angle, which allows for felling up to a 65° angle without hitting stops. Plus, its low-profile, robust design provides durability and optimum weight distribution for maximum carrier stability on steep slopes.

The FL95 was designed with steep slope applications in mind

The FL95 has extra-large grapple capacities

INNOVATION

ProSilva will look to install Cummins engines in all its harvester models

Cummins Stage V technology in forestry machinery Comment by Steve Nendick, Marketing Communications Director, Off-Highway Business at Cummins.

T

o date, Cummins engineers have completed more than 100 Stage V engine installations for customer applications across agriculture, forestry and construction, including forest harvesters, material handlers, utility vehicles, mulch carriers, dump trucks and wheeled loaders.

For operators of forestry equipment, Cummins Stage V engines deliver on average 10% more power and 20% more torque across the 75 – 321 kW range, compared to Stage IV technology.

For example, top rated power for the B6.7 Stage V engine moves up to 243 kW (326 hp), while peak torque increases by 30% to 1375 Nm. This higher performance increases machine capability and can facilitate engine downsizing, while simpler architecture with fewer parts means more reliability, and more productivity.

In addition, improved fuel efficiency with extended service intervals drives lower running costs for operators.

One forestry equipment manufacturer in Finland taking advantage of our Stage V technology is ProSilva, a well-known producer of forest harvesters and forwarders based in Ruovesi.

Working in partnership with Cummins distributor in Finland Machinery Oy, ProSilva installed a Cummins B6.7 Stage V engine into

its hard-working S4 harvester for field testing.

ProSilva’s philosophy is to continually invest in the development of its machines to ensure they’re well equipped to work 365 days per year, no matter what the terrain.

The simpler design of Cummins Stage V engines was a key factor for ProSilva, as well as the higher machine capability and compliance with upcoming emissions legislation. Lower emissions levels are achieved

through SCR technology, which removes 99% of particulate matter and is housed in Cummins Single Module™ aftertreatment system.

Cummins global service and support network was also a consideration for ProSilva, particularly for engine servicing and spare parts availability, regardless of the location. Going forward, ProSilva will look to install Cummins engines in all its

harvester models.

Whilst most manufacturers have adopted a ‘same as’ strategy from Stage IV to Stage V with little change, Cummins technology leadership has enabled us to deliver improved products with reduced complexity for our customers.

The Single Module™ aftertreatment is 40% smaller and 20% lighter than previous systems and its higher NOx conversion capability has supported the removal of EGR from our 3.8 to 9 litre engines. This has positioned us for opportunities with manufacturers who had not necessarily considered Cummins in the past.

What does the future hold?

While clean diesel technology will continue to be the go-to power solution for many industrial applications, this year, Cummins strengthened its commitment to pioneering the future of electrified power.

Its acquisition of Johnson Matthey Battery Systems, Brammo and Silicon-Valley based Efficient Drivetrains is the company’s latest step forward in its efforts to become a global electrified power leader. Now with a range of lithium-ion batteries and battery packs in its portfolio as well as a fully electric, unique four-mode hybrid powertrain from EDI, Cummins is well equipped to deliver the right power solutions for the right applications at the right time.

For the off-highway sector, Cummins debuted its range extended electric vehicle (REEV) driveline at this year’s Intermat exhibition. The REEV offers a balance of battery power with a compact engine-generator, comprising both an F3.8 Stage V powered generator and plug-in options for charging, giving much more flexibility where charging infrastructure is not available.

The generator uses a highefficiency traction motor which provides continuous torque of 1,850 Nm, eliminating the need for gear shifting and dramatically reducing powertrain noise. An instant peak torque boost up to 3400 Nm is available when a machine hits difficult working conditions.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 59

Indexator is expanding the XR rotator range

Indexator from Vindeln in Sweden – the world’s largest manufacturer of hydraulic rotators – is expanding their XR compact rotator range with the small and powerful XR 300

Johnny Karlsson, Area Sales Manager, Indexator Rotator System AB

T

he XR range comprises compact, powerful rotators with heavy-duty bearings.

They are designed for extreme applications where rotator function requirements and load capacities are especially high. Optimally designed for both rigid and dangle mounting. Slew bearings, high performance and long service life make the XR series the rotators to rely on when it really counts.

Wherever you need to handle large loads, XR rotators come into their own. Indexator is now launching a smaller model, the XR 300.

The XR 300 is designed to handle both positive and negative axial loads up to 9 tonnes. The model is also built for a radial load tolerance of 7 tonnes and is thus ideal for applications with high side loads such as rigid mounting sorting grapples on excavators, or dangle mounting for e.g. scrap or timber handling applications.

Patented torque transfer solution, long-life vane motor and easy maintenance In common with other models in the XR series, the XR 300 has a patented torque transfer design.

“In a nutshell, the technology means the swivel and motor are not affected by external forces, which 60 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

provides major service life benefits compared to competing solutions,” says Johnny Karlsson, Area Sales Manager at Indexator.

Indexator’s tried-and-tested vane motor principal

Patented torque transfer solution

masses. The modular design with slew bearings, motor and swivel in separate modules, makes service and maintenance easy.

Eagerly-awaited rotator Thanks to the XR-series’ patented torque transfer solution, external forces acting on the bearings do not affect the motor and swivel inside the rotator. This extends service life significantly in comparison with competing solutions.

Another feature that benefits service life is Indexator’s triedand-tested vane motor – the only compact rotator on the market using this principle. While the vane motor provides high torque, it is also very forgiving in case of forced roation and large slewing

“There’s never room for unscheduled downtime anywhere

rotators are used. Because they simply have to keep on working, hour after hour, high reliability is just as important as high-performance,” says Johnny Karlsson.

To make sure the XR 300 can do the job, it has been rigorously tested, both in a test environment and in the real-world scenario’s machines and tools encounter. The result is a rotator with long service life that delivers performance every day.

The XR 300 is a rotator size eagerly awaited by customers, and market demand is high, especially from the customers who

“There is great demand from machine manufacturers and every possibility that this size segment will be the largest in the entire XR series in terms of volume,” says Johnny Karlsson.

Swivel and motor of competing solution gets affected by external loads. XR-rotators does not saw the rotator’s benefits when they participated in the prototype tests. Indexator will begin series production at the end of the year and as of January 2019, the XR 300 will be in full production.

The XR range The XR range is available in several sizes and models with different bolt patterns and extra channels for central lubrication and cable pass through.

The XR product range is continuously being extended to meet our customers demand International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 61

North America has been extremely strong, and the European and Russian markets have also stabilized and improved.

Ponsse: Our global order book is currently at a record high level. The demand for forest machines has been extremely high and seems to be continuing to stay strong in the near future.

The global economy has been rather strong during the last year, which has a had a direct and positive impact on the forestry sector. The pulp industry and sawmilling industry have been experiencing growth during the last few years.

Industry defies global uncertainty Record revenues and investment in forestry equipment was the dominant theme in this year’s Industry Voice feature

A

fter a quick look around the global economy, anyone would be forgiven for thinking it must have been a tough old year for international forestry suppliers. But not so, according to the responses to this year’s Industry Voice feature.

The year has been littered with political and economic uncertainty, usually a recipe for lower business investment as executives and owners find it tough to commit to large purchases when the outlook on markets is so changeable.

In Europe, the outlook of Brexit remained unknown at time of writing.

The US has taken a ‘me first’ attitude to global trade and in particular it’s attitude to China. A minor breakthrough of sorts at the G20 in Argentina arguably reduced what was shaping as a trade war to a trade dispute but fundamental challenges remained unresolved.

China, of course, is a key growth market for all construction materials, including wood.

President Trump’s stance has, for now, pumped up the Greenback, which has hit emerging economies that now find machines priced in US dollars that much more expensive.

However, against this backdrop, we have heard business is booming. Industry participants are ignoring macroeconomic factors and ploughing forward. Suppliers are reporting

full order books and a client base increasing its investment in new technology.

There was a quiet murmur of anxiety among the group around what might unfold once the dust had settled on the current turmoil but, for now, the forestry sector is making hay while the sun shines.

Q.

How has the macro-economic situation affected your sales?

A.

John Deere: We are still seeing some economic recovery in North America, which is a positive sign for the industry. Housing starts and lumber prices are both healthy. However, there is still some uncertainty in the market. Events like the implementation of tariffs, the unexpected wave of forest fires, and the recent hurricanes in the southeast are factors that are impacting production. We will need to keep an eye on these unknowns to see the greater impact on the logging industry.

From a global perspective, we continue to see stability, particularly in Russia and Europe. China continues to play a major role in the industry with the importing of pulp and lumber.

Komptech: In 2017 and 2018 the business climate was very stable, which allowed us to reach new revenue highs.

