English - Komatsu Forest

Transcription

I N T E R N AT I O N A L M A G A Z IMAGAZINE
NE
No 1 • 2 0 0 5
INTERNATIONAL
Timbco
Windthrown
A year’s cut fell when the storm
of the century hit southern
Sweden.
Page 24
The pioneer
American contractor Chip O’Neal
is investing in the cut-to-length
system and believes in long-term
profit improvements.
Page 4
America
in focus
Read more
MaxiHarvester 3.7
– Packed with new features ... 14
New, more powerful
Valmet 475 .............................. 18
Meet Akira Yamakawa ............ 30
An unusual assignment .......... 36
An all-rounder! The New Valmet 350
The Valmet 350 is a new and perfect all-round harvester head. Providing the optimal
combination of strength, speed, and flexibility, it can easily handle both thinning and final
logging.
The new, all-round harvesting head offers powerful traction and great performance,
while the compact design makes this latest addition to Valmet’s harvester head range a
flexible thinning head, able to work with a long reach.
Komatsu Forest
www.komatsuforest.com
A very capable
organization
T
his is my first column in Just
Forest and my first as overall
head of Komatsu Forest. I’d like
to begin by introducing myself. My name
is Hideki Yamada and I was born in Osaka, Japan 54 years ago. I have a Master’s
in engineering and have mainly worked
with product development at Komatsu,
where I’ve been employed for the past 27
years.
A year ago, I moved to Umeå, Sweden, and at the beginning of this year I
became CEO, a role that I am assuming
from Hans Eliasson after his 14 years at
the helm. The results achieved by Hans
and his team during those fourteen years
are most impressive, and naturally I’d
like to express my gratitude.
I do not have the experience of mechanized forestry held by Hans, and the
Scandinavian and North American segments of our organization. So, with
regard to the technological side of the
forestry industry, I place my full confidence and trust in the hands of our organization. At the same time, I’m convinced that I, and the resources contributed by Komatsu, will strengthen our
product offering and our organization
in many important areas. The area that
first comes to mind is quality. Within
Komatsu, we have worked with a strong
focus on quality issues for many years,
and in this way have developed a solid concept for attaining the best possible quality. I understand that it’s not possible to equate mass-produced excava-
INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
Publisher: Ulf Nilsson
ulf.nilsson@komatsuforest.com
Editor: Anders Pauser
anders.p@nordreportern.se
Address: Just Forest, Komatsu Forest AB,
Box 7124, SE-907 04 Umeå, Sweden
Contact: Telephone +46 90 70 93 00,
fax +46 90 19 16 52
Internet: www.komatsuforest.com
tors with short production series forestry machines. However, we must make
the most of the synergies available and
add more value for our customers and for
ourselves as a supplier.
Valmet will continue to be our specialty brand for forestry machines and
Komatsu Forest will continue to be the
organization within Komatsu with overall responsibility for forestry machine
operations. One thing I’ve realized is that
forests place very specific demands on
both machines and people.
Finally, I’d like to thank Hans Eliasson once more for his fourteen years at
the company and I look forward to meeting many of you at the spring conventions, such as the Oregon Logging Conference in the USA and Elmia Wood in
Sweden. r
Hideki Yamada
Chief Executive
Officer,
Komatsu Forest AB
Contents
Cut-to-length system pioneer
4
Full speed ahead
in North America
8
Shawano sharpens production 10
200th Timbco machine sold
11
Boom provides a boost
12
MaxiHarvester – packed
with new features
14
New, more powerful
Valmet 475
18
Ptarmigan, char, and Rautas
20
Tracked innovation
23
Worst storm for 100 years
24
Innovative environmental
protection
26
A more efficient
harvester head
28
Work with communication
30
Cranab in new hands
36
Major deal in Brazil
35
An unusual assignment
36
Timbco
Production: AB Nordreportern
Writers: Gunnar Andersson, Anders Pauser,
Roger C Åström
Photographers: Gunnar Andersson, Anders Pauser,
Nate Burton, Roger C Åström, Rolf Karlsson/Bildmakarna, Mats Samuelsson, Martin Östberg, David Söderlind/Concret, Kontrast Foto
Layout and design: Fredrik Lundell and Jenny Ädel
Printing: Tryckeri City, Umeå, Sweden
Paper: Gotic Silk 130 gram
Circulation: 33,000
Languages: Swedish, Finnish, English, German,
French, and Portuguese
Contents may be quoted if source is stated
JUST FOREST NO 1 • 2005
3
Chip O’Neil of South Carolina, USA is an ardent supporter of the cut-tolength system.
Cut-to-length
system pioneer
Contractor Chip O’Neal of South Carolina, USA has invested in the cut-to-length
system with two rubber-tired Valmet machines. With a Valmet 911.1 and a
Valmet 860, he counts on increasing profits by 20 percent in the long-term.
4
As treetops and branches are left,
the forest floor is protected from
damage and is fertilized, leading
to improved long-term growth.
Chip O’Neal with Komatsu Forest’s Tom Hirt. Both have solid forestry educations that are of great benefit in
their daily work.
T
he prerequisites for
investing in the cutto-length system are
perfect in the area
around Hampton, South Carolina, where Chip O’Neal has
his company, O’Neal Logging.
Logging is mostly carried out
in planted pine forests, mainly in flat country. This terrain is
perfectly suited to his new Valmet 911.1 harvester and 860 forwarder, machines that Chip had
put to work for 1,400 hours by
the time we visited.
“I’d been thinking about
investing in the cut-to-length
system for some time when I
calculated that the changeover
could increase my profitability,”
explains Chip. “I’d already testdriven another manufacturer’s
cut-to-length machine when
I came into contact with Tom
Hirt at Komatsu Forest. After
testing a Valmet 911 with a 965
head, the decision was easy.”
Chip has a solid forestry
education to lean on, as does
his right-hand man at the company, Chuck Bennet, and Chip
has always had an interest in
developing his business. His
arguments are well thought
out when he explains why he’s
abandoned the whole tree system, with a feller-buncher,
a knuckle boom loader with
delimber, and a skidder, in
favor of the cut-to-length system, with a harvester and a forwarder.
THE MAIN REASON is that the
cut-to-length system extracts
more value from each individual tree, creating greater profit,
even if production is a little lower than the whole tree system.
Although Chip harvests 8-10
forwarder loads a day, compared
with 12-15 with the whole tree
system, he counts on earning
more money. Among the advan-
tages, the proportion of timber
supplied to the sawmill industry increases and Chip obtains
more high-grade timber than
he would using the whole tree
system. Other advantages of
the cut-to-length system are the
need for fewer employees and
considerably reduced fuel costs.
Each of the Valmet machines
consumes 4.2–4.8 US gallons
an hour, which is 25 percent
lower consumption than for
machines using the whole tree
system.
“I currently make about 5–8
percent more profit. But in the
long-term, once I’ve installed
the Valmet Maxi Driftman system, which better optimizes
cross-cutting, I count on making 15–20 percent more,” says
Chip.
“It did take me some time,
however, to realize the need to
abandon my ideas about logging the greatest possible vol-
ume and to instead see how
much money the timber I log
generates,” he admits. “You
have to think differently. And
then, of course, it takes time to
learn how to calculate the different components correctly.”
ANOTHER ADVANTAGE of the
cut-to-length system is reduced
personnel needs. Chip operates the 911 himself and takes
care of operations together with
the two employees who mainly operate the forwarder. This
makes things easier for the
business, as it’s not so easy to
recruit operators who are familiar with this logging method.
The cut-to-length system
even provides better control
over work and less dependence
on weather conditions. By driving on a carpet of branches,
Chip protects the ground so wet
weather no longer prevents him
from working. In bad weath-
5
The 860 forwarder forwards the 8–10 loads a day harvested by Chip O’Neal Logging.
er the risk of leaving tracks is
reduced. Both the harvester and
the forwarder use the same carpet of branches and thereby do
very little damage to the forest
f loor, despite being big, heavy
machines.
“It’s an added advantage that
branches and treetops are left
in the forest as they fertilize the
forest f loor,” Chip says, pointing out that correctly harvested,
the forest provides a great deal
of added value in the form of
increased growth.
The cut-to-length system is
also attractive to private forest
owners in the area who are concerned about their forestlands.
They’re very pleased to no longer see a forest f loor that’s been
ripped up by heavy machinery.
“Simply put, the cut-tolength system is a lot better for
the environment,” Chip says.
Chip feels that since he
bought his 911.1, his business
A mobile workshop facilitates
service and repairs in the forest.
6
has gained competitive advantages over other area contractors. With better control over
the quality of wood he supplies,
Chip feels he’s now gained a
better position in negotiations
with sawmills and paper mills.
“I’ve quite simply got more
to bring to the table,” he says.
“The industry has never treated us as well as employees, but
now I have a better negotiating
position.”
As this method is relatively kind to the machines as well,
especially under the conditions
in which Chip works, he counts
on getting considerably longer
lifetimes compared to traditional machine systems for whole
tree harvesting.
HE EMPHASIZES the nimble-
ness of the 921 as well, not least
in thinning. Regarding precision, Chip makes a comparison,
comparing it to a surgeon as
against the local butcher. The
important thing for Chip is the
quality – not the quantity – that
he produces.
Chip thinks it’s easy to learn
to operate a Valmet harvester. It took him less than two
months to learn how to operate
the machine efficiently, much
due to the training he received
on a simulator at Komatsu Forest’s Shawano plant in Wisconsin. Moreover, Komatsu Forest sent one of the company’s
professional operators to help
Chip train during the first two
weeks, and later for a couple of
weeks to follow up.
“I like the cab with its low
noise level and the design of the
controls,” says Chip. ”I’m not
as tired after a day’s work. Visibility is great too, and makes it
easier to see the treetops when
thinning. Measurement accuracy is good, and the harvester
head is very easy to work with.”
“The machine is relatively
simple to maintain and I appreciate the fact that Komatsu Forest has matched all the hydraulic connecters to the North
American standard,” he contin-
ues. “And I like the way the cab
rotates with the boom, so that
you always have the same good
forward visibility.”
Chip explains that the comfortable cab and the machine’s
gentle treatment of the forest
f loor were two of the reasons
why the owner of the forest they
are currently logging contracted Chip O’Neal Logging. The
forest owner was quite simply
allowed to sit in the machine
for a while during logging.
“I’m completely convinced
that the cut-to-length system
is the future for forestry contractors harvesting pinewood
in the southern US,” says Chip.
“Because we offer forest owners
the opportunity to cause less
damage, the system will attract
increasingly more interest.” r
The cut-to-length system
Prerequisites
• A total intellectual turnaround compared with the whole
tree system
• Thorough training, preferably in a simulator, followed by
training with professional help during early logging
• Knowledgeable operators
• Interested sawmills and forest owners prepared to pay
for the increased wood value from which they benefit
• Timber with a diameter of 7–25 inches
Seven advantages
• Greater profitability
• Environmentally-friendly, preserves the forest floor
• Requires fewer employees
• Requires fewer machines and thereby saves running costs
• Not dependent on the weather
• Higher level of technology
• Contributes to increased forest growth as branches and
treetops are left in the forest
7
Full speed ahead in
NORTH
AMERICA
Komatsu Forest, LLC, in North America
is ready to challenge the market!
The reorganization is now complete
after the move from Galdstone to
Shawano in the fall of 2003. Moreover,
several new machines are to be
launched.
Leif Magnusson, CEO of Komatsu Forest LLC, is very
pleased with the company’s development and the
new products to be launched.