HewSaw: When you operate in a global market as we do, you must carefully look at each of your key markets as they all have different challenges. However, the relatively strong economy in many parts of the world and especially in North America and the Eurozone, has proven to be good for our overall performance during 2018.

Q.

Do you feel the forestry sector has been robust in 2018?

Tigercat: The very strong macro-economic situation of the past 12 months – which currently prevails despite all of the current and potential distractions – has driven global demand for our products to an unprecedented level and so even with some underperforming markets like Russia and Brazil the impact has been largely positive.

Tigercat: The forestry industry has been robust for several years now and as it continues to offer more growth as the world continues to grasp and warm to the facts that it is an environmentally friendly and renewable resource.

USNR: The overall global economy has positively affected sales in most of our markets worldwide.

USNR: In 2018, USNR saw record sales in the lumber and panel industries resulting from the

Advertisers 2018 include ...

62 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

A.

INDUSTRY VOICE robust global economy.

Ponsse: The forestry sector has been very robust and strong.

John Deere: There was a lot of fluctuation in the forestry sector, as seen with the softening of the industry in North America at the start of the year.

However, we have started to see positive signs that things are picking up, such as increased mill activity. Looking worldwide, Russia, Europe and South America have remained steady.

Komptech: Revenues were stable in forestry as well. Komptech has stopped making chippers and is instead focusing on the Axtor as a highspeed shredder.

HewSaw: Early in the year, the forestry sector was very robust in most of our markets and especially in North America where lumber prices were trending very high compared to previous years. This was reflected in our enquiries and projects for both new capital sales and machine upgrades.

Q.

Have you seen any changes in your key markets or emerging markets over 2018?

A.

Tigercat: No. The trends of the past have continued in the same fashion, with our international business outside of North America showing a steady increase in unit volume business.

USNR: In the North American market, the south has been the major area of growth. The emerging market of CLT in North America has been a growth area for USNR. The Russian market has also strengthened and activity in that region has increased significantly.

Ponsse: Among Ponsse´s main markets we have seen the biggest change in Russia, where demand for forest machines has been growing strongly.

John Deere: One notable trend we have seen across all of our key markets is the extension of the logging season. Additionally, we have continued to see loggers moving into new

Respondents areas, like steep slope terrain. Steep slope logging requires special equipment to ensure productivity and safety. Manufacturers are introducing equipment that is designed for these areas.

Additionally, third-party solutions, like the German-based HAAS Maschinebau winch system available exclusively for John Deere harvesters and forwarders, offers operators a way to work above or below the extraction road.

These equipment solutions enable loggers to navigate terrain that has typically been off-limits for mechanized logging.

Globally, the need for skilled operators continues to be a key concern. Manufacturers are continuing to introduce technology that will speed up the training process for new operators.

For example, this year John Deere added its Intelligent Boom Control technology to the 1170G Harvesters, which helps to accelerate the learning curve for new employees and increase productivity for seasoned operators.

Komptech: We saw higher demand in practically every market, and our business has continued to become more international.

Marko Mattila, Managing Director, Ponsse Latin America

Gary Olsen, Director, Forestry Sales, US & Canada, John Deere

HewSaw: The significant drop in lumber prices during the latter part of the year softened the interest level for us in some markets, but the lumber prices are still high enough for sawmills to remain profitable and in a position to invest in new equipment and technology.

Q.

What are your key markets and what kind of volumes are you delivering; is this changing?

Graham Hinch, Director, John Deere Forestry Sales & Marketing, United States & Canada

A.

Tigercat: The US continues to be our largest market base.

Canada and the international sector share make up the remainder of the business. As mentioned, we have seen a slight increase in the offshore markets to be about equal to our sales performance in the Canadian market.

Tuomas Halttunen, Vice President, HewSaw

USNR: USNR is a worldwide supplier. In 2018 we’ve sold equipment that has the production capacity to produce 2 billion board feet of lumber. Our key markets have not changed, but

Heinz Leitner & Christian Oberwinkler, Komptech

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 63

INDUSTRY VOICE

demand has increased substantially over the past 12 months.

Ponsse: We have seen strong demand in all market areas. Our main markets are Finland, Sweden, Germany, Russia, France, and the Americas. From the main markets we see the biggest growth in Russia 2018 over the previous year.

John Deere: Overall the key forestry markets remain the same. North America and Europe continue to account for the majority of industry sales, and John Deere sales are in line with that mix. One notable shift is the continued growth in Russia and South America. We are excited to serve these growing markets.

Komptech: The US is our most important single market, accounting for about a quarter of our sales. Along with our European core markets, revenues in Japan, Australia and South Korea have also been noteworthy.

HewSaw: Over the past 50 years, we have sold HewSaw equipment into more than 30 countries on six continents, but our key markets have remained consistent over the past few years and include northern, central and eastern Europe, Russia, and North America. We also have some market share in Australasia, Africa and South America. Although we are increasing our share in these smaller markets, we are also increasing our share in our more traditional markets.

Q. A.

Have any non-forestry international events or circumstances impacted your business?

Tigercat: The strong global economic activity has affected the supply of many key machine components, which in turn has delayed machine deliveries to our customers.

Politics, embargos, corruption and trade tariff wars will no doubt eventually impact on our business in the future.

USNR: The largest impact has been the tariffs associated with steel between the US and China, which have driven up costs. At the same time the overall boom in the economy and particularly in construction, has increased the cost for installation. One big impact on our industry is the diminished availability of resources to construct and expand mills’ infrastructure, and to install new equipment.

Ponsse: We can see a clear trend of our customers increasing their spending and investments on new technologies. There is clearly increased interest in the CTL method in wood harvesting globally. The main drivers for increasing CTL method are the sustainability, steep slope harvesting, increased thinnings and improved productivity compared to other harvesting methods.

Ponsse: We have not seen any impact so far.

But we closely follow the development of the political atmosphere and analyze the effects on our business.

John Deere: More and more loggers are adopting technology, a trend we are excited to see. To further serve our customers, John Deere is continuing to expand our technology solutions to more equipment As more loggers adopt technology, it is important for manufacturers to focus on their commitment to provide customers with smart solutions that increase productivity and improve uptime.

John Deere: Trade continues to be impacted by foreign exchange rates, from the exporting and importing of wood products to the cost to manufacture and ship equipment globally. We’ve also noticed that changes to trade regulations and tariffs are creating some uncertainty in the market. Once these details are finalized, we will be able to see the full impact on the forestry industry.

HewSaw: Housing starts, interest rates, the global economic situation and natural disasters such as forest fires all impact our business and we monitor all of these factors carefully.

Q.

Have your customers, increased, maintained or decreased their spending on new technologies?

A.

Tigercat: Customers continue to invest in new technologies in order to drive down costs and improve efficiencies.

Emissions compliance technologies that are forced upon our customer base don’t offer much value but the tangible environmental advantages continue to drive this aspect of our business.

USNR: USNR’s customers are always looking for the best technology. As a technology leader we’ve seen continued spending over the years, including 2018.

64 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

Komptech: Investments have been very stable. Our best-known machines (low-speed shredders, star screens) performed best.

HewSaw: Overall, our customers are very interested in new technology and they have invested in this technology. We have an in-house team of engineering and product development specialists and our customers generally embrace the new technology we develop as in most cases it will increase productivity, yield and the safety of their workers. We are also making huge technology gains in our manufacturing process and our factory in Finland now utilizes robotics in serveral areas.

Q. A.

What are your customers asking you to provide to assist their businesses; how is this changing?

Tigercat: Improved fuel efficiency, reduced operating cost, and improved productivity are always on the menu. The ability, capacity and safety features to work on very steep terrain is a common ask. Telematics has become more important to our customer base in terms of

INDUSTRY VOICE

allowing them to manage their equipment better.

USNR: In North America customers have increasingly looked for the single source supplier particularly on larger projects. In 2018 USNR has significantly augmented its resources in this area to be able to complete more major projects for our customers. Additionally, customers are asking for more comprehensive, long term service and support programs.

Ponsse: We can see increasing interest on service contracts. Customers are growing and they want to keep focus on running the operations. Service is becoming more and more important when the utilization rate of the machines is growing. Simultaneously we see growing interest on sustainability, safety, automation and digitalization.

John Deere: Productivity, reliability and durability still remain the key equipment concerns for our customers. Understanding this, we are continuing to improve our equipment to ensure they are confident when they purchase a John Deere machine, whether it is new or certified used.

In September we introduced the new L-Series II Skidders and Wheeled Feller Bunchers, which offer a simple, reliable equipment solution for loggers. Incorporating the best features of the original machines, the new models feature improvements under the hood – including a reduction in parts and changes to the machine to simplify electrical and hydraulic systems – to decrease downtime without any change to power or productivity. Combining our industryleading equipment with our expansive dealer network and the availability of parts and service, loggers know John Deere and our dealers are dedicated to supporting their businesses.

Additionally, at John Deere we cover fulltree and cut to length equipment, heads and attachments. Our relationship with Waratah further strengthens our brand portfolio, as we are able to supply industry leading felling and harvesting head offerings on the market and equipment that is designed for these solutions.

From our L-Series II machine to the G-Series Swing Machine and G-Series Harvesters and Forwarders, we want to ensure that we are providing a solution for every logger, regardless of the timber and regional application.

Komptech: Service and support are becoming more and more important. Customers demand the best possible support and accessibility.

Our customers are always instersted in finding ways to increase production and reduce manpower, resulting in higher profits. They are also interested in preventative maintenance and several customers are now participating in our new predictive maintenance program. This will result in higher uptime and increased profits.

Q. A.

a brand of FAE Group

.ORG

Reversible engine cooling fan

How important is biomass to your organization?

Tigercat: Biomass remains a cough and splutter part of our industry and just does not seem to want to take off properly. It is largely believed that without substantial government subsidization this aspect of our business will remain in limbo.

USNR: USNR has done several large projects in power cogeneration and pellet mills. We mainly focus on the engineering of these projects, and we see it as an important ongoing segment of our business.

Ponsse: Biomass production is currently a side product in our customer´s business. The main volume for our customers is still coming from pulp and sawmilling products. However; already now we offer products for biomass and we are constantly following the trends.

John Deere: As an industry leader, we understand the importance of using and developing forestry originated renewable energy. We support practices that help make forests healthier, and we are continuing to develop equipment that can be used for bioenergy applications.

The all new KESLA harv 27RH-II | 28RH-II | 30RH-

www.kesla.com

The new heads present improved and reliability. Altogether the head improvements that lift them to a t lots of options to equip the head t conditions, from the borealis conif hardwoods or processing and deb and Acacia, are available.

Komptech: Biomass processing is the secondmost important mainstay of our business after waste treatment.

HewSaw: We don’t deal directly with biomass, but we strive to provide our cusotmers with the ability to utilize the entire log. Of course, our goal is for our customers to produce as much lumber from the log as possible, but we strongly support the residuals from the sawmilling process being used for biomass or other uses.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 65

John Deere 910G and 1010G

Freedom to choose John Deere’s G-Series line-up is expanding with the light weight 910G and 1010G forwarders. They offer more alternatives in terms of options and smoother working.

If you compare the productivity of the 1010G to bigger machines, it doesn’t take second place – at least not with thinnings WHO? RISTO TAMMELIN • F orest machine operator since 1974, currently working in Kone Yijälä Oy • W hat: Testing John Deere 910G and 1010G in boggy thinning site.

• Where: In Jämsä, Central Finland

TEXT & PHOTOS: TERO IKÄHEIMONEN

66 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

F

orest machine operator Risto Tammelin drives a John Deere 1010G forwarder through a thinning site in Jämsä. The terrain at the 70-hectare logging site is boggy, but fortunately February’s freezing temperatures have brought solid ground. The forwarder comes to a bog ditch and Tammelin has no trouble crossing it with his light and agile forwarder.

The rear chassis bogie is 390 mm longer than normal, an optional feature that will be available for 1010G forwarders in late 2018. The test machine Tammelin is operating already has the longer bogie.

“Did you notice how easily we crossed that ditch?” Tammelin asks. “Thanks to the long bogie, one of the two wheels is always on the bank of the ditch and the machine never dips all the way down into the ditch. The long bogie increases the carrying capacity

on soft terrain but doesn’t affect the agility at all. It’s a really good feature, especially for thinnings.”

Tammelin and Kone-Yijälä Oy’s second operator Miika Tofferi had the opportunity to test the new 1010G for a few hundred hours in early 2018.

In addition to the long bogie, Kone- Yijälä’s test machine was equipped with 26.5 inch tires, a John Deere CF5 boom, a rotating and levelling cabin, and Intelligent Boom Control.

Under the hood is a new John Deere PowerTech Plus 4045 engine meeting Stage 5 emissions regulations and producing 131 kW of power. The 910G’s engine puts out 118 kilowatts of power.

Miika Tofferi notes that the new engine is nice in use. This is in part due to the updated electronics and automation; the G-Series MECA controllers and the Adaptive

The long bogie increases the carrying capacity on soft terrain but doesn’t affect the agility at all Risto Tammelin

Redesigned engine space Not only is the engine new, the machine’s engine space and hood have been completely redesigned.

To assist in the design process John Deere’s product development used BMW Designworks, one of the world’s leading experts in industrial design.

The 156-liter fuel tank in the 910G and 1010G models is now in the rightside deflector. The DEF, i.e. the urea tank, required for the exhaust gas treatment system is also located in the deflector, where it, like the fuel tank, is easy to refill.

The hydraulic module is now located in the rear where the fuel tank used to be. This way, the hydraulic components are centrally located to facilitate servicing.

The new hood opens fully from the right side, making all the points

of daily service easily accessible from the same spot. If needed, the left side of the hood also can be opened by unscrewing some screws. The hood can be turned forward from the top.

“I really haven’t had much need to look under the hood because the machine has been running trouble-free, just like all the other John Deere machines I’ve had over the past 15 years. Now that the hood is lower, the visibility has also improved,” Tammelin continues.

IBC facilitates working Tammelin starts collecting the fir trees that will be used for fibre production; he loads them into the 1010G’s 4-squaremeter capacity load space. John Deere’s CF5 boom is equipped with Intelligent Boom Control (IBC), which is so easy to

use that it gets even the seasoned machine operators excited. The hydraulic pump is totally new. Its size has been increased to 120 cubic centimetres.

“The technology is starting to be at a level that it feels like you are loading logs with your own hands. You just don’t tire at all during the day. I was a bit sceptical that could a guy my age learn to use it [IBC]. But it seems that even an old dog can learn new tricks,” chuckles Tammelin, who has been operating forest machines since 1974.

Miika Tofferi also points out the significant impact that IBC has on operator performance.

The operator has more energy throughout the day because the IBC takes care of the movement of the boom’s different sections. It

Driveline Control (ADC) will also be available for the smaller forwarders.

The ADC automatically adjusts the engine’s RPMs to correspond with the engine load, keeping the forwarder’s speed steady also with a high load. Thanks to the ADC, the engine provides the maximum possible power in all situations.

“The machine has plenty of power to push forward – and it’s quiet. The driving is always smooth, something that’s important to me. It’s nice to go to work every day when you know there’s smooth sailing ahead,” Tofferi says.

“The 1010G is surprisingly powerful when going forward, even compared to bigger machines.

The ADC doesn’t sway at all, it just constantly and steadily performs,” Risto Tammelin confirms.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 67

Kone-Yijälä Oy • Domicile: Jämsä • Established: 1993

It’s nice to go to work every day when you know there’s smooth sailing ahead

• Machine fleet: 10 harvesters, 11 forwarders, 3 trailers, as well as 2 subcontractors • Annual logging volume:| 650,000 m³ • Operating area: Southern Central Finland

Miika Tofferi

reduces operator stress.

“I’ve noticed that the working attitude remains consistently good; there aren’t any dips in performance because of fatigue.

This applies both to thinning and clear cutting. The machine is easy to operate – just start going,” Tofferi says.

Light forwarders are often considered machines specialized for soft terrains and thinnings because of their light weight and agility. The thought makes Risto Tammelin ponder the future of logging.

At this thinning site right now, we’ve been fortunate because the main track was in a deep winter freeze and has made it possible to get from the road into the forest and back along a track that can carry the machine. But there are times when the work goes on in very soft terrain conditions.

“We have constantly moved more and more towards soft terrain. It used to be that the very soft terrain areas weren’t logged, but now we try to log them, too.

These smaller and lighter machines are well suited for softer terrain,” Tammelin reflects.

“In the future, thinnings will increase and clear cutting will decrease. If you compare the productivity of the 1010G to bigger machines, it doesn’t take second place – at least not with thinnings – even though you can’t put as many

logs in the load space at one time.

The difference evens out when moving about in the forest. The machine is more agile so you don’t have to be as careful in scoping out where the machine will fit.”

Alternative configurations The small forwarders in John Deere’s G-Series have a modular design, so the customer can choose the configuration based on their own needs. The configurable options include a fixed or rotating and levelling cabin, the length of the rear chassis, the wheelbase and the tires. Both machines can be equipped with either a 3.5 or 4.0-square-meter load space. Depending on the selected configuration, the 910G’s load rating is 9-10 tons, and the 1010G model’s is 11 tons. The 910G is available in a 6-wheeled version with 34-inch tires in the front and 24.5-inch tires in the rear, or an 8-wheeled version with either 22.5 or 24.5-inch tires. The 6-wheeled 1010G with 34-inch tires in the front comes with two rear tire options: 24.5 and 26.5 inches. The 8-wheeled 1010G can be equipped with either 24.5 or 26.5-inch tires.