8
F
or Leif Magnusson,
CEO of Komatsu Forest, LLC, the greatest
challenge in 2004 was developing operations and establishing new systems, processes,
and documentation to enable
the company to expand in the
market.
“I’ve worked hard to transform our operations into a
coherent unit,” he explains.
“Now we’re ready to face the
market.”
LEIF POINTS OUT that they
are already a market leader in
North America when it comes
to tracked machines. Since
Komatsu Forest bought Timbco Hydraulics, North American operations have gained
some of the forestry knowledge
that characterizes it’s ‘Scandinavian’ forestry machines. The
new 475 provides an example of
how it’s been possible to benefit
from Komatsu Forest’s expertise in making a good machine
even better.
“We’ve taken a machine that
was already efficient and now
make more effective use of its
power to make it the marketleading feller-buncher,” Leif
says.
Leif is also very pleased
with his other product launch
this spring, the EX10. According to Leif, this is a product
that will pave new roads as it is
a machine designed from the
ground up as a tracked harvester with a very long reach to its
boom.
Leif considers the development of new machines and a
broader product range necessary and the way to go if Komatsu Forest is to expand its foothold in the market. Further
expansion of the dealer network is another route. Today,
the company has 22 dealers in
Full control
over parts
The heart of the
Komatsu Forest plant
in Shawano, USA is the
warehouse and spare
parts depot. Last year,
80,000 parts were
distributed throughout
the world. Jim Williams
is in charge of the warehouse.
A
Komatsu Forest LLC is now ready to expand in the North
American market. CEO Leif Magnusson sees good growth
prospects thanks to knowledgeable staff.
North America and 106 affiliated workshops.
“We’re strong in the north
of the US and in Canada, so
we’re focusing on the south
where logging methods are a
little different,” explains Leif.
“We’re also concentrating on
Canada, with new technology and tracked machines.
Demands there are tough
as the machines are operated for more hours, an opening for the fuel economy of
the 475.”
LEIF IS A keen advocate of
the cut-to-length system, but
also points out that it’s been
somewhat more difficult
than he expected to introduce
throughout the entire North
American market, despite the
system’s better returns to for-
est owners.
“The cut-to-length system provides a completely different division of timber and pulpwood, providing
improved profits. I’m a strong
believer in this system, and
I’m sure it will gradually push logging techniques
toward maximizing timber
value – to the benefit of the
industry, contractors, and forest owners,” emphasizes Leif.
For Leif, North America
is definitely a growth market
where Komatsu Forest will
expand. Leif is convinced
that the company will succeed, not the least thanks to
capable and motivated personnel.
“We’ve created an environment that motivates people,” says Leif. r
lthough Jim has 30,000
sq. ft. of f loor space
in the warehouse, it’s
a tough job finding room for
near on 30,000 parts. With
good organization, they’ve managed not only to make room
for everything, it’s also easy to
quickly find the right part.
“Each year, we receive about
14,000 orders for a total of
80,000 spare parts,” Jim tells
us. “It’s a real challenge to
quickly meet customer needs.”
They can normally find and
ship a part within an hour. The
part is then delivered to the
customer within 24 hours in
the US and southern Canada.
Delivery to northern Canada
takes a little longer, while delivery to a country such as Australia takes three days.
“We continually work on providing faster deliveries,” says Jim.
Parts for older machines are
not always in stock, but most
often there’s no problem even
for machines that are 10–11
years old.
“Even older machines, those
that are 15–20 years old, require
creative thinking, but we usually solve things,” Jim continues.
“Parts for a Gaffner Iron M ule
usually provide a challenge. At
the same time, it’s these daily
challenges that make my job so
interesting.” r
The Komatsu Forest plant in Shawano, USA stocks 80,000 spare parts.
Jim Williams is responsible for the warehouse at the Shawano plant in
the US.
9
2.
1.
3.
1. A Valmet 445 in production. 2. The chassis for some Valmet tracked machines are made by a subcontractor. 3. Tom Furdek heads production at
the Shawano plant. He has 42 assembly workers under his wing.
Shawano sharpens
production
Strong demand for
forestry machines
places stringent
requirements on the
production apparatus at Komatsu
Forest’s plant in
Shawano, WI, USA.
Production manager Tom Furdek has
invested in developing both his personnel and the organization.
T
om runs an efficient
organization. The 42
staff members at the
113,000 sq. ft. plant
build one machine a day under
10
Tom’s management. During
2004, he had to successively
employ more people for the different production line stations.
The goal established for 2005 is
to further increase production.
AS IN ALL modern workshop
industries, it’s also desirable to
keep stock levels low and Tom
describes operations as very
streamlined.
“Today we have many subcontractors, but we also build
some components ourselves,
such as the turntables, leveling systems, and certain boom
components,” Tom explains.
“We also have our own paint
shop where we paint the cabs
and tanks. Although most paint
work is carried out by our subcontractors.”
The plant is based around
three primary stations: preassembly, assembly, and final
assembly where, among other
things, hydraulic f luid is added and the hydraulic hoses are
pressurized. It takes about two
weeks to build a machine and
there are normally one or two
people working on each Valmet
425 while the new, larger 475
requires three or four people.
As there are few people working on each machine, a great
deal of skill is required.
“The work conducted by our
employees demands a great deal
of training,” Tom explains. “We
continually develop our quality, and troubleshooting is an
important part of the process.
This is often carried out with
laptop computers.”
In order to further develop
operations, Tom will invest more
in personnel development and
provide those assembling the
machines with increased customer contact. Future plans also
include further refinement of
stock management and documentation procedures. A major
inventory was recently taken in
order to gain a complete overview of the stock situation after
the move from Gladstone to Shawano.
“The future looks bright at
the moment and the opportunities for developing operations
and building more machines
are good,” says Tom. “What’s
more, it’s great to be in a business where you consistently
need to be in close contact with
customers.” r
SOLD
– the 200th
machine
The Oliver Stores dealership recently
sold their 200th tracked machine. It was
a Timbco 445 EXL that is now logging
forests in New Hampshire, USA for
successful contractor Larry Brown.
I
n 1990, The Oliver Stores
became the first authorized dealership in New
England for Timbco fellerbunchers. Since then, the
company has contributed to
Komatsu Forest’s very strong
position in tracked machines
in New Hampshire. The Oliver Stores have sold 15 to 25
machines a year and on December 6, they sold their 200th
machine, a Timbco 445 EXL, to
Larry Brown Logging & Chipping Inc. The machine was
delivered and immediately put
to work in tough terrain outside
Lancaster, NH.
“We’ve previously sold two
tracked machines to Larry
Brown, and they’ve functioned
well, so he wanted another
machine with more power to
harvest in tough terrain. The
machine is equipped with a 22
inch high-speed saw which can
rotate 360 degrees, simplifying
logging,” explains sales representative Jason Monley.
LARRY BROWN Logging &
Chipping Inc. is a f lourishing
and efficient family firm with
a streamlined production process. The company has focused
on buying large areas of forest that the company then logs
itself. Several family members
work in the company, which
has five employees, and Larry
Brown’s son Mike operates the
new Timbco 445 EXL.
“This machine performs
better than those I’ve operated before and it makes the
work easier and more fun,” says
Mike Brown. “It’s also simpler to adapt the speed of the
head. The work lights are also
very good, and make it easier to
work in the dark.”
His father, Larry Brown, is
pleased with what he’s seen of
the machine so far. He’s hop-
Sales representative Jason Monley sold the 200th tracked machine,
a Timbco 445 EXL, to Larry Brown, owner of Larry Brown Logging &
Chipping Inc.
ing for a productivity improvement of about ten percent, due
to, among other things, being
able to continuously rotate the
cab 360 degrees and thereby reduce the need to reposition the machine. He also has a
great deal of confidence in the
service level offered by The Oliver Stores.
“I hope to be able to produce
300 tons every day with the new
445, which is the equivalent of
eight truckloads,” explains Larry. “About 25 percent of the
logged timber goes to sawmills
and the rest is used for pulp.”
LARRY SEES A big advantage
in working with the company’s
own forests, where about 50
percent of the work comprises
thinning. This provides a steady
stream of work and makes the
company less vulnerable. He’s
worked in the forest since he
was twelve years old and started
the company when he was eighteen. Today he’s 46 and no longer operates the machines as
often as he’d like, but instead
takes care of administration
and plans harvesting work.
“I love my work and planning
new harvesting jobs. You could
say I have sawdust in my blood.” r
Facts
The Oliver Stores
Founded: 1939
Timbco dealer: Since 1990
Number of workshops: 4, the
three owners are each responsible for a workshop and an
employed manager has been in
charge of the fourth for many
years
Service trucks: 7
Personnel: 38 employees
11
Now it’s going to take a bit of muscle. Together with his brother Roger, Dan Johansson owns Långåkra Maskinstation. They have recently invested in
two new Valmet 941s, which with their high level of productivity are an important part of the efforts following the storm in southern Sweden.
Boom
provides
a boost
12
In the wake of the
storm, Swedish
loggers face a
massive workload.
Långåkra
Maskinstation has
recently invested
in two new Valmet
941s that will now
be of great use.
Dan Johansson’s company works almost entirely with storm-felled timber following the powerful storm
that struck southern Sweden.
company Långåkra Maskinstation. They have a total of 17 Valmet machines and the latest additions to the machine lineup are
two Valmet 941s with 370.1 harvester heads.
They will come in handy
when the timber downed by the
storm is to be taken care of.
“It’s only wind-felled timber
for the foreseeable future, all
other logging has been stopped.
We have a lot to do just now
and are working as much as we
can,” says Dan as he sits and
operates his machine in the
Sjuhärad area outside Borås.
M
ajor parts of
southern Sweden were hit
just after New
Year by the worst storm of the
century. This is seen in the devastation in the forest. All in all,
it is estimated that about 80
million cubic meters of forest
have been felled by the storm.
This is about the same amount
of timber that is usually felled
during an entire year in all of
Sweden.
Together with his brother
Roger, Dan Johansson runs the
THEY’VE RUN the 941s for about
three months or 700 hours.
“So far they’ve worked very
well. They seem to be considerably more productive than the
921s,” states Dan.
Spruce forests are the most
predominant in the areas where
Dan and Roger Johansson’s
machines are active. Normally,
they operate in the area around
Borås, mostly for Sveaskog,
Södra, and some private forest
owners.
“When the storm clearing is
done here, I figure we’ll move
down to Småland,” he says.
Långåkra Maskinstation has
eight operator teams and those
that have had a chance to operate the Valmet 941 testify to the
machine’s many advantages.
“The stability and the stronger boom are a big plus,” says
Dan.
THE SPACIOUS cab provides an
extremely good working environment.
“It’s better than all the other
machines,” he says.
Another major advantage of
the Valmet 941 is the fuel economy.
“I can already say that this
harvester has considerably lower diesel consumption than oth-
ers,” states Dan.
Dan has a hard time finding downsides to Valmet’s harvester, but if there is anything
he would like to see improved,
it is the travel distance for service. Until now, the closest
service shop to the Långåkra
Maskinstation has been in Visnamo, and he thinks this is too
far away.
“It takes time for the service
vans to get here and sometimes
we have to wait for spare parts,”
explains Dan.
That will change, however.
Service in western Sweden will
be better with the establishment
of a new shop in Gothenburg to
handle spare parts. r
Facts
Långåkra Maskinstation
Has a total of 30 machines, of which 19 are forestry machines. The
remaining machines are wheel-loaders and mobile cranes that are
used for home construction. The forestry machines include two
Valmet 941s, three Valmet 911s, three Valmet 901s, two Valmet
820s, two Valmet 860s, a Valmet 830, and a Valmet 840.2. In total,
about 22 people work at the company, in addition to a fluctuating
number of temporary employees.
13
New MaxiHarvester 3.7
Packed with
new features
Valmet’s new software package for harvesters, MaxiHarvester 3.7, is full of
new functions that benefit many people working in the forestry industry.
Annemalm, Product Manager at
Komatsu Forest.
If the operator still wants to
adjust the curve, it’s presented graphically, making it easy
to adjust and understand the
effects of any changes made.
THE NEW MaxiHarvester 3.7
Calibration with regression analysis provides more accurate calibration
of the entire diameter interval while also being rapid and requiring few
measurement values.
V
almet’s new software package for
harvesters and combis offers many
new functions. One of the most
important new features is a new
procedure for quality-assured
harvester measurements, which
further improves the accuracy
of the harvester’s measurement
data recorded by the operator
and machine. Another impor-
tant new feature is a calibration
method with regression analysis which, in simple terms, provides much more accurate calibration of the entire diameter
interval while also being rapid and requiring few measurement values.
“The user interface is simple.
If the computer’s suggestions
look good, you simply press the
button to accept them,” says Per
also makes the handling of
.stm files for control measurements easier and faster, whether it concerns randomly selected sample trees or manually selected trees. The automatic
data caliper can be set to server
mode, and remain connected to
the crosscutting computer.
“When the operator has processed a tree and considers it
suitable for use in a control
measurement, it takes just two
button presses to send the stm
file to the caliper,” says Per.
Another important new feature in MaxiHarvester 3.7 is
the option to create individual production files, so-called pri
files. This is a file type that in
the long term will be of greater importance than today’s prd
files. The pri files contain production data, such as length,
diameter, tree type, and quality,
for each individual log.
Advantages include access
to information about each individual log, not just the average for the batch, and being able
to gather production data from
several different harvesters
using different price lists.
The pri information is automatically saved in a pri database on the PC’s hard drive each
time a tree is harvested. The pri
file, however, becomes much
larger than the prd file, but a
built-in function warns the operator if the database starts to get
too large. As the pri file is saved
on the PC and the prd file is
saved in the crosscutting computer, the machine now has a
backup information system that
just about eliminates the risk
of losing production data in the
event of hard drive failure.
With MaxiHarvester 3.7,
MaxiA, the software used to create and edit price lists, is a fully
integrated part of the Maxi system. The operator simply clicks
in the menu to edit the price
list. If changes are made, the
file is saved and the crosscutting computer is automatically
updated with the new file r
MaxiHarvester 3.7 will be introduced during the fall of 2005. Note that MaxiHarvetser 3.7 is an optional extra in the machine price list. The new functions offered by MaxiHarvester 3.7 only work for MaxiHarvester Value with the AptMan crosscutting software for value-based crosscutting. Some of the
new features for the automatic data caliper are verified with a Haglöf automatic data caliper and SkalMan 4.1 software.
14
News
Snags encourage
insects
One of the new procedures required by quality-assured harvester measurements involves the operator conducting control measurements on randomly selected sample trees.
More reliable
measurements
Quality-assured
harvester measurements improve
both the accuracy and reliability of measurement
data. This creates
the conditions in the
Swedish market for
moving compensation calculations
from the processing industry to the
forests.
O
ne of the most
important new
features in Valmet’s new MaxiHarvester 3.7 software package
for harvesters and combis is the
inclusion of a new procedure
for quality-assured harvester
measurements. This procedure
has been developed by Skogforsk, the Forestry Research
Institute of Sweden, in collaboration with users and has been
standardized by the Stanford
Committee.
“The reasoning behind
users wanting to use quali-
ty-assured harvester measurements is to improve the accuracy of the harvester measurement data created by the operator and machine, and to create the conditions for moving compensation calculations
from the processing industry
to the machines in the forests,”
explains Per Annemalm, Product Manager at Komatsu Forest.
QUALITY-ASSURED harvest-
er measurements mean that
the operator uses an automatic data caliper to conduct control measurements on logs, just
A new report from the
Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences shows that snags in clearings provide habitats for a large
number of insects, including
several rare species. Just as
windthrown trees are home to
many insects, it was assumed
that the same would be true
for snags, five-meter (16-foot)
tall dead trunks left in clearings
created by mechanized forestry. This was shown to be true
and the study shows that snags
are used by more than 300 of
the 500 wood-dwelling beetles
in the area.
Mangrove forests
replanted in
Indonesia
Indonesia intends to
replant 30,000 hectares of mangrove forest destroyed by the December
2004 tsunami. In total, 600,000
hectares are to be planted in
order to dampen future tsunamis, according to the country’s Minister of Forestry, M. S.
Kaban.
Sweden tops female
forest owner league
Almost 40 percent of
Sweden’s forest owners are female, according to an EU report. As a
result, female ownership within
forests is the highest of all sectors in the country. As recently as 1976, the proportion of female forest owners was only 20
percent. The increase is mainly
due to many women now jointly owning forests together with
their husbands.
15
The Swedish Skogforsk research institute has checked whether MaxiHarvester delivers what it promises. Out in the forest, timber was logged
and trees were randomly selected by MaxiHarvester 3.7. These trees were then marked so they could be re-measured and compared with the
computer’s measurement data.
as before, but with a number of
newly developed functions. The
operator still selects trees manually for calibrating the harvester head, but MaxiHarvester also
randomly selects sample trees
for control measurements.
The operator is notified that
the tree is a sample tree only
when part of the trunk has
already been processed and at
this point the machine-measured values are not visible to
the operator.
The control measurement
files created after the control
measurements are conducted
on the sample trees can then
be sent to the customer or to a
third-party for length and diameter measurement analysis.
“The control measurement
files contain the machine’s measurement results, including the
effect of the operator’s work
method during regular production,” explains Per.
The procedure established at
Jan Sondell and Johan Möller from the Skogforsk research institute checked both length and diameter measurements.
Valmet fulfills requirements
The Swedish Skogforsk research institute has drawn up requirement specifications for the quality-assured harvester
measurements that machine manufacturers must meet in the Swedish market.
“Valmet seems to have included all the
functions in its new software package,”
says Jan Sondell at Skogforsk.
16
R
eliable production data from harvesters benefits
the entire forestry
industry. The industry can use
the information to better plan
operations, forest owners can
receive compensation for their
timber sooner, and forestry
machine contractors gain more
credibility. Moreover, wellmaintained machines work better and more evenly.
In Finland, harvester reports
have been used to calculate payments to forest owners for the
past 15 years.
“Quality assurance is an
absolute necessity if we are to
win confidence in payments
Skogforsk includes the option
for a third-party to verify the
operator’s control measurements by measuring the logs a
third time for comparison with
the machine’s control measurement file.
“The procedure for when,
where, and how this is achieved
in practice is still under discussion,” says Per.
Even if MaxiHarvester randomly selects sample trees, the
operator decides when to caliper them. The first task is to
find the logs. The sample trees
can also be used to calibrate
the harvester head and thereby
lighten the operator’s workload.
Markets and users that do
not employ quality-assured har-
vester measurements can, of
course, continue to manually
select sample trees.
Quality-assured harvester
measurements offer other benefits too. The interval for the randomly selected sample trees can
be adjusted, in terms of both
volume and number. It’s also
possible to adjust the minimum
allowed chest-height diameter
so that the sample trees are not
too small. And the operator can
decide which log precedes MaxiHarvester’s sample tree warning. If the tree is not a suitable
sample, the operator can deselect it and provide the reason.
This information is included in
the control measurement file
when reporting. r
New Head of
Marketing in
Finland
based on harvester measurements in Sweden, where all
timber has always been measured at processing plants,”
states Jan Sondell.
Timo Korhonen has been the new Head of
Marketing at Komatsu Forest Oy in Finland
since the beginning of the year. He’s
worked in the industry for the past 22 years
and has been at the company since 1999,
most recently as head of used machines.
SKOGFORSK AND the six larg-
est forestry companies in Sweden have collaborated on a project to quality assure harvester
measurements of timber. The
companies want everything to
be in order by August, when
quality-assured harvester measurements will be introduced in
new harvesters.
Among other things, quality-assured harvester measurements involve the system randomly selecting sample trees,
sending daily data reports from
the harvester, sample tree analysis, and sending analysis
results to all concerned parties.
Valmet’s new MaxiHarvester 3.7 software includes quality-assured harvester measurements.
“Valmet’s system includes
the functions found in the
“It’s not just about selling machines; it’s also about offering good service to help our customers succeed with our
machines,” says Timo Korhonen, new Head of Marketing at
Komatsu Forest Oy.
Jan Sondell was pleased with
what he saw. MaxiHarvester 3.7
offers the functions that qualityassured harvester measurements
demand. He also thinks that
Valmet’s calibration system has
been improved with the addition
of regression analysis of calibration data.
requirement specification,” says
Jan. “The calibration function
has also been improved with
the addition of regression analysis of calibration data.”
MaxiHarvester 3.7 makes
better use of production data
gathered in the forest, and it is
used for both control measurements and planning. r
T
imo has a positive outlook on the future and on his role
as Head of Marketing. Among the main reasons are the
new Valmet 901.3 and 911.3 harvesters, which are well
suited to the Finnish market, and the new Valmet 350
and 360.1 harvester heads.
“We feel that the Umeå plant has listened to our Finnish contractors during the development of the new harvester heads. Especially with the 350 harvester head,” says Timo.
As sales head, he also points out that after-market activities and
the maintenance of good quality service are among the more important issues.
“We’ve recently opened a number of new service shops and
have had an emphasis on the whole,” says Timo. “It’s not just about
selling machines; it’s also about offering good service to help our
customers succeed with our machines.”
In 2006, new legislation comes into effect that will result in more
thinning. In turn, this will lead to greater demand for thinning machines. Timo therefore believes that the Valmet 901.3 is a machine
with very good future sales potential as it is so well suited to thinning.
“Competition is tough in the Finnish market, but I’m convinced we’ll
do well with our new product offerings. And I hope to make a positive
personal contribution with my extensive industry experience.” r
17
MEETING
PLACE
Coming events 2005
Europe
MAAMESS 2005
April 21-23
Tartu, Estonia
BMT Exhibition
April 21-24
Vilnius, Lithuania
LIGNA
May 2-6
Hanover, Germany
Forest Fair
May 17-19
Rogow, Poland
NordCon
May 26-28
Jönköping, Sweden
www.elmia.se/nordcon
Elmia Wood
June 1-4
Jönköping, Sweden
www.elmia.se/wood
InterLes 2005
June 14-17
St. Petersburg, Russia
Asturforesta
June 23-25
Tieno Asturias, Spain
www.asturforesta.com
Foire de Libramont
July 29 - August 3
Libramont, Belgium
Forstmesse Luzern
August 18-21
Messegelände, Switzerland
www.fachmessen.ch/forst
WoodTec
September 7-10
Sopron, Hungary
Bioenergy in Wood Industry 2005
Conference
September 12-15
Jyväskylä, Finland
North America
Canadian Woodlands Forum
86th Annual Members’ Meeting
April 6-7
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
www.cwfcof.org
Intermountain Logging Conference
April 6-9
Spokane, Washington, USA
Northern Alberta Forestry Show,
10th Biennial
May 5-7
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
Northeastern Forest Products
Equipment 2005 Expo
May 13-14
Bangor, Maine, USA
LOGFOR
September 8-10
Quebec City, Canada
South America
Forestry Seminar
June
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Expocorma
November 10-14
Conception, Chile
www.expocorma.cl
18
New version
A MORE POWERFUL
Valmet 475 EX/EXL
A new, more powerful version of the Valmet 475 EX/EXL has just
been launched in the North American market. With high torque
and a powerful engine, Komatsu Forest has taken steps to further
increase the productivity of this purpose-built tracked machine.