Both models are available also with a short wheelbase.

The shorter wheelbase has been achieved by moving the rear axle forward by 40 cm, thereby allowing the load space to remain unchanged. The machine’s stability

68 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

remains good and its agility improves, which is beneficial particularly in thinnings.

John Deere 1010G is available with the long bogie version. The distance between the front and rear wheel hubs in the rear bogie increases to 1890 mm, i.e. 390 mm longer than in the standard model. The power train and turning radius are the same as with the standard HD portal bogie-equipped machine. The ground pressure of the rear chassis equipped with tracks is 14% smaller compared to an ordinary bogie axel.

There are also model-specific differences in options. For example, with the smaller 910G you can choose the CF1 or CF5 boom, whereas the 1010G always comes equipped with the CF5 boom.

Less than hundred kilometres north of the logging site in Jämsä, near the Uurainen municipality, is Jykylä & Pojat Oy’s thinning site. That is where the smallest forwarder in the G-Series, the 910G, is in test use. The Jykylä & Pojat operators had tested the machine for a couple hundred hours over the course of a few weeks during winter.

The 910G is being serviced near the edge of the forest. Upon seeing the machine, it is clear that the cabin, tires and the boom differ from the previously seen 1010G. Jykylä & Pojat does contract work mainly for forestry companies in South Ostrobothnia, but to some extent also in Central Finland.

According to Jorma Jykylä, the terrain conditions are challenging in the company’s operating area.

“In the Ähtäri and Suomenselkä regions, the mineral soil is really finegrained. If it rains even a little, the soil gives away immediately.

But if you have the patience to wait

a few days, there is no longer a problem,” Jykylä says.

Jorma Jykylä and Eero Kotamäki, who has operated the 910G, start talking about the 910G’s configuration together with John Deere’s test engineer Peetu Salo.

Jykylä and Kotamäki would, for example, increase the tire size of the machine tested from 22.5 inches to 24.5 inches.

“For us, the biggest problem is staying on the terrain surface, so we usually opt for the biggest wheels possible,” notes Jykylä.

“But whenever the dimensions grow, the forest owners start talking about what a big machine it is. For some reason, many forest owners favour a machine that looks small – even though the increased size wouldn’t be of any significance in terms of practical operations.”

The 910G has been tested mainly on thinnings. During the test period Eero Kotamäki noticed the improved ground clearance compared to the 810E model.

The boom control is guaranteed John Deere quality: precise & smooth

Jykylä & Pojat Oy • Domicile: Ähtäri • History: Established in 1937, initially as a transport company • Machine fleet: 8 harvesters, 7 forwarders • Annual logging volume: approx.

300,000 m³ • Operating area: Ostrobothnia and Central Finland

Jorma Jykylä, Peetu Salo and Eero Kotamäki with the new 910G

The more robust middle joint is comfortable during operation, Kotamäki says.

The operator praises the way the CF1 boom works. The size of the work pump has been increased by 33 percent, from 90 cm3 to 120 cm3. It shows in the increased performance. The 910G can also be equipped with the CF5 boom, which has Intelligent Boom Control.

“The boom control is guaranteed John Deere quality: precise and smooth,” Kotamäki says.

“The rotating cabin is the way to go today.”

Kotamäki praises the visibility from the cabin to the load space and to the sides of the machine. One thing the operator would change, however, is the test machine’s fixed cabin; he prefers working with a rotating and levelling cabin.

Jorma Jykylä has decades of experience as a forest machine operator and entrepreneur. He too thinks the conditions in the forest will remain challenging also in the future. Small and light-weight models have an important place in the forest machine line-up.

“We should be able to do more and more thinnings. I don’t believe that the conditions of the logging sites will improve much; at best, they will stay the same or become worse. Nevertheless, we should be able to log also during the summer.

That poses plenty of challenges for the future,” the entrepreneur concludes.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 69

602

CABLE SKIDDER OPERATOR FEEDBACK BTB spoke with owner-operator, Eli Coblentz of Coblentz Logging to get his thoughts on his 602 cable skidder.

BTB: Describe your current operations.

Eli: We are based in Fresno, Ohio and are logging a 300-acre piece right now. It’s a three-quarter mile skid, one way. We have the 602 skidder, a dozer and a loader. The skidder is the only thing we use to pull. The dozer is to make a path. And the loader to load logs obviously.

BTB: When did you start operating the 602?

Eli: I saw the machine at the Paul Bunyan Show in October, so I called Ricer Equipment [Tigercat dealer], put my order in and started operating in December 2017. I have the third 602 made.

BTB: What are your thoughts on this machine?

Eli: It’s a very operator-friendly piece of equipment.

It’s really stable and it pulls really well. The pivot point in the centre section just makes it so much more stable. You can go up steeper hills without tipping. The fuel consumption, the power to the wheels, it pulls so nice. Everything is balanced just right.

BTB: How is the Turnaround® seat for a cable skidder application like this?

Eli: You just sit back and relax. It’s easier on your back. You have the joysticks so you don’t have to lean forward for the steering wheel all the time. And it’s just so much

70 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

more operator-friendly. When you swivel that seat, it automatically changes from forward to reverse.

And you just back up, winch them up, flip your seat back around, and floor it.

BTB: Is the machine easy to manœuvre?

Eli: This machine is bigger than the last one I had. But power for power, it’s about the same.

BTB: How do you like the performance of the winch?

Eli: Very good. I love that winch.

It’s fully hydraulic. If you have trees that are leaning toward the property line, you just ease on it very easy and it brings that tree over steadily. With a direct drive winch, you pull on it, and it was all-in or all-out. With this one you can roll it as slow as you want to.

You can do it like a foot a minute if you want to. But if you pull it all the way back, it reels a lot faster than any other winch I have ever had.

BTB: How is the Tigercat EHS transmission compared to your previous direct drive?

Eli: It’s a lot better. With the direct drive those wheels were spinning all the time, it couldn’t slow down and speed up on its own. If you were pulling and it caught on something and you pulled harder, you would dig a hole. This one just slows down and then takes off on its own. There is a lot less wear on the tires.

WORD OF MOUTH

Eli Coblentz shakes hands with Ricer Equipment sales specialist, Jeff Beck.

BTB: How has your productivity changed since purchasing this machine?

Eli: It has almost tripled. We did a comparison. We used the older skidder the fi rst day. We got two loads out. The next day, we used the 602 and we got six loads out.

BTB: Have other loggers in the area been curious about this new model?

Eli: Yes, actually, a lot of them have wanted to come see it. There’s one guy that was using a different brand of skidder to help us log the other half of the piece we’re on. He said after he saw what the 602 does this would be his next skidder. And, to be honest with you, they had two skidders rolling full time and there was four guys – one with the loader, two on the skidders and one guy cutting. We had one on the loader, one guy skidding and one guy cutting. We had one less guy and one less skidder. And by the time we had 38 loads out, they had 40 loads out.

BTB: Is your machine equipped with telematics?

Eli: Yes. It’s very easy to understand everything. And if something does not function right, Tigercat and Ricer can both see

what’s going on with the machine.

They can see what they need to fi x it. The dealer can make one trip and get it done, instead of coming out, seeing what’s wrong, and then going back to get what is needed.

The dealer knows what might be wrong before getting here.

BTB: Do you have any feedback on Ricer Equipment as a dealer?

Eli: They are always very easy to work with, very friendly and dependable.

BTB: Anything else you would like to add?

Eli: It’s just amazing, how they came up with this machine. The logs, they don’t bang against the back end. The arch is hanging out over the back far enough to where you don’t break cables or get underneath the skidder. Everything like the centre pins are way stronger than they have to be. But that just adds to the strength of the machine. All around it’s just a well thought out machine.

This article originally appeared in Between the Branches, October 2018, the official publication of Tigercat Industries Inc.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 71

FOCUS ON UK & IRISH FORESTRY

UK Forestry investment remains a top performer The UK Forest Market Report 2018, launched in London November 21, has revealed a continuing great performance from forestry investment.

Many UK forest owners who purchased their property 30 or 40 years ago are now reaping exceptional rewards for patiently growing their timber assets.

Not only is their investment showing returns of 13.9% per annum – one of the best performing asset classes - but the price of standing timber has soared 30% in the last year alone.

The 20th edition of The UK Forest Market Report, produced by Tilhill Forestry and John Clegg & Co describes the commercial forestry market as “brisk and robust” in the year to September 2018, with £104.2m of forest properties traded.

This is a 6% drop from 2017 but

the market comprised a smaller number of higher value sales (57 in 2018 compared to 87 in 2017) with an average size of 196ha (149ha in 2017) and an average price of £1.83m (£1.28m in 2017). Scotland retained its dominant position in the marketplace with 69% of the sales recorded.