W
hen Just Forest
Magazine visited the Shawano plant in
Wisconsin, USA in December,
the plant staff had just finished
assembling the first example of
the new version of the 475 EXL.
This tracked machine was originally developed by Timbco’s
founder Pat Crawford and is a
so-called tail swing machine.
That is, the rear carriage – comprising tanks and other components – is longer and acts as a
counterweight. This model has
been manufactured since 2002
and is available in two versions,
the 475 EX and the 475 EXL,
which features leveling.
“Tail swing makes for a
more stable machine,” explains
Erik Nilsson, head of development at the Shawano plant.
The most prominent feature
of the new version of the 475 is
the more powerful engine. The
volume of the Cummins QSL
engine is 9.0 liters, compared
with the previous model’s 8.3liter QSC engine. At 1,900 rpm,
it produces its maximum power of 325 hp, compared with 300
hp at 2,000 rpm on the previous
model. Another major advantage of the new engine is that
torque is increased, with greater
torque at lower engine speeds.
The engine’s working rpm
range is the same as before, but
it can respond to greater loads at
lower rpm. This provides more
reserve power and prevents
engine speed from dropping as
much under heavy loads.
ELECTRONIC control of the
machine and tracks is achieved
via the IQAN system. In the
new 475, the power output to
the tracks and boom is continually regulated according to available power. The machine has
two completely independent systems for the boom and tracks,
which provides better performance from both systems.
“We’ve worked hard to optimize engine power utilization and this is another reason, alongside the more powerful engine, why the machine
can handle considerably more
than previous versions,” Erik
points out.
Technical data
Valmet 475 EX/EXL
Engine:
Cummins QSL 9
Power:
325 hp at 1,900 rpm
Torque:
1,075 lb-ft @ 1,400 rpm, the engine is considerably
stronger at lower speeds, improved torque reserve
Cooling:
Boom:
Cab:
Improved cooling of track and implement hydrostatics,
optional oil cooling for gearbox
Standard 26 feet or 23 feet Power Boom
Improved fan and seat cooling
The Valmet 475 has been equipped with a more powerful engine and
increased torque.
The cooling system is easily accessed through large gullwing doors.
These have been redesigned and fitted with hydraulic locks.
The cooling function has
been adapted to the larger
engine. The machine has two
hydraulic oil coolers; one is a
larger, separately mounted cooler and the other is front-mounted.
The engine is cooled by a
front-mounted air and water
cooler with increased surface area. If required, oil cooling can be fitted for the gearbox that powers the pumps, an
optional extra that is required
ing function and boom has also
been made more accessible.
for warmer climates in order
to reduce wear and tear and to
increase gasket lifetimes. The
rear cooling system is easily accessed through large gullwing doors. These have been
redesigned and fitted with
hydraulic locks. The forward
cooling unit is accessed from
the front.
The bottom plate is a little larger to better protect the
machine’s hoods in rough terrain. The valve set for the level-
THE NEW versions of the 475 EX
and the 475 EXL are available
with a shorter, more powerful
boom, a so-called Power Boom.
It has a 23 feet reach and more
lifting power, despite using the
same hydraulic cylinders as the
standard boom.
“Considering the whole, I’m
convinced the new 475 is more
productive and more reliable
than previous models,” says Erik.
Leif Magnusson, CEO of
Komatsu Forest LLC, also has
much faith in the new, more
powerful version of the Valmet 475 XL/EXL. “With its
low fuel consumption in relation to its productivity, this is a
machine that’s very well suited
to the Canadian market, where
machines often operate around
the clock.” Leif also considers the
different options that are available to be a great advantage. r
19
A cabin lot on a colossal scale. A fantastic view, running water under the floor, and hunting grounds all around.
Ptarmigan, char,
and Rautas!
Three of the most essential things in life are found within a comfortable
distance if one lives in Kiruna in the far north of Sweden. For those who
have to travel further to get here, the destination is still worth the journey.
Fantastic natural surroundings, enormous hunting grounds, and great
fish under the ice.
20
F
or many years, the
idea of a trip to the
mountains outside
of Kiruna had grown
stronger and stronger. Friends
told of good hunting and an
exciting book in the bookcase
about winter fishing tempted
even more. The lure of “peek
fishing”, looking for char in a
fishing hut together with a couple of thousand other fans tantalized. Naturally, the desire to
hunt ptarmigan with a smallbore rif le was also there, but a
char or two wouldn’t hurt.
OUR TRIP BEGAN at the snowmobile path before Nikkaloukta. But after only a couple of
hundred meters I understood
what Niclas had meant by saying there was water ice north
of Årresjokk. The snowmobile
lost its grip and the fishing hut,
which weighs somewhat less
than what two men can manage, began to slide sideways.
When the snowmobile and
heavy sled stopped, there was
a birch tree between the snowmobile and the sled. A clamping strap, a simple wire pulley,
a lot of sweat, and a half-hour’s
work freed the sled from its
stuck position. With force and a
The Lundström brothers enjoy the hunting and fishing on Rautas
little luck, the snowmobile and
sled were once again in motion
and we didn’t stop until we had
reached relatively f lat land up
on the mountain plateau.
Sometimes one comes close
to not having a week in the
mountains.
In the darkness we tried,
with the aid of GPS, to find a
narrow stream where we would
place the hut we had brought
with us. While we drove the
snowmobile in the darkness
and looked for a stream, we
kept running into ptarmigan
that rose like white ghosts in
the glow of the snowmobile’s
lights. Finally we decided on a
suitable campsite. It’s quite an
experience to be able to open
a hatch in the f loor and fetch
the morning’s coffee water. It
was not as fun to drill into rock
with an ice drill. But after a few
attempts, we managed to get
holes in the ice and could set up
our hut.
Morning brought beautiful
winter weather, sparkling sunshine, no wind, and the chirping of rock ptarmigan in the
distance. Ideal conditions, but
it soon proved to be just a few
ptarmigan that were providing our morning music. It took
until the afternoon to fill our
bag limit of eight ptarmigan –
and that says it all. The same
experience made my hunting
companion – after all the bustling up and down the slopes –
claim that there was a shortage
of birds.
Early Saturday morning,
we packed our hut and headed
towards Rautas. Unlike most,
we went the back way and were
forced to drive down a hill with
a rather frightening slope. At
least it is when you have a hut
being pulled behind you on the
snowmobile.
With two grown men as ballast, we managed with no major
problems. In addition, we were
told that next time we should
have chains with us to wrap
around the skis on the sled in
order to increase the friction
and reduce speed.
Char fishing season on Rautas is open for three weeks each
year, starting at the beginning of
March. Sometimes, thousands
of fishermen can be found on
the ice and all live in portable
huts they have brought along.
Among the fishermen were also
local police and it only took a
few minutes after we arrived
before we got a close up view of
Ptarmigan, char, and Rautas. Add a little sun and you’re
close to paradise for winter hunters and fishermen.
21
how an “over lubricated” snowmobile driver got caught in a
police check point.
Beside our hut was Niklas
Hedin, from Kiruna, with his
wife and three children. The
fishing was good and the family had already caught a good
deal of char during the morning. Niklas, who is also a hunter, had his telemark skis along
and was planning a trip into the
mountains for ptarmigan. In
the birch forest around Rautas,
from time to time one could see
large flocks of ptarmigan feeding in the forest. In the mornings and evenings, one could
hear groups of ptarmigan laughing in the bushes close to the
shore. But the willow ptarmigan
were incredibly shy and let no
one come close to them on the
bright and frozen crust.
IN A SNOWMOBILE HUT close
to ours, we found the brothers
Olof and Andreas Lundström,
from Kiruna. Olof went wholeheartedly after ptarmigan and
his brother took a little time
off from fishing to make short
trips into the mountains. When
Andreas showed where he shot
his ptarmigan, I understood
that climbing irons and total
lack of fear of heights were part
of his standard equipment. On
the ice by the fishing hut there
was a large pile of char, topped
with a rainbow trout weighing
about two and a half pounds
which their pal Peter Tavo, also
from Kiruna, had caught.
Olof had hunted that morning on the southern side of
Rautas in Vällivaara and found
a lot of shy willow ptarmigan
and a smaller number of rock
ptarmigan.
“I usually hunt ptarmigan
during the fall without a dog,”
he told us. But willow ptarmigan in the winter are more skittish. He had shot a couple of
ptarmigan every day and our
opinion of the area improved.
To wake up early in the
morning in a fishing hut on a
mountain lake in the wilderness, all the while enjoying the
comforts of home, has to be
one of life’s high points. When
one can also fish for char in
the combined kitchen and bedroom, the surroundings are
almost perfect. Late in the evening, we were forced to get up
and lash our fishing hut to our
snowmobiles and sleds. Strong
winds can play havoc with even
the toughest mountain man
and his home.
Around five in the morning,
the wind had calmed. I rolled
over in my sleeping bag, found
my ice fishing rig, and opened
the hatch in the floor.
EVERY MORNING I gazed
down in the crystal clear water,
and every morning it felt somewhat surreal. It took only a few
minutes before the first white-
finned char began to circle
around the spoon bait and they
soon began to hurl themselves
at the worm.
By the time my friend awoke
I already had five fine fish on
the f loor of the hut.
On Sunday afternoon, a
curving line of snowmobiles
began to pass by our camp.
Camp was breaking and the
folk from Kiruna were heading
home to work. The comfort and
function of snowmobiles, sleds,
and fishing huts were discussed with great enthusiasm.
I chose to follow the main path
to the Rautas station in order to
avoid the steep slope. The snowmobile path, or what was once
the path, is quite an experience,
but at last I arrived. The days
in Rautas with the early rising
char and the ptarmigan hunting made me instantly want to
return. In the same way that
thousands of Kiruna dwellers
have done for decades. r
The willow ptarmigan were shy,
but we managed
to get within
range of the
occasional bird.
Father and son Pettersson with the morning’s catch of char. Record for
the hut camp just north of Centijokk on lake Rautas.
22
Fishing hut packed and ready for the journey home.
The EX10 is a tracked machine that is built from the ground up for the cut-to-length system.
Tracked innovation
One of the most interesting new products in several years. You can’t call the
EX10 anything else, because it is Komatsu Forest’s first tracked machine that
has been expressly built as a harvester for the cut-to-length system. With its
extremely long boom, reach is all of 35 feet.
E
X10 breaks new
ground. Previously, the tracked Valmet harvesters built
in Shawano, USA have been
feller-bunchers with heavy feller booms modified for harvester heads, with the exception
of the now discontinued Valmet 500T, which was equipped
with a telescopic boom from the
Valmet 911 and 921. The EX10
(pronounced ‘extend’) is a true
tracked harvester rather than a
modified feller-buncher and is
based on the Valmet 425. Komatsu Forest has used its wheeled
harvester experience to equip
the EX10 with a CRH24 boom
and boom hydraulics from Valmet’s largest wheeled harvester, the 941.