The report points out that standing timber prices have rocketed by around 30% over the last 12 months - great news for owners whose forests are now ready to harvest. Additionally, despite political uncertainty, the report suggests that new agricultural policies may be on the horizon that will encourage a more integrated approach to land use particularly with forestry and farming.

“Overall we believe that the market continues to behave robustly in the light of the

wider economic environment, demonstrating the strength and resilience of forestry as a long-term investment,” says the report.

“New investors are coming through to investigate the marketplace with many of these based within the EU and reassuringly confident to invest in the UK.” Fenning Welstead, director of John Clegg & Co, said demand from investors seeking ownership of forestry assets has never been stronger in his experience.

“The upward movement in the price of timber in the last 12 months has been staggering,” he said. “It has been driven partly by the weak pound and more expensive imports but also, I believe, by the dawning realisation that the supply of fibre is finite.”

More conifers were planted in Scotland last year than in any year

Fenning Welstead, director of John Clegg & C since 2000 and encouragingly, the report says, Forestry Commission Scotland has reported strong demand for woodland creation schemes for 2018/19 and 2019/20 with over 12,000ha being assessed - well exceeding their target of 10,000ha per year.

The forestry grant budget in Scotland has been increased for 2018/19 to accommodate the increased demand - a clear sign of how the Scottish Government perceives the importance of forestry as part of the rural economy.

Farmers ‘worried’ about level of foreign forestry investment money to invest. She says they are pushing people out of the market.

Farmer-Owned Forestry

Farmers in Co. Leitrim have expressed worry over the level of afforestation in recent years, particularly by non-farmers and foreign investors reports Breifne O’Brien in Agriland.

The topic was brought to light on RTE’s Morning Ireland on Monday, September 24.

“If you’re close to forestry it has a terrible effect on your mental and physical well-being,” said Co. Leitrim farmer, Jim McCaffery, who also outlined that Co. Leitrim has the highest level of forest cover in the country at 18.9%.

Independent MEP Marian Harkin is calling for an end to the

current government policy which offers substantial grant-aid and significant tax breaks for planting trees in rural Ireland.

She claims that these incentives are driving up the cost of land in rural Leitrim and pushing local farmers out of the market.

“Therefore, afforestation – being driven by grant-aid – means local farmers cannot compete to buy land to extend, what is in many cases, their small holdings.”

She also said she understands that land is being planted largely by people outside the county – such as large pension funds and corporations who have the

72 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

The Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, disagrees and says much of the land in Co. Leitrim is still owned by farmers.

Minister Doyle said: “Leitrim had the lowest land price in the country in 2017. Last year, there were 70 sites planted. 37 were planted by farmers and 33 were planted by non farmers.”

Doyle also explained that the average non-farmer holding under forestry was approximately 8ha and outlined that less than 1% of all forestry in Ireland is institutional or corporate owned.

Not Abiding Harkin explained that the government had to get permission from the EU under state-aid rules to allow for the 100% grant-aid and remarked that part of that permission was that they must ensure 30% of the planting is native species.

According to Harkin: “This

Independent MEP Marian Harkin figure is not even at 20% and they are not actually abiding by the commitments that they made to the EU as far as the type of tree they are planting is concerned.”

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), 28.7% of plantings are broad leaf and DAFM says it is confident 30% will be reached by the end of the year.

A farm lobby group in the area is calling for a stop to the afforestation of land with Sitka spruce until an environmental survey is carried out.

McCaffery concluded by saying: “I want an immediate stop to Sitka spruce plantations. We are the most heavily afforested county. We’ve taken our share. Go elsewhere and plant your trees.”

RAWLINGS

INNOVATION

A Leader in Wood Reduction Systems Features:

With over 40 years of experience in the forest and sawmill related industries, Rawlings Manufacturing delivers wood grinding equipment with a reputation for durability, performance and reliability.

Since 1976, Rawlings has been manufacturing and installing custom wood grinding systems.

The company offers a complete line up of wood grinders in a full range of sizes and models.

“Each customer’s operation is unique with its own challenges,” Rawlings explained to IFI. “Our team designs each system specific to the customer’s operation and specification.

“Add a wide variety of available options such as work platform decks, belt, chain, vibrating in-feed and out-feed conveyors, metal, or magnet protection, product screening, storage and separation, and you’ve got the flexibility to customize the perfect wood grinding system.

“Always Innovation not Imitation,” the manufacturer stated.

Rawlings HZX Super Hi-Inertia horizontal feed wood hog Rawlings’ horizontal feed model is ideal for processing logs, railroad ties, construction and demolition debris, urban wood waste.

The HZX horizontal grinders feature dual electric drive motors and a fully proportional feed system for efficient processing of diverse feed stocks. Sizing screens ensure a consistent size of finished fuel product.

Machine capacity ranges from 40-100 t/h, depending on feed stock and finished product size.

The powered feed mechanism ensures a metered and controlled feed to the grinder, producing a consistent finished product, while the slow speed, high torque cutting action means lower horsepower and lower noise.

The horizontal models are available in stationary, portable, diesel or electric powered units.

• T he heavy duty Rawlings Wood Hog uses both shear and impact to reduce wood waste and bark materials • T he Super Hi-Inertia Hog provides the crushing and shearing power needed to handle really tough jobs like green waste, cypress, redwood, cedar, black spruce, poplar and a wide range of other stringy and fibrous materials

Rawlings Portable Wood Grinders are heavy duty portable grinders that are capable of producing valuable wood fiber products in a single pass

• T olerant of contaminants, rocks, metal without catastrophic maintenance costs if metal enters the grinding chamber • H ighest crushing impact rotor in the industry supplying massive kinetic energy to power through the largest feed surges • R uns at 1/3 lower RPMs than other wood grinders resulting in overall savings of electricity and maintenance costs • M achines are designed to operate 24/7, 365 days a year • Q uality grind – consistent product • B ottom line productivity, reliability, with the lowest maintenance costs per tonne of material processed.

Rawlings vertical Wood Hogs

Rawlings PXZ Super Hi-Inertia vertical feed wood hog The PXZ Vertical feed hog is the back bone of the company and is recognized as one of the toughest and most productive wood hog models. For over 40 years, Rawlings has been operating its equipment in the biomass, sawmill and plywood industries converting their wood residuals into valuable wood fibre products.

Features: • Can handle really tough to grind materials like cedar, blacks spruce, lily pads and log ends • A massive solid steel rotor that supplies more than enough kinetic energy to power through the largest feeding surges • U pper case is opened hydraulically for quick and easy service access

and oversized components • E asy replacement of all wear surfaces and components • O ne-third lower RPMs than other types of hogs reduces both mechanical wear and fines generation.

“Compare this to other hogs we have had were maintained at least weekly and you will see there is no comparison at all,” a spokesperson from West Fraser Huttig in Arkansas told IFI. “This Rawlings machine is easier to work on, get into, and inspect than any other hog we have had. I would have to say that overall, this is a very fine machine. I have only found one drawback with this machine.

“You sometimes forget to check it out regularly because you never have any problems with it.”

• F ast-acting overload shear pins avoid damage from shock loads The Rawlings PXZ Super Hi Inertia Vertical Wood Grinder

• S imple design reduces parts inventory and is easy to maintain • Tremendously strong structure International Forest Industries | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 IBC

FOCUS ON UK & IRISH FORESTRY

Incompetence does not explain timber sales scandal say AMs Incompetence alone does not explain why Natural Resources Wales repeatedly sold publiclyowned timber without going to the open market, AMs have said.

Auditors revealed in the summer that the quango sold wood without tendering it, repeating behaviour it was criticised for only months before reports BBC News Wales.

In a new report, the assembly’s Public Accounts Committee said decisions made by staff were “inexplicable”.

NRW said it will get to the “root cause” of what took place.

The organisation, which is funded by the Welsh Government, has had its accounts criticised by the Wales Audit Office three years in a row over the timber contracts.

It is the second time the committee has criticised NRW over timber sales.

• Taxpayer left £1m short on timber deals • ‘No evidence’ of timber scandal crime - FM • T imber sales scandal ‘not corruption’

What went wrong?

The saga began in 2014 when NRW gave a single company, BSW Timber, a 10-year-deal worth £39m set up to help deal with diseased wood.

NRW did not ask any other company, and was subject to a damning report in March 2017 by the Wales Audit Office.

It warned the deals may not have complied with EU law on state aid..

Despite the report, months later the quango established 59 new contracts without a tender to three firms, including BSW Timber.

The newer deals were struck to cope with the fallout of the end of the original 2014 agreement, which was scrapped after the firm failed to build a new saw line that had been contractually promised.

In both cases the auditor general was unable to say whether the deals were lawful.

All the deals were sold at below the market rate - and the failed 10year agreement lost taxpayers £1m.

What does the committee say?

“The decisions made by experienced staff at NRW are inexplicable and it is difficult to view these actions a result of incompetence,” said committee chairman and Tory AM Nick Ramsay.

He said earlier concerns were disregarded and the subsequent actions of NRW “appear to defy logic”.

“We can only conclude that we will never fully understand or have an explanation for what happened,” he said.

NRW’s own policies state that the sale of timber should be done on the open market, except in exceptional circumstances.

But the report argues that the collapse of the deal was “eminently forseeable”, and it is likely that NRW knew the saw line was not

being constructed but took no action.

AMs found it “difficult to comprehend why NRW would reward” BSW Timber, and found decisions to award the deals were not reported to the organisation’s board.

Signed contracts could not be supplied for all deals, while some were authorised by staff that were not authorised to do so.

• F resh timber sales criticism for agency

Clare Pillman said she is determined to get to the root cause of what happened

• What went on in NRW? • ‘ Serious concern’ over NRW timber deal The report said: “The structure in place appears to have enable executives to take the law into their own hands against no oversight from the board, no formal intervention from the chief executive and the Welsh Government unaware.”

What happens now?

NRW has promised “a full and independent review” by auditors Grant Thornton, and said it fully accepts the committee’s recommendations.

AMs called for the review to be made public and for the Welsh Government to commission its own investigation if the review is insufficient.

Chief Executive Clare Pillman, who was not in the job at the time of the sales, said: “These are serious findings and I am absolutely determined to get to the

root cause, address the issues and see an improvement in next year’s audit.”

Conservative environment and rural affairs spokesman Andrew RT Davies said: “When a public body like NRW so flagrantly breaks the rules there must be consequences.

“As the Welsh Labour Government created this quango it must now take responsibility.

“Regrettably, Natural Resources Wales has been mired in scandal and today’s alarming report reinforces the view that the organisation has spiralled out of control.”

Cairngorm Capital acquires Arnold Laver & Co. Limited Cairngorm Capital Partners acquires the leading timber merchant, Arnold Laver & Co Limited. It joins Cairngorm Capital’s other timber brands, Thornbridge, North Yorkshire Timber and Rembrand to create the largest independent timber business in the UK, with combined revenues approaching GBP 250 million, which will be known collectively as The National Timber Group.

This acquisition is Cairngorm Capital’s 16th proprietary acquisition since July 2016 and the next step in its buy and

build strategy to create The National Timber Group. The Group was formed with the aim of consolidating the highly fragmented specialist UK timber merchant market.

In less than 12 months Cairngorm Capital has established a market leading timber business, with a national presence extending from the north of Scotland to London and the South West.

The new enlarged Group, which consists of 52 sites and over 1300 employees, is led by Rob Barclay, Group Chief Executive, who joined

74 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

the Group in June.

The Group has three divisions: a Scottish division that is headquarted in Grangemouth and led by Alex McLeod, who joined the Group as Managing Director, Scotland, in September; one comprising the Arnold Laver brand, headquarted in Sheffield and led by the Arnold Laver management team and a third, comprising the North Yorkshire timber brand and headquartered in Northallerton, is led by Nick Kershaw, Managing Director. With strong, highly trusted regional brands, each of

the underlying companies will retain their existing trading names.

Arnold Laver is a family run company established in 1920. It imports, distributes and manufactures a wide range of timber, panels, decorative surfaces and joinery products, serving public and private sector construction, house-building and commercial companies.

FOCUS ON UK & IRISH FORESTRY

Slovenian sawmill investment on track In an interview for the STA Slovenian Press Agency, Alex Brownlie, Chairman of the BSW SI Board of Directors, spoke about the progress of the investment into a Slovenian wood processing centre. BSW Timber expects to have all permits for the construction of a €41m facility in Gomilsko in the coming months and to launch production in 2020 as scheduled.

Mr Brownlie stressed that the postponement of construction, planned for September, was a result of administrative procedures, but he noted that a public examinsation of the spatial plan is underway.

“We will need a detailed spatial plan and a building permit, and we need to know what will be in the facilities so that we can properly design them,” he said.

May 2020 is the target for the first log to be cut and pellet facility in Šoštanj is scheduled to follow a month later.

BSW is to secure the €41m via an equity mixture that includes the company’s own funds, an alreadyapproved loan by the Royal Bank of Scotland, and loans from Slovenia.

Mr Brownlie said that BSW intends to be “an active participant in the economy of Slovenia” and he echoed the points made

by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who believes each industry needs small, medium-

sized and large companies to be successful.

Processes will be put in place to ensure BSW buys raw products from existing Slovenian sawmills, adds value to them and then sends them to the international market, where BSW has a strong presence.

Mr Brownlie also pointed to Slovenia’s wood processing industry strategy from 2012, which envisaged three large, modern sawmills, and said he that BSW was already engaged with sawmills around the county.

He understood the concerns of smaller mills but noted that “an appropriately scaled industry that can flex” and “keep the value here in Slovenia” – and he highlighted the inability of the current industry to react to the December 2017 windthrow. As to why BSW picked Slovenia, Mr Brownlie spoke of the country’s geostrategic position, the strong in-country logistics, a long history of sustainable forest management, and its eurozone

membership.

Asked about the new ruling coalition’s plans to increase capital gains taxation, he said that BSW was following the developments but that “something of that nature is for the country to decide”.

He added: “We’re encouraged by the overall business climate in Slovenia which is very positive to business and commerce. Taxes will evolve over time as they do in all countries. We’re relaxed about that; we’ve been at this for long time and have seen lots of different tax regimes.”

Reiterating that BSW is in Slovenia for the long-term, Mr Brownlie stressed that BSW is also interested in working with other Slovenian businesses, “particularly around the construction sector”.

Existing companies in the country involved in wood products “need security of supply, which gives them confidence to invest in developing their products and expanding their product range”,

Alex Brownlie, Chairman of the BSW SI Board of Directors he said.

Commenting on BSW’s business results, Brownlie said “the picture has improved” after three difficult years, with the sector, cyclical in nature, having gone “through some tough times globally”.

The industry is resurging as the economies around the world are picking up and, while Brexit is creating some uncertainty, “overall the economy in the UK is strong and has a good degree of resilience”.

Mr Brownlie also feels that the general outlook for the wood processing industry is very good and he noted that Slovenia has a strong hand to play due to its large quantities of quality timber and its knowledge of how to manage it sustainably.

5 million broadleaf trees to be planted in Ireland this year

L-R: John Kavanagh, nursery manager; Lar Behan, sales manager; Minister Andrew Doyle; Breda Murphy, HR manager; Tyghe Ryan, sales manager. Image source: Maxwell Photography The start of the 2018/2019 forestry planting season has been officially launched by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle.

The launch took place during a visit to a tree nursery in Ballymurn, Co. Wexford today (Tuesday,

November 20).

The nursery belongs to the None-So-Hardy company and is their specialist broad-leaf nursery from where almost five-million broadleaf trees will be dispatched during the upcoming planting season.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Doyle commented: “It’s appropriate that the opening of this year’s planting season is announced at a tree nursery specialising in broadleaf tree production, given the huge uplift in broadleaf planting so far this year.

He explained that it highlights the diversity within the programme and noted the significant environmental benefits which he said it continues to deliver.

“The planting of native woodlands so far in 2018 has exceeded 300ha, representing a 130% increase on the first year of

the Forestry Programme in 2015.”

The Afforestation Scheme is said to be the “cornerstone” of the department’s policy to develop a sustainable forest sector that aims to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits to society.

During the visit, the minister highlighted the important economic contribution that forestry makes in rural communities across the country.

The Minister said: “Last year, over 13,000 farmers across the country received nearly €68 million in forestry premium payments and €25 million in revenue from timber sales.

“I would encourage farmers to consider forestry as part of the farming mix, an opportunity to diversify the income stream and a means of increasing production of under-utilised land.

“Applications are now invited

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle T.D

under the scheme under which 100% of the costs of establishment are covered by the department and 15 guaranteed annual premium payments are also available,” he concluded.

International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 75

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

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​Focus on forest ownership at SkogsElmia 2019 The new-generation forest owners are increasingly managing their own forests. At least as important as the yield is to manage the forests in a long-term and environmentally sound way. This approach will be in focus at SkogsElmia, which will be held next summer on 6–8 June 2019 in the forest south of Jönköping.

If Elmia Wood is the whole world’s forestry fair with a focus on technology and innovations, then SkogsElmia can be described as the whole Nordic region’s forestry fair.

The overall theme of the fair will be forest ownership, a topic that affects everyone in the forest in different ways – from forest owners to machinery contractors to forestry officials.