“It’s a much faster boom
with a very large work area,”
says Erik Nilsson, head of development at the Shawano plant.
“The boom is optimized for
high performance and has a
reach of 35 feet. We have utilized electro-hydraulic parallel drive technology, in other
words, avoided using mechanical linkages. This means that
the boom folds in at the same
time that it lifts.” Even parts
of the EX10 valve system come
from the 941 harvester.
transport length. It is intended
to be used with the 360.1 or the
370.1 harvester head and the
harvester head is run with the
MaxiHead control system.
“With the EX10 we are
breaking new ground and have
a very productive machine
Technical data
Valmet EX 10
THE EX10 HAS ITS OWN upper
platform base plate made to
fit the CRH24 boom. The fact
that the boom’s geometry is
also matched to the tracked
machine makes it very stable
and as productive as the 941.
The boom, which offers some
shock dampening, can also
be folded together for shorter
that is also suited to steep terrain,” says Leif Magnusson,
CEO for Komatsu Forest LLC.
“I believe that a machine like
this helps ease the transition to
the cut-to-length system. Simply put, the EX10 breaks new
ground.” r
425
425
Engine:
Power:
Boom:
Cab:
Cummins QSC 8.3
224 kW @ 2,000 rpm (300 HP @ 2,000 rpm)
CRH24 boom from the Valmet 941 with a 360.1 harvester
head or a 370.1 harvester head
Valmet 425/44
23
The year could have hardly got off to a much worse start for the Swedish forest industry.
Hurricane-force winds caused great devastation to forests in southern Sweden.
Timber equivalent to Sweden’s annual cut fell in the space of 24 hours.
Worst storm
for 100 years
E
xtensive windthrow is
becoming increasingly common throughout
Europe. On average, 19 million
cubic meters of forest have been
blown down in Europe each
year for the past 50 years. This
is shown by calculations presented by Kristina Blennow in
her thesis at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, SLU).
The storm that hit southern
Sweden on January 8–9 reached
hurricane force with an average speed of 75 mph, although
peak speeds of 95 mph were
also measured. That the devastation in the forests of south-
ern Sweden was so great is easily understood when one considers the fact that some forests
risk windthrow at wind speeds
of 45–55 mph.
According to the Swedish National Board of Forestry,
75 million cubic meters of forest fell pray to the storm. The
amount of windthrown forest is
between 20 and 30 times that
which is normally windthrown
in Sweden during an entire year.
Most affected were the counties
of Småland, Halland, and Västra
Götaland, where almost a tenth
of the standing volume of forest
fell during the storm.
The windthrown forest is
comparable to Sweden’s annual
cut, and the consequences of the
storm are of course many. Many
forest owners risk great losses
and the forest industry’s timber
supply is greatly affected.
Another problem is that all
the windthrown timber must
be quickly taken care of so it
isn’t damaged, and so that the
remaining forest doesn’t risk
damage from vermin.
This means that Swedish loggers are now working
full out to clean up the forests.
Tomas Nordfjell at the Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå, northern Sweden has tried to calculate the
number of harvesters required.
Tomas calculates that if the for-
ests are to be cleared by July
1, then somewhere between
3,000 and 4,000 harvesters are
required – assuming they are
running 24/7.
Clearing the forests in time
is essentially impossible, but
if an attempt is to be made,
then the entire logging industry must join forces. Forestry companies and loggers have
begun or are soon to begin moving logging machines down
from northern Sweden to help
with the clearing. Moreover,
machines are also needed from
neighboring countries but,
according to Tomas, this would
be impossible due to logistical
and organizational factors. r
All help required
All help is needed to save the
timber lying in the
windthrown forests.
As a result, Swedish
forestry companies are concentrating their machine
resources on southern Sweden.
A
ll Swedish forestry companies have been affected by
the storm, although Södra Skogsägarna is probably the hardest
hit company. Södra Skogsägarna, which has a 50 percent market share in southern Sweden,
estimates that the storm has
felled 43 million cubic meters of
timber. This is the equivalent of
six annual cuts.
Södra Skogsägarna’s goal
is to finish the work within 18
months, that is, by the summer
of 2006.
“We’ll have machines from
central Sweden, northern Sweden, and abroad, primarily from
the Baltic States and Finland.
These are forestry contractors
that have no other work contracted for the current period.
We also have a large group that
will help Södra Skogsägarna
once their own timber flows are
secured,” Urban Olsson, head of
forest technology at Södra Skogsägarna, is quoted as saying in a
press release.
SVEASKOG HAS already moved
personnel and forestry machines from different parts of Sweden to the areas affected by the
storm. They have also recently
contacted retired machine operators and contractors in other countries. Contractors from
Germany, for example, have also
received contracts to work with
the windthrown timber.
Wintax in Lycksele, northern
Sweden is one of many Swed-
ish forestry machine companies
transporting machines down to
southern Sweden.
“I have a contract with
Sveaskog and will move a Valmet 921 down south around
Easter,” says Mikael Axelsson,
Wintax’s owner.
HIS HARVESTER normally lies
dormant during the summer
months, while they work with
soil scarification, so the storm
has provided the opportunity
to employ the harvester all year
round.
“I count on having the harvester in southern Sweden
until sometime in November or
December,” explains Mikael.
The harvester will be operated by personnel from northern
Sweden.
“My own personnel will take
the machine down, but I’ve also
contacted some local operators who
can take over during vacations and
the like,” he continues. r
Many affected by the storm
It was not only Sweden that was hit by the storm. Major material damages were
also seen in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Denmark, and the Baltic States.
According to preliminary calculations, a million cubic meters of forest was
windthrown by the storm in Estonia, while in Lithuania the equivalent figure is
somewhere between two and five million cubic meters of forest, reports
the AFP press agency. In Lithuania, the damage is comparable to
Sweden
between 20 and 40 percent of the annual cut.
In Denmark, about two million cubic meters of trees fell,
equal to almost two annual cuts.
In the UK, Cumbria in northwestern England
Estonia
was most affected, with fallen trees on
Denmark
parking lots, sidewalks, and bikeways.
Ireland
People were also recommended to stay
Lithuania
UK
away from State-owned forests until
Germany
they had been cleared.
Ireland and Germany also suffered
material damages.
25
Biological diversity is very much related to the numbers of dead and damaged trees. Erik Normark, Head of
Silviculture at forestry company Holmen, feels it’s time for the next generation of environmental protection,
uniting timber production with environmental protection in the same forests.
Innovative thinking
in environmental
protection
Untouched forests to preserve biological diversity in the forests.
This has long been the only alternative to full-out timber production.
Soon the next generation of environmental protection could be here.
E
nvironmental considerations in the
Swedish forestry
industry have long
been equated with refraining
from using large areas of productive forestland. Today, about
one percent of Sweden’s productive lowland forest is protected,
and the Swedish Government
is pushing to increase this percentage. The forestry company Sveaskog, which is owned
by the Swedish State, sets aside
26
20 percent of its productive forest on account of environmental protection and environmental considerations. This is
achieved, for example, by developing larger continuous land
areas of biological and ecological value into so-called Ecoparks where ecological factors
outweigh economic factors.
Most Swedish forestry companies voluntarily protect five
percent of their forest holdings
in line with their certification.
“This is good, but now it’s
time to try to unite timber production and environmental protection in the same forests,” says
Erik Normark, Head of Silviculture at forestry company Holmen.
He feels that it is time to
shed new light on environmental considerations in the forests.
“I think it’s time to initiate
a large-scale forestry research
project to look at the possibilities of working in line with
environmental considerations
that promote the conditions necessary for biological diversity
in productive forests instead of
simply protecting large areas,”
says Erik.
THE POINT OF DEPARTURE
for Erik’s ideas about increasing biological diversity is that
old Swedish forests, which have
long been prized for their timber, are also rich in old trees
and deadwood, which are prerequisites for biological diver-
MAY WE
ASK....
sity. This is also true for young
forests, planted in the 1990s,
which are often covered by the
FSC and PEFC forest certification programs.
“In the forests planted
between 1950 and 1990, volumes have successfully been
almost doubled through more
rational forestry. But this has
also meant that conditions promoting biological diversity
have, in most cases, been lacking in these middle-aged forests,” Erik explains.
As the oldest forests
decrease in area over the next
20 to 30 years, there’ll be a
tough transition period for
many forest-dwelling species
before the plantations from the
1990s onwards come to dominate in a hundred years’ time.
“As we have these middleaged forests, we must refocus,
and move from almost exclusively establishing reservations to
pursuing (researching) environmental protection that promotes
biological diversity,” says Erik.
BIOLOGICAL diversity in forests is strongly associated
with dead and damaged trees.
Storms, forest fires, and insect
attacks are natural elements
that help create the prerequisites for species to survive in
the forests.
Erik feels that one ought to
be able to attain higher biological quality in the middle-aged
forests by concentrating environmental protection efforts on
so-called thinning openings.
In concrete terms, this can
involve thinning around deciduous trees to encourage deviations, making a group of snags,
leaving damaged trees in place
or even felling trees to increase
the amount of wood on the forest f loor.
“It may sound strange, but it
involves very small changes that
may, in fact, be more ideological,” he says.
Now, though, Erik would
like to see more research.
“We need more research if
we are to successfully implement
the right decisions,” he says.
”The idea, of course, is that timber production and environmental protection in the same forests will contribute to more productive forests and create more
effective environmental protection.”
The broad-based research
would need to touch on three
different areas. Forest production, machine development/productivity, and environmental
protection.
“Under no circumstances
may second generation environmental protection be too expensive. And it’s important that it’s
effective at all stages of the forestry industry,” Erik concludes. r
Facts
79%
Protected forests where work
is underway to save biological
diversity
15%
Forests in protected landscapes
forest without human
3.2% Protected
interference
11.7 %
I understand business has been good
this year?
Yes, we are the market leader here and at the end of last
year, we received three very
large orders from Veracel,
Aracruz, and Cenibra. In total,
these orders comprise about
40 machines and 50 harvester
heads for logging the companies’ gigantic eucalyptus plantations.
Can you explain
this success?
Protected forests in Europe
Total forest area
...LONARD DOS SANTOS,
head of marketing at
Komatsu Forest Ltda in
Brazil, who also has responsibility for the entire South
American market
forest with a minimum
2.8% Protected
of human interference
Percentage protected forest
Almost half of Europe’s land area is covered by forest. This is the equivalent of about 1 billion hectares. 11.7
percent of the forests in Europe is protected in order to increase biological diversity, in compliance with the
classification established by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, MCPFE.
The great majority of protected forest is forest where humans are working to save biological diversity. 15
percent of the forests are in landscapes that are protected and only a few percent of the protected forests
are forests where no or a minimum of human activity is conducted.
Source: Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, MCPFE.
We work very closely with our
customers. We prioritize direct
contact, face-to-face, and this
has proved successful, even if
it entails a great deal of travel. We also place much focus
on offering good service and
good spare part availability, at
reasonable costs.
What does
the future promise?
We see a great deal of potential in the South American market, Brazil in particular. The low costs and stable economy will enable the
growth of new pulp mills and
sawmills. As Komatsu Forest is already number one in
the market, things are looking
good for us.
27
A more efficient
harvester head
The efficiency of
the Valmet 385
harvester head,
made in Komatsu
Forest’s North
American plant in
Shawano, is continually improved. The
MaxiHead control
system has been
installed, increasing productivity.
C
urrently, three harvester heads are
manufactured in
Shawano – the
Valmet 380, the Valmet 385,
and the Valmet 395. All are
impressive with regard to size.