76 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

The fair’s theme will encompass everything from ownership transfer and forest management to technology and logistics that minimise ground damage. As forest owners are making new demands, forestry fairs are becoming increasingly important meeting places for the forest industry’s various actors as well as platforms for the development of new products and services. Smart digital technology is being used more and more in forestry too, and so visitors to the fair can look forward to many innovations and much new thinking among the exhibitors.

SkogsElmia is held every fourth year and attracts about 30,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors. The new fair

manager for SkogsElmia is Mattias Pontén, a certified forester with great expertise and solid experience of the forest industry. He takes up his post now in June.

“It will be a terrific experience to be part of the forest industry’s development,” he says. “Forest ownership is a broad topic with many different issues, which I care greatly about as a forest owner myself. One key focus right now is sustainable forest management with an eye to the future – a future that will be strongly characterised by digitalisation and the links between services and products.

35 COUNTRIES AND COUNTING‌ From Hawaii to Russia and everywhere in between, Tigercat has made its mark around the world.

With over 20,000 machines sold in 35 different countries worldwide, Tigercat continues to expand its global footprint.

Offering both tree-length and cut-to-length products, Tigercat harvesting systems achieve the lowest production cost per tonne by optimizing efficiency, productivity, operator ergonomics, environmental impact, machine availability and useful lifespan.

Contact your nearest Tigercat dealer to learn more.

www.tigercat.com/dealers

IFI WEB VIDEO DIRECTORY

FORESTRY

a brand of FAE Group

John Deere G Series - Harvester and Forwarder

Road Map to Success

Fleet management systems have put Mid Atlantic Tree Harvesters “on the map�.

2013 John Deere 843K Feller buncher at Forestry First 05-02-13

This 2013 model Deere 843K is working in Pine Plantation.

We filmed this cutter working on a second thinning job where the stems are 6 inches or so average, many less.

This feller buncher is very impressive. The owner has been pleased with fuel consumption and the speed and power of this feller buncher is more than adequate in his thinning and logging operations. The operators are also making positive comments about the cab interior which has recently been much improved. The old steering column is gone and it opens everything up in terms of visibility and space for your legs. If you have not sat in one of these you should do yourself a favour and hop into one.

www.deere.com

4300B Drum Chipper Making Micro Chips

s5710C horizontal grinder with Terra Select S6 E Star Screen

The new Peterson 4300B drum chipper has been updated for 2014 with new features that high-volume biomass chippers demand. The 4300B can be equipped with either a 6-pocket (to make standard biomass chips) or 12-pocket (to make microchips) drum depending on your material needs.

A Peterson 5710C horizontal grinder feeds ground wood pallets into a Terra-Select S6-E star screen. The three fraction Terra Select S6-E sorts the ground material into fines, accepts and overs.

Both machines are ideal for processing mulch, compost, or other organic material.

6700B Mid-Speed Grinder

5710C Pallet Grinding

This Peterson 6700B horizontal grinder is equipped with our new Mid-Speed C&D package, and is doing primary grind in surplus railroad ties. The second grinder (a Peterson 4710B) is processing the material to meet the product spec which is being used for energy production.

This Peterson 5710C horizontal grinder is grinding pallets for mulch production in Indiana. The machine uses a cross belt magnet to pull the nails from the material (watch for a follow-up video on this process soon!)

The Mid-Speed C&D package is designed for highly contaminated material and features several new innovations that have not been seen on high-speed horizontal grinders before. This operation is seeing consistent 300+ tons per hour of production in this material.

The 5710C is Peterson’s latest generation of high production track grinders. Powered by the Caterpillar C27 or C32 engine at 1050 horsepower, this grinder provides the highest power to weight ratio of any Peterson grinder. At approximately 83,000 pounds (37650 kg) the 5710C was designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs.

www.petersoncorp.com

Pine harvesting system in Tasmania

1135 wheel harvester: blowdown clear fell

An all-Tigercat pine harvesting system owned by B.R. & K.F. Muskett & Sons. The three-machine system working in the southern part of Tasmania consists of a Tigercat L830C feller buncher, a Tigercat LH855C harvester processing infield and a 1075B forwarder equipped with a Tigercat crane and grapple.

A Tigercat 1135 wheel harvester felling and processing in a tough blowdown clear fell salvage application in Scotland. Although the 1135 wheeled harvester was designed for specialty thinning, the machine is highly capable in a variety of selective felling and clear fell applications.

1075B scarifier in Sweden

25, a film by Tigercat

A Tigercat 1075B forwarder base carrier equipped as a scarifier.

This 1075B scarifier is operating in Sweden in tough, rock strewn terrain. Durable Tigercat forwarders are ideal carriers for heavy duty cycle scarification applications.

25, a film by Tigercat, was made in conjunction with Tigercat’s silver anniversary. The film explores the importance of the prototype 726 feller buncher, the machine that started it all and launched a company that would go on to change the business of harvesting timber around the world in very significant ways.

www.tigercat.com

ROTTNE SKÖRDARE

Skotare ROTTNE F13C

Rottne F18

www.rottne.com

FT300 Forestry Tractor

WC2500XL Whole Tree Chipper

Vermeer forestry tractors offer tough, effective solutions for your land-clearing needs. Whether you work on small-scale residential jobsites or large right-of-way clearing projects, the Vermeer forestry tractor line has what you need. From the above-ground mulcher with a ringed rotor and multiple tip options, to the accessible tractor design for convenient service, Vermeer forestry tractors are built to provide superior versatility and productivity.

Expand your revenue stream with more flexibility to produce valuable end-product from logs or slash with the WC2500XL whole tree chipper. Featuring a chip drum with an adjustable bite size that produces chips for pellets and biofuel chips, faster and easier knife setup and a PT Tech clutch, the WC2500XL whole tree chipper offers a powerful and effective solution for producing wood chips in a compact footprint. Material can be handled efficiently with variable-speed dual-infeed conveyor chains and SmartCrush technology.

HG8000TX Horizontal Grinder

HG6000TX Horizontal Grinder

Municipal waste facilities, pallet and sawmill operations, and compost contractors alike will appreciate the cost of operation-minded qualities of the all-new HG4000 horizontal grinder. Among is the 445 hp (332 kW) Tier 4i (Stage IIIB) Fiat Powertrain Technologies diesel power plant that has shown considerable fuel savings over similarly powered engines in this application.

Watch here how the HG6000TX horizontal grinder processes waste more efficiently using either 20�/ 51 cm or 24�/ 61 cm double grouser track pads. Its high ground clearance and sealed rollers help to keep material from building up in the track system. An optional discharge blower system distributes processed wood over a large area or can fill a covered trailer from the rear end.

www.vermeer.com

a brand of FAE Group

The Best of PrimeTech PT-175 forestry mulcher

The Best of PrimeTech PT-300 tracked carrier

The PT-175 is also an impressively innovative PrimeTech PT-300 is a medium, low ground mulcher, built around cutting-edge technology pressure tracked mulcher powered by a John with easy access to all components.

Deere 6068 HF485, 6.8 L turbocharged and aftercooled engine, with 6 in-line cylinders and 275 hp.

The Best of PrimeTech PT-600 tracked carrier

PT-400 the movie

PrimeTech PT-600 is a tracked carrier for the hardest and toughest jobs out there, equipped with a Cummins QSX15 turbocharged in line 6 cylinder diesel engine producing 600 hp.

Depending on the front attachment, PT-600 can be used for land clearing and site preparation operations (with mulching head) or for removal of stumps and roots and for land conversion (with forestry tiller / subsoiler head).

PT-400 is a tracked carrier for heavy duty applications thanks to its 12.5 L Caterpillar C13 engine, producing 415 HP. It can be equipped with a variety of front attachments: mulching heads, soil stabilizers and rock crushers

www.prime-tech.com

FAE Forestry Mulcher Kubota KX 80

FAE forestry mulcher in action 1

The DML/HY from FAE is the best of its category, this mulching head can be mounted up to a 10 ton excavator. G.B Equipment inc is the Canadian distributor for FAE, contact us via our website www.gbequipment.ca to know your local dealer.

FAE Forestry And Mulching Heads

FAE forestry and land clearing heads. Forestry Mulchers, forestry tillers, rock crushers. Mulching machines.

www.fae-group.com/

Aciers JP - Installation belge 2015

Mobile rotary log debarker is a portable system is installed on a three-axle trailer for easy transport. It consists of three rotors that ensure contact between the debarking plates and the surface of the logs over a 10-foot length.

The system is designed to debark various types and diameters of wood year-round. European Homologation.

Mobile rotary log debarker http://www.acierjp.com/en/new-releases/products-details.cfm?ProduitID=8 Les Aciers J.P. inc.

15, 3rd Avenue East La Reine, Quebec, Canada J0Z 2L0 Phone: 819 947-8291 Fax: 819 947-6321 E-Mail: info@acierjp.com Owner: RenĂŠ Perreault

www.acierjp.com

Doppstadt Expo 2015 - a Bird’s-eye View

50 years of Doppstadt: More than 5,000 guests from the environmental and recycling sector experienced two unforgettable days: on 24 and 25 June 2015.