The harvester head was originally developed for the Australian market, but has since
Technical data
Valmet 385
Weight:
Engine:
5,950 lbs
Poclain MS11 at
1,147 cc
Feed speed:
5.5 m/s
Feed force:
40 kN
Control system: Valmet MaxiHead
Hydraulic pressure: 3625-4640 psi
Hydraulic flow:
300-425 l/min
28
been adapted and developed
for the North American market, among others. The midsized harvester head, the 385,
has recently been upgraded and
weighs 5,950 lbs.
“One important improvement is that the MaxiHead control system is now part of the
385 and the sensors and valves
have been customized. Together, these changes provide
increased productivity,” says
Erik Nilsson, head of development at the Shawano plant. The
introduction of MaxiHead also
means improved control over
blade pressure and very exact
measurement.
ANOTHER NEW touch is the
improved hose routing. This
means that the hoses are more
protected and that the risk of
production stops is reduced.
The harvester head is designed
for tough conditions and the
frame is reinforced in critical
places.
The 385 is a much faster
harvester head and is run with
1,147cc Poclain MS11 motors.
The 385 Maxi is equipped with
an extended tilt cylinder to
make it even more f lexible. The
forward and rear delimbing
knives are run independently for efficient processor functions. The harvester head also
has small duty rollers to min-
The 385 harvester head has been
upgraded. Hose routing, among
other things, has been improved.
imize friction and improve
trunk holding. One can vary
the size of the feed rollers and
the rollers are high-torque and
are equipped with a hydraulic
accumulator system to reduce
problems with uneven trunks.
One can also choose between
different size roller motors.
THE 385, like the 395 harvest-
er head, has a top saw in addition to the usual saw in the bottom of the head. A photocell in
the saw box localizes the end of
the trunk to minimize wastage.
The ability to cut at both ends
of the head further speeds the
cutting process, since both cuts
can be made without releasing
the stem, rotating the harvester head, and grabbing the stem
again. This is important if one
is to optimize processing.
“The saw unit is the same as
on the 370 harvester head, making it much easier to replace the
guide bar and chain,” says Erik.
“With the fine level of saw control the operator now has, the
life of the guide bar and chain
are increased. r
Fan with viscous clutch controlled
via the machine’s computer system, which receives signals from
electronic temperature sensors.
T
he fan system used in
Valmet machines is
controlled by electronic sensors in various parts of
the hydraulic and cooling systems. The onboard computers
control the fan’s viscous clutch
based on this information. If
no air movement is needed to
keep the systems cool, the fan
is stopped.
The Komatsu Forest system
is more advanced and precise
than traditional viscous clutch
systems, such as those found
in automobiles, where a bimetal sensor measures the temperature of the airf low behind the
radiator.
“Our fan system is controlled
with considerably more precision because the clutch is regulated based on cooling fluid
Fan control
saves fuel
All Komatsu Forest harvesters and
forwarders are now fitted with a fan
control. This saves fuel and avoids wasting power by overcooling the engine in
certain situations.
temperature, not air temperature,” explains designer Göran
Blomberg. “It’s mainly the
hydraulic oil temperature that
determines matters, but the system also provides more precise
control of engine temperature
and cab air conditioning.”
As soon as the temperature
increases, so does fan speed,
which has a very high capacity as regards speed. As the
fan is not always running, fuel
is saved and the noise level is
decreased. Another advantage
is that you no longer risk overcooling the machines in the
winter.
“If the electrical system
should malfunction, there’s a
fail safe device that immediately runs the fan at full speed,”
says Göran. r
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29
About Akira Yamakawa
FACTS Akira Yamakawa
POSITION: Executive Vice President Marketing
EMPLOYED SINCE: 2004
AGE: 50 years
LIVES: Umeå, northern Sweden
FAMILY: Wife
BEST PART OF THE JOB: Meeting the different sales company
personnel and end-customers. It’s also very interesting to experience different countries and their cultures.
Leisure: Spend time with my wife and listen to her play the
grand piano that we take with us wherever in the world we go.
A job that demands
communication
In 2004, when Akira
Yamakawa was
handed responsibility for sales and
marketing throughout Komatsu Forest,
he had been
working in that
very field within the
Komatsu Group for
25 years.
A
kira started at
Komatsu Forest’s
Swedish headquarters in Umeå,
northern Sweden in conjunction with the January 2004
takeover by the Komatsu Group of Japan. Akira has been
responsible for all Komatsu
Forest sales and marketing since last fall. This isn’t really a
change of direction for Akira, as he has held a number of
managerial positions with similar responsibilities, not the least
of which were during his many
years in the US.
“When I was Western US
30
Regional Manager for Komatsu,
I also had a great deal of contact
with the forestry side of operations,” explains Akira. “This is
a great advantage in my new job
in Umeå.”
CURRENTLY, two of Akira’s
most important tasks are to
improve distribution and to
seek out synergies between
forestry and construction machines. So far synergies have been
realized primarily through
Komatsu excavators being fitted with harvester heads or other forestry equipment. For this
type of machine, there is good
market potential for example
in Asia, North America, Continental Europe, Australia, New
Zealand, and Brazil. Russia is a
potential market.
“These are growing markets
which will become increasingly important as we broaden our
product program,” says Akira.
He feels that there is a major
difference between the construction and forestry machine
operations. The forestry machine industry is considerably
more specialized and manu-
facturers in the industry work
more closely with end-customers. The focus is on customized machine production rather
than mass production.
“Among the key elements
for success in our industry are
the expertise of personnel and
innovative research and development efforts,” says Akira.
“It’s also important for Komatsu to benefit from the expertise
at Komatsu Forest.”
AKIRA ENJOYS his work; he
enjoys meeting people. His
main activity involves contact
with the different sales companies and, initially, this has
been primarily to learn the different market requirements in
the various countries where the
machines are sold.
“It’s a great challenge and
I’m learning more about the
business all the time,” he says.
Akira spends between 60
and 70 percent of his time on
business trips. He’s very happy
with his job and is immensely
pleased to be in Sweden.
“Everyone speaks such good
English and the Swedes are so
easy to work with. One always
receives straight answers and
the Swedish business style is
especially open. I like that,”
Akira concludes. r
THREE
QUICK
QUESTIONS:
1. Your favorite Valmet
machine?
The 370/370E harvester head. It’s
been a real eye-opener for me, all
the integrated technology. This is
a harvester head that offers the
absolute best performance.
2. What does the forest
represent for you?
I grew up in a very mountainous and richly forested area in Japan. When I was younger, I skied
a great deal in the woods and
climbed mountains.
3. What does Komatsu
represent for you?
I like the people in the company.
It’s also a challenge to compete
against other companies in the industry for the number one spot.
Prevent
freezing
ON A NUMBER OF occasions, the length or diameter sensors on certain Valmet harvester
heads have been frozen into place. This results
in measurement malfunction. But stay calm,
it’s easily prevented. Take the opportunity next
time you’re in for service.
In the case of diameter measurement, the
problem is the risk of water seeping into the
knife axle. When the machine is then left stationary, such as overnight, and the water freezes, the diameter sensor is mechanically locked.
And measurement ceases to function. In the
case of length measurement, there is a risk of
water seeping into the length sensor bearings,
which can result in them freezing to breaking point.
To prevent length and diameter sensors
from freezing due to water collecting around
the drive mechanisms, we recommend greasing them next time the machine is in the workshop or is handed in for service. Here the
grease acts primarily as a sealant, not as a lubricant. This ‘fix’ can also be achieved in the
field, if you have the right tools with you.
Protective layers of grease should be checked
and reapplied every 2,000 hours or once a year.
This recommendation applies to the Valmet
350, the Valmet 360, and the Valmet 370.
Pos 1
REMOVE THE ENTIRE diameter sensor and the drive system on both axles. Check that there is no
water or condensation in the sensor or drive system. Clean the axle where the diameter sensor sits.
Fill the entire space in the pin with chassis grease up to where the diameter sensor sits. Now refit the diameter sensor and its cover. Leave the cable bushings disassembled at the end of the protective pipe. Drill and thread a grease nipple into the plug (see pos. 1). Fill with grease through the
grease nipple until grease begins seeping through the protective pipe. Remove the grease nipple and
re-plug the hole. Mount the last cable bushing.
England
Portugal
Stewart MacGregor
stewart.macgregor@komatsuforest.com
Fax +44 1228 792388
Antonio Ramalho
sefoeste@mail.telepac.pt
Fax +351 244 685959
Australia
Finland
Spain
Marina Kirpichnikov
marina.kirpichnikov@komatsuforest.com
Fax +61 2 9647 2540
Antero Siuro
antero.siuro@komatsuforest.com
Fax +358 32658324
Cesar Sanchez
cesar.hitraf@retemail.es
Fax +34 986 58 23 89
Brazil
France
Sweden
Marilia dos Santons
marilia.lucia.santos@komatsuforest.com
Fax +55 41 6673100
Martine Thuriault
mthuriault@komatsu.fr
Fax +00 33 130 905 144
Veronica Kjellen
veronica.kjellen@sweloghb.com
Fax +46 171 41 67 80
Change of address
Is your magazine delivered
to the wrong address? Has
your magazine failed to turn
up? Or do you simply know
more people who wish to
receive Just Forest? Please
contact your nearest sales
office.
Chile
Italy
Germany
Alfonso Solar
alfonso.solar@komatsu.cl
Fax +56 41 92 53 55
Fabrizio da Fré
fabriziodafre@imai.it
Fax +39 0438 430115
Silke Brückner
silke.bruckner@komatsuforest.com
Fax +49 7454 960218
Denmark
Norway
USA
Michael Husfeldt
Michael.husfeldt@valtra.com
Fax +45 7634 3201
Mona Andersson
mona.andersson@komatsuforest.com
Fax +47 62572954
Nate Burton
nate.burton@komatsuforest.com
Fax +1 715 524 7833
31
Ground preparation
provides good new
growth
Preparing the ground in the right way increases the chances of acceptable regeneration by
at least 30 percent. This is especially important when sowing, and there is much exciting
development work in this area.
A
t present, 145,000
hectares of ground
are prepared each
year in Sweden.
This is almost as high a level as
at the end of the 1980s, after a
decline at the beginning of the
1990s caused by the weakened
economy within the forestry
industry at that time. Ground
preparation is most commonly performed prior to planting,
Tomas Thuresson is Head of
Silviculture at the Swedish
National Board of Forestry. He
says that ground preparation is a
prerequisite for good new growth.
32
but is also a prerequisite for
natural regeneration aided by
seedlings. A small percentage
of the prepared ground is sown.
The potential to prepare
more ground exists, especially in southwest Sweden where
planting is often carried out
directly in the thin topsoil.
“We feel that one ought to
prepare the ground on an additional several tens of thousands of hectares,” says Tomas
Thuresson, Head of Silviculture at the Swedish National
Board of Forestry. “We’re mainly talking about areas for natural regeneration, which seldom provide acceptable growth
without ground preparation,
but also areas that are currently planted without prior preparation.”
TOMAS MEANS THAT the risk
of failure is considerably great-
er without ground preparation,
especially for sowing where
ground preparation is a prerequisite for a successful result. It’s
important that the seeds have
direct contact with the mineral soil, need not compete, and
receive water.
“Good ground preparation
increases the chances of acceptable regeneration by at least 30
percent,” Tomas points out. “So
ground preparation is a wise
investment, even if it costs SEK
2,000–4,000 (US$ 290–580)
per hectare.”
Technical developments
within ground preparation
move relatively slowly, according to Tomas. Today, however,
the methods are considerably
gentler than back in the days
when felling areas were plowed.
Tomas mentions scarification,
where patches of ground are
dug up and piled, and mound-
ing, where tufts are turned and
covered with soil, as good methods. Mounding, for example,
is a good way to keep pine beetles at bay. Even relatively new
methods such as the inverse
method, where stretches of
ground are turned, Tomas considers good. To this end, however, it’s been difficult to develop
a functional forestry machine
head.
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVEL OPMENT within mechanized
planting and sowing, on the
other hand, is much more common. Interest in sowing has
also increased. Sown plants do
grow slower during their sapling years, but grow in greater numbers. Seed prices have
also dropped over the years and,
according to research, the cost
for 2,000 plants in one hectare
is 41 percent lower when sow-
TREETALK
The author is not employed
by Komatsu Forest and the
views expressed are those
of the author, not of Komatsu Forest. The contents herein have no connection to
Komatsu Forest.
Erik Valinger
Tomas Thuresson talks about scarification, where
patches of ground are dug up and piled, and mounding,
where tufts are turned and covered with soil, as good
methods. Mounding, for example, is a good way to keep
pine beetles at bay.
ing than when planting. Current research on forest regeneration at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in
Umeå (SLU, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet) involves studying
the factors that promote high
seed germination. Among other things, the new sowing heads
help eliminate certain biological problems associated with
sowing forests. Today, seeds are
only sown in northern Sweden,
where the seeds are not threatened by frost heaving and competing vegetation to the same
extent as in the southern reaches of the country. Although
research indicates that sowing should be possible in southern Sweden too – on the condition that one can achieve optimal ground preparation. The
temperature ought to be 15–20C
(59–68F), with moderate moisture content and good nutrient levels. This can be achieved
with very light ground preparation, which only affects the top
layer. It involves breaking up the
organic material while retaining the flow of water to the min-
eral soil. Breaking up the vegetation releases nutrients. Thorough micro-preparation with the
aid of a honeycomb pattern on
the ground is an important element. The pyramid-shaped ruts
make it easier for water to reach
the seeds.
IT’S ALSO A case of preparing the ground to just the
right depth. If it’s too shallow, there’s an increased risk
of the seeds drying out; if it’s
too deep, there’s a risk of frost
heaving. The new sowing heads
have been developed to cope
with these types of problems,
although the methodology
needs further development, as
does the technology. Researchers talk about extending the
first growing season by sowing as early as fall, for instance.
In this case, the seeds must be
protected from absorbing too
much water as this increases the risk of them freezing to
the point of damage. The problem with competing vegetation
could also be solved with trees
used as shields. r
Professor of Silviculture,
Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences
Umeå, Sweden
Storm damage
can be limited
S
torms of the type seen at the beginning of the year in southern Sweden occur about two or three times each century
in Sweden, if one relies on available literature, unlike in other countries which are considerably more vulnerable. Many Swedes
still remember the storm that hit southern Sweden in 1969. On that
occasion, about 37 million m3 (1,300 million cu. ft.) of timber was
windthrown, which is about half of the damage currently being dealt
with. We can’t protect the forests from hurricane-force winds, but
we can reduce the damage caused by more ‘regular’ storms with
the right forest management.
The forest normally copes quite well with winds as trees adapt
to the prevailing conditions where they grow. That which decides
whether damage arises is primarily where the storm makes it way.
Through research, we pretty much know which areas of the country are most susceptible. On these forestlands, the total damage
could be lessened by producing wood in very sparse stands. These
stands would be created with thorough clearing followed by early,
thorough thinning, after which no more actions are required in the
stands until the final harvest. Other measures that could be considered include draining damper areas with high groundwater in order
to, among other things, facilitate root growth.
The above scenario, however, is completely at odds with socioeconomic considerations. This would mean forgoing a large proportion of timber production in some of the country’s most fertile lands,
as sparse stands produce much less than those with high cubic contents. We would most probably also fall foul of current Swedish forestry legislation as the timber reserve would most likely drop below
the lowest permissible volume. But it need not be so drastic. The
risk of damage is not as high throughout southern Sweden, so such
measures could be limited to areas with the highest risk. In recent
years, models have been developed at SLU (Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences) with the aid of material from the Swedish National Inventory of Forests. With these models, it’s already possible
to find the areas where the above radical forest management proposals could be used to reduce future storm damage. r
33
Cranab becomes
close supplier
14
successful
years
When Hans Eliasson
took office as CEO
for Komatsu Forest 14
years ago, times were
hard. When he left
operations at the end of
last year, the situation
had been reversed,
with a considerably
larger and stronger
company.
W
hen one talks to Hans
about his time as CEO of
Komatsu Forest, it is obvious that he is proud of what was
accomplished during his years after the first years of comprehensive restructuring when all production was moved to Umeå.
“On average, we have had
eight percent annual growth with
good profitability over the past ten
years.”
Since he took the helm at Komatsu Forest, for example, the number of forwarder and harvester models has grown dramatically.
Even the acquisition of Timbco Hydraulics in North America is viewed
by Hans as a successful move.
“Finding the right balance with
the American operations is among
the toughest tasks I have been
faced with, especially if one considers such factors as the dollar’s fall
from eleven Swedish krona to right
at five krona,” he says.
He is also pleased with the fact
that the company has strengthened
its position as number two in the
world for the production of forestry
machines. And that they completely
dominate certain markets, such as
Australia and Brazil.
“We have succeeded the way
we have thanks to competent personnel. I am proud of the Komatsu
Forest organization.” r
34
Komatsu Forest has
sold boom manufacturer Cranab in
Vindeln, Sweden.
In the future, the
company wants
to work as a very
close supplier of
booms and other
items. The new
majority owner
is Hans Eliasson,
former CEO of
Komatsu Forest.
S
ince January 1, Cranab
has a new owner. Komatsu Forest’s former
CEO Hans Eliasson is the new
majority owner and will run
the company together with
the other owner, Fredrik Jonsson. The largest client, even
in the future, will be Komatsu Forest.
“Komatsu Forest will continue to own and develop all
booms and parts and we will
become purely a supplier,”
says Hans.
HE DOES, HOWEVER, want
to describe the relationship
between the two companies as
closer than a traditional supplier relationship. He refers to
the Japanese term ‘keiretsu’,
which describes just such a
relationship, where the supplier is seen as a very close and
exclusive collaborative partner.
“In Japan, one doesn’t
change suppliers as often as
we do in the West, but rather
Fredrik Jonsson and Hans Eliasson become the new owners of Cranab.
tries to solve problems together if they arise,” says Hans. In
Japan, the ‘keiretsu relationship’ is so strong that companies often don’t even have contracts with one another.
THE AGREEMENT between
Komatsu Forest and Cranab
states that Cranab will later
supply such things as booms,
grapples, and parts. This is
where Cranab’s high level of
expertise concerning component welding and the heavier processing comes into play.
The delivery time for a boom
has been cut down to eight
days after an order has been
received. This enables the company to meet Komatsu Forest’s
orders in an effective manner.
“Valmet’s booms also have a
design that no other company
can compete with,” says Hans
with pride.
Both Hans and Fredrik
view the timing of the takeover as good, since it happens
to coincide with a strong economic upswing in the forestry
machine industry.
“When things are good for
Komatsu Forest, they are good
for us,” says Hans. ”The best
thing for us is for Komatsu Forest to sell a lot of machines.” r
Facts
Cranab
Owner Hans Eliasson 75%,
Fredrik Jonsson 25%
Net sales 2004
$27.5 million US
Number of employees 130
News
A Komatsu excavator with a 370E harvester head from Veracel in a Eucalyptus stand.
Major deal
in Brazil
Komatsu Forest
has strengthened
its market-leading position in
Brazil. The company
recently received
three large orders
for about 40
machines and about
50 harvester heads.
K
omatsu Forest has
long been market leader in the South American market, with Brazil as the
dominant nation in terms of
numbers of machines. Behind
these three large orders we find
three Brazilian companies, Aracruz, Cenibra, and Veracel.
Aracruz and Cenibra are the
world’s two largest papermakers
and cultivate gigantic eucalyptus plantations, which will be
logged by the machines bought
from Komatsu Forest. Veracel is
a new paper mill to be commis-
sioned in May and which has
bought about 20 Valmet 370E
harvester heads to replace older
Valmet heads.
Aracruz has bought about 30
machines, mainly Komatsu PC200 excavators equipped with
Valmet 370E harvester heads,
and a number of Valmet 890 forwarders. The company has also
bought about 30 Valmet 370E
harvester heads to replace older
Valmet heads that have clocked
up 15,000 hours. The machines
are to work Aracruz’s 220,000
hectares of eucalyptus plantation, which is logged for pulpwood to produce two million
tons of pulp a year.
“The machines are used
in three shifts, which places
tough demands on good maintenance practice and requires
superior access to spare parts,”
explains Lonard dos Santos,
head of marketing at Komatsu Forest Ltda. “We have three
workshops at Aracruz, which
is the world’s largest buyer of
Valmet machines, and a total
of 140 people work with maintenance and spare parts at the
company.”
According to dos Santos, the
high level of service support
offered by Komatsu Forest was
one of the decisive factors in
the deal.
CENIBRA , which produces
one million tons of pulp a year,
bought about ten machines,
including several Komatsu excavator models with different harvester heads. In the main, the
machines were Komatsu PC200s with log loaders and grapple saws and similarly equipped
Komatsu PC-228s. The deal also
includes a few PC-228s with
harvester heads and Valmet 425
tracked feller-bunchers.
The solid service organization was also important in this
deal, as three people are specially employed to take care of
service and spare parts for the
Cenibra machines. r
FSC forestry certification improves silviculture
A review of 18 million
hectares of certified
forest in Sweden, Estonia, Russia, Germany, and the UK
shows that certification from the
Forest Stewardship Council, FSC,
profits society, the environment,
and the economy.
Reduced timber
product production
in Finland
The production of sawn
timber products in Finland decreased by more
than one percent last year. This
is shown in new statistics from
the Finnish forestry industry’s
trade association. The statistics show that the production of
sawn coniferous wood products
dropped from 13,645 million cubic meters in 2003 to 13,465
million cubic meters last year.
On the other hand, cardboard
production increased by 7.5 percent to 14 million tons. The largest increase is mainly accounted
for by so-called tree-free paper.
UPSC at the top
Umeå Plant Science
Centre, UPSC, has been
named the best research institution outside the
USA. This according to a survey
in the American science magazine The Scientist. Through
UPSC, a number of institutions
within Umeå University and the
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences collaborate on plant
and silviculture biotechnology.
35
Facts
Restoration
grants
Grants for restoring meadows
and pasture lands in Sweden
are intended to increase biodiversity and restore cultural values.
Swedish forest owners can receive grants for actual costs
arising from restoration activities and their own labor. Grants
can be awarded for a maximum of 75 percent of restoration costs, with a maximum
amount of SEK 10,000 ($1,430
US) per hectare per year.
Forest owners that are awarded such grants must continue
to graze or mow the land for at
least five years after restoration is complete.
Restoration was an unusual assignment for Lars-Göran Laronsson, second from right in the photo. He got the help he needed from hand cutters Pauli
Kivistö and Patrik Johansson, and had close contact with landowner Ingmar Andersson, middle, and Sydved’s purchasing agent Jaen-Peter Gustavsson.