Environmental technology company Doppstadt staged what was arguably the largest European trade show of 2015 in this field on its 220,000 sq.-metre works site (Saxony-Anhalt). On show were over one hundred machines for the shredding, sorting and treatment of waste and biomass. What was unique thereby

was that more than half of the machines could be seen in action. In two-hour live demonstrations, the guests saw how coarse shredders, screening machines and exact hackers shredded tree trunks into sawdust, separated waste from recyclables and sorted pebbles from sand heaps. In doing so, Doppstadt demonstrated its problem-solving skills through combined processes: material collected by machines was initially shredded, then separated into its various components by means of separation processes such as screening, washing or air separation.

Doppstadt AK 510 BioPower

Doppstadt AK 510 BioPower high speed shredder showing awesome power in wood applications

www.doppstadt.com

Precision Husky Kwikchip 58’’ Disc Chipper, KWF Tagung 2016

Precision Husky Progrind 5100

48” waste wood chipper with 55 KW motor, chips logs up to 28 cm.

This is the biggest of the mobile tub grinders from Precision Husky, USA. Fully road capable this unit can also be fitted with own loader, everything powered by own onboard diesel.

Suitable for biofuel production from bulky objects like tree stumps and pallets.

Precision Husky Chipper & Flail Debarker

Precision Husky Horizontal grinder 3045

Suited for shredding bulky timber horizontally for small shreeded wood suitable for biofuel. Comes with own diesel and set as a mobile trailer that can be towed on roads. Outfeed conveyor folds for road transport.

www.precisionhusky.com/

IFI WEB VIDEO DIRECTORY

LUMBER PROCESSING

Comact GradExpert

Comact Stacker

Comact Log 3D Scanning

Comact Transverse 3D Board Scanner

www.comact.com

Integrated Log Loader

MyMill™ - Changing the way you work

USNR’s Integrated Log Loader is positioned at the last step in the log feeder, and precisely manages the gap between logs.

MyMill is a new software suite developed by USNR that enables mill personnel to interact with mill equipment using mobile devices, such as iPads and iPods. This new mobile functionality will change the landscape of today’s modern mills.

6-Deck Jet Veneer Dryer - time lapse construction

Murray Timber 4-sided canting log breakdown line

This new 6-deck jet veneer dryer, located at Martco, Chopin, LA, is the largest dryer to date in the southern yellow pine region. This dryer will accomplish the equivalent production of two dryers, reducing labor costs by one-half. At the same time it will reduce thermal energy consumption by 10%, and exhaust fugitive emissions by 15%.

This mill is located in Ireland.

The dryer was erected off-line, and once complete it was towed into place and connected to all services under a projected expedited schedule. This allowed Martco the advantage of choosing the optimum time to disrupt its production schedule to install the additional capacity, and allowed the plant to utilize the existing building structure to house the new dryer.

www.usnr.com

Sweep reducing

Log positioning

The importance of cant positioning is often overlooked.

Only one infeed position will result in maximum product value. Deviation from this position will result in lower output. With a True Shape optimization system the best position is accurately determined.

Söderhamn Eriksson´s positioning system ensures the correct rotating position is maintained and carries out the side positioning which is calculated by the optimising system.

System Edger - versatile and reliable Bandsawing technology edger optimizer

Söderhamn Eriksson´s edging systems with high capacity and maximum yield generates the most valuable product out of each board.

Söderhamn Eriksson´s bandsaws offer the highest accuracy, very thin kerf, short built-in length, easy to set and efficient curve sawing of cants.

- Systems for all capacity requirements - Highest capacity on the market - Designs for unmanned operation - High resolution scanning on both sides of the board - Unlimited edging options - Split and reject modules

- High-strain bandsaws with high accuracy at highest feed speed - Saw kerf 3 mm or less - Reducer band saw combinations with 2,3 or 4 bands - Resaw combinations with 1 to 4 saw bands - Feed speeds up to 180 m/min

Microtec CT Log 360° X-ray CTSawing Optimization

Microtec Goldeneye Multi-Sensor Quality Scanner

CT Log optimized sawing • 100% optimum cutting solution based on highest value of final products • Increased value in every sawn log compared to any other breakdown solution • Maximization of lumber recovery quality that significantly increases revenues & resale value

Multi-Sensor Quality Scanner for lumber Grading, Chopping and Sorting for joinery and wood component manufacturers – doors, windows and wood furniture, high performance planer mills and manufacturers of glulam and lumber construction products Goldeneye 300 advantages • Worldwide-accredited strength grading Multi-Sensor Quality Scanner • Increased lumber utilisation while reducing labor costs • Optimal utilization of your machinery capacity • Next generation sensors, state-of-the-art cameras and components with Full HD resolution, faster image acquisition and on-chip image processing • Including X-ray technology • Award winning design and functionality, long product life thanks to a smart design • Fast return on investment • Integrates seamlessly with all cross and chop saws as well as sorting and packaging lines

Microtec CT Log Virtual Grading

Microtec Goldeneye 900 no. 1 transverse lumber scanner

High-speed 360° X-Ray industrial CT-Scanning for high added-values sawmills by the industry leader Microtec.

• Full digital log reconstruction and virtual grading to determine quality at conveying speed of 180 m / min.

• Virtual cutting solutions to asses multiple break-down angles and cutting masks for value optimization.

• For all types of logs • World leading scanning solutions Microtec is the global leader in optoelectronic wood grading technology.

As one source solutions provider for all sawmilling processes, we optimize, automate and streamline all processes for the wood working industry using optoelectronic Multi-Sensor Quality Scanning technologies. We have provided personalized solutions for our customers for over 35 years.

Innovation is our drive. Wood is our passion!

The world’s no.1 Multi-Sensor Quality Scanner in transverse transport, the Goldeneye 900, is a showcase of the innovative technological capabilities of Microtec.

Goldeneye 900 determines the overall quality of green, dry or planed lumber in one pass from all four sides.

Value optimization before and after kiln drying is possible as the Goldeneye 900 grades both rough and finished lumber.

www.microtec.eu

Industrial Sawmill Business Spotlight SLP2 at LIGNA - Ohio Valley Veneer

For six years, Ed Robbins struggled to make his high grade lumber mill profitable. Finally he turned to Wood-Mizer industrial thin-kerf headrigs and his employees thought he was crazy... See what happened in the video.

Wood-Mizer debuts the SLP2 (Small Log Processing system) at Ligna 2013, in Hanover. Thin-kerf blades and higher automation result in a profitable combination.

WM4000 ENG

WM1000 with new hydraulic system

WM4000 – Wood-Mizer’s latest thin-kerf headrig.

WM1000 – Break down big logs accurately and efficiently with a 1.7 metre (67”) center capacity cut.

www.woodmizer.com

The Westervelt Story

True-Q Patented Board Tracking System

www.Lucidyne.com

Wood Processing Industry: Springer System Fitness Check

SPRINGER - a step ahead through productivity

When correctly serviced and controlled, a system ensures reliable and efficient operation.

That’s why a steadily increasing number of customers is opting for our system fitness check. Following inspection of the system, measures for improving state and performance are suggested. These activities form the basis for a successful and complete system checkup during summer or winter breaks. For that reason, the inspection should ideally be carried out 2 or 3 months before the scheduled system check in your plant.

SPRINGER is well known for machines and conveyor systems and produces innovative wood processing solutions worldwide.

Innovative CLT production lines

SPRINGER - automation of layer press @ Tilly (A)

To optimize the production of natural wood panels with multi-layer technology, SPRINGER was commissioned with the design and construction of an installation, enabling automation of its existing layer press at Tilly Plant I in Althofen, Austria.

Excellent ease of handling, low maintenance effort and, most of all, minimized material input – these are the key characteristics of the innovative CLT production lines made

by SPRINGER. We develop CLT production lines that take cut-outs and chamfers into account early on in the process, specifically during the provision and automatic positioning of lamellas.

This means minimized material consumption thanks to solutions that are tailored to the requirements of our customers.

www.springer.au

Autolog Carriage Optimizer

Autolog Gang Optimizer

The Autolog Carriage Optimizer allows for the best log scanning in the industry with its fullprofile scanner with 5” density.

The Autolog Gang Optimizer allows for the best cant scanning in the industry with an outstanding 0.25” scan density at 45°.

Autolog High Speed Lug Loader Control System

Autolog Linear Planer Optimizer – ProGrader

The Autolog control system offers a high speed and precise operational sequence at the sawmill lug loader.

Our ProGrader is a linear optimizer designed to fully automate the grading process of dressed lumber at the planer.

www.autolog.com