An unusual assignment
In Sweden, forest
owners can receive
restoration grants
to restore forest
to pasture. This
unusual assignment was given to
forestry machine
owner Lars-Göran
Laronsson.
W
hen forest owner
Ingmar Andersson purchased
the beautiful
land down by lake Alljungen
outside Emmaboda in Blekinge
County, Sweden, he saw immediately that he could do something
good with the property.
36
Not much had been done to
the forest there, with the trees
far too close to one another.
“There were mostly birch
trees, but I think you could find
most any type of deciduous tree
in the woods there,” says LarsGöran, who carried out the restoration with his Valmet 911.1.
really was fun.”
The logging job was unusual
in several ways. To begin with it
demanded extra planning.
“Since the forest owner had
a clear idea of how he wanted it
to look after we had cleared it,
we had a lot closer contact than
is usually the case,” says LarsGöran.
IN ORDER TO be able to
finance the restoration of the
old pastures, the forest owner applied for a grant from the
county council, and was awarded a so-called restoration grant.
Lars-Göran runs his own
company, Sydostavverkning AB,
with a Valmet 911.1 with a 960
harvester head.
“I’ve never had an assignment like this,” he says. ”But it
THE FOREST OWNER had
done a good job of preparing
by cleaning the forest well and
marking the trees that he most
definitely wanted to remain.
“Then I had to plan the logging roads a bit more carefully than usual and the handcutters had more than their share
to do,” says Lars-Göran.
He had to be more careful
with the way the harvester was
used during operations. Timber and brushwood needed to
be clearly and separately placed,
and since it was important that
the brushwood was actually
removed from the forest, LarsGöran was forced to avoid running over it.
SINCE THE assignment was
a restoration, he also needed a machine that was rather easy on the environment.
Lars-Göran thinks that his Valmet 911 dealt with this unusual
assignment very well.
“The 911 is very f lexible,
which made the machine easy
on both the trees that were to
be left standing and the fragile
land itself,” he says. r
ANECDOTAL
Under this heading, Just Forest will print anecdotes and stories from then and now. The editor will be happy to receive
ideas for publication. Send your tips or stories to info.se@komatsuforest.com.
3,400
machine brochures
Can you imagine
having 150 binders
filled with forestry
machine literature at
home? Well, 28-year
old Jimmi Svensson,
from the village Byås
outside Hyltebruk in
Halland, Sweden, can.
Some people collect stamps. Others collect forestry machine literature. Since Jimmi Svensson
was a teenager, he’s collected
sales brochures, spare part catalogs, instruction books, customer
magazines (including Just Forest),
and a whole bunch of other stuff.
He now has about 150 full binders, about 40 of which contain a
total of 3,400 forestry machine
brochures, which in turn include
about 1,150 Valmet brochures.
For those interested in forestry technology history, Jimmi’s collection is a real find. His material
dates back 50 years.
e
l
u
M
Ircolan
ssic
–a
When Tom Gafner and his father
Emil started building the classic
Iron Mule forwarder at the beginning of the 1960s, it was a completely new concept. They themselves
had never seen any such machine
on their travels in North America. At
that time, skidders with rubber tires
were just starting to become popular, but had the disadvantage of rutting the ground when dragging logs
from the forest. As most loggers in
their neighborhood cut the trunks
into shorter timber lengths, Gafner’s
idea was to instead build a machine
that could lift the shorter lengths
and transport them from the forest.
Drawing on inspiration from skidders,
combined with experience of the
trailers they had built for many years,
they eventually produced their first
machine, which they called the Iron
Mule. It was based on a Ford tractor.
The early Iron Mule machines were
all based on Ford tractors, especially
the 3000, 4000, and 5000 models.
After having the forwarder market to themselves for a number of
years, the competition began to
grow. Gafner’s company was eventually bought up by Partek Forest/Valmet in 1988.
Text based on an article by Dave
Wester in TPA magazine.
In the summer of 2004, that new forwarder was finally ready for delivery
– in first-rate condition and squeakyclean, just as it should be.
Unfortunately, things don’t always
go as planned. Once there, the machine was driven off the trailer, and
then to the side, so that the truck
could turn. Sadly, the apparently ‘dry’
ditch at the roadside was a mud trap.
The machine sank like a stone, for
even if it’s an innovative machine, it
can’t float.
The machine was eventually delivered – after much work to get it out
of the ditch. Although not quite as
clean as originally planned.
Delivery on
solid ground
– or not
D
elivering a new machine is
like handing over a new vehicle to a buyer who’s burnt
a big hole in their wallet to get their
dream machine. The paint should
shine and everything should smell
new. It’s all about feeling.
This was also the situation when
the Persson brothers of Bröderna
Persson Forest AB finally fell for the
red-hot Valmet machines after many
years with a competitor’s machines.
37
Wheeled product line
Not all products are available in all markets
901
901
801 Combi
330DUO
Production units
Komatsu Forest AB
Phone: +46 90 70 93 00
Komatsu Forest LLC
North America
Phone: +1 715 524 2820
www.komatsuforestusa.com
www.timbcohyd.com
Timbco
Sales companies
and dealers
EUROPE
AUSTRIA
Karner und Berger GmbH
Phone: +43 2769 84571
www.valmet.at
BELGIUM
Komatsu Forest GmbH
Phone:+49 74549 6020
www.komatsuforest.de
CROATIA
Iverak d.o.o.
Phone: +385 1 291 0399
www.iverak.hr
CZECH REPUBLIC
Valtek a.s.
Phone: +420 272 701 437
www.komatsuforest.cz
38
840
830
860
330
911
890
860
350
360
370
380
385
395
DENMARK
NETHERLANDS
SWITZERLAND
FLORIDA
Valtra Denmark A/S
Phone: +45 76 343 2000
www.valtra.com
W. van den Brink
Phone: +0031 3184 56 228
www.lmbbrink.nl
W Mahler AG
Phone: +41 1 763 5090
www.wmahler.ch
Cotton-Hutcheson, Inc.
Phone: +1 334 578 1812
www.cotton-hutcheson.com
Waters
Truck & Tractor-Meridian
Phone: +1 601 693 4807
www.waterstruck.com
NORWAY
UNITED KINGDOM
IDAHO
MONTANA
Komatsu Forest Ltd
Phone: +44 1228 792 018
Modern Machinery
– Pocatello
Phone: +1 208 233 5345
www.modernmachinery.com
Modern Machinery
– Billings
Phone: +1 406 252 2158
Modern Machinery – Boise
Phone: +1 800 221 5211
Modern Machinery
– Missoula
Phone: +1 406 523 1100
ESTONIA
Ami Logging OU
Phone: +372 562 41192
www.komatsuforest.ﬁ
FINLAND
Komatsu Forest Oy AB
Phone: +358 3265 8311
FRANCE
Komatsu Forest, Devision of
Komatsu France s.a.
Phone: +33 1 30 90 51 00
GERMANY
Komatsu Forest GmbH
Phone: +49 74549 6020
www.komatsuforest.de
Komatsu Forest A/S
Phone: +47 62 57 8800
www.komatsuforest.no
POLAND
Agrex Arcon Sp. z o.o.
Phone: +48 226 410 505
www.agrex-arcon.pl
PORTUGAL
Sefoeste Lda
Phone: +351 244 68 91 00
RUSSIA
UNITED STATES
ALABAMA
Cotton-Hutcheson, Inc.
Phone: +1 251 578 1812
www.cotton-hutcheson.com
G&S Equipment
Phone: +1 334 365 5192
Warrior Tractor Equipment
Phone: +1-255-233-1914
ARIZONA
HUNGARY
Komatsu Forest Oy Ab
Phone: +7 4212 23 8381
Technitrade Kft.
Phone: +36 128 980 80
www.kuhn.hu
Barlows Equipment Co.
Phone: +27 8332 74 317
ARKANSAS
ITALY
SLOVAKIA
Imai
Phone: +39 04 38 43 0171
www.imai.it
Kuhn – Slovakia s.r.o.
Phone: +00421 02 63 838 509
LATVIA
Hitraf S.A.
Phone: +34 986 582 520
www.hitraf.com
Silva Serviss Ltd.
Phone: +371 50 21754
LITHUANIA
Lifore Ltd
Phone: +370 2 602 061
SPAIN
SWEDEN
SweLog Skogsmaskiner HB
Phone: +46 171 41 67 70
www.sweloghb.com
Dodd Diesel
Phone: +1 800 821 5921
Warrior Tractor Co.
Phone: +1 870 367 3497
CALIFORNIA
Sierra Machinery
Services Inc.
Phone: +1 916 655 3077
www.sierramachinery.com
COLORADO
Dodd Diesel
Phone: +1 800 821 5921
CONNECTICUT
Barry Equipment Co., Inc.
Phone: +1 508 949 0005
LOUISIANA
Warrior Tractor Co.
Phone: +1 870 367 3497
MAINE
The Oliver Stores
Phone: +1 207 778 6595
www.theoliverstores.com
MASSACHUSETTS
Barry Equipment Co.
Phone: +1 508 949 0005
MICHIGAN
Roland Machinery
Company
Phone: +1 906 786 6920
www.rolandmachinery.com
MINNESOTA
Road Machinery and
Supplies
Phone: +1 218 741 9011
www.rmsequipment.com
MISSISSIPPI
Power Equipment – Saltillo
Phone: +1 662 869 0283
www.powerequipco.com
NEBRASKA
Black Hills Timber
Equipment
Phone: +1 605 578 2003
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Phone: +1 508 949 0005
The Oliver Stores
Phone: +1 800 339 6595
www.theoliverstores.com
NEW MEXICO
Dodd Diesel
Phone: +1 800 821 5921
NEW YORK
CJ Logging Equipment Inc.
– Boonville
Phone: +1 315 942 4756
Lyons Sawmill & Logging
Equipment Inc. – Little Valley
Phone: +1 716 938 9175
Tracked Product line
Timbco
911 X3M
603
941
425
425
EX10
Harvester
415 EX
Harvester or Feller
840
425 EX
Harvester or Feller
890
425 EXL
Harvester or Feller
445 EX
Harvester or Feller
445 EXL
Harvester or Feller
475 EX
Harvester or Feller
945
960
OHIO
Equipment Inc. – Circleville
Phone: +1 740 474 6028
OREGON
Modern Machinery
– Eugene
Phone: +1 541 688 7321
Modern Machinery
– Portland
Phone: +1 503 255 7841
PENNSYLVANIA
Equipment Inc. – Brookwood
Phone: +1 814 849 4073
Equipment Inc. – Allenwood
Phone: +1 570 538 2504
RHODE ISLAND
Phone: +1 508 949 0005
SOUTH DAKOTA
Black Hills Timber Eqpt
Phone: +1 604 291 6021
TENNESSEE
Power Equipment
– Knoxville
Phone: +1 865 577 5563
475 EXL
Harvester or Feller
Model 233
Power Equipment
– Nashville
Phone: +1 615 213 0900
Modern Machinery
– Spokane
Phone: +1 509 535 1654
Power Equipment
– Memphis
Phone: +1 901 346 9800
WEST VIRGINIA
Terratech Equip – Langley
Phone: +1 604 532 8324
www.terratech.ca
Equipment Inc. – Sutton
Phone: +1 304 765 3810
Terratech – Campbell River
Phone: +1 250 286 0694
Power Equipment
– Chattanooga
Phone: +1 423 894 1870
WISCONSIN
Roland Machinery
Company
Phone: +1 906 786 6920
www.rolandmachinery.com
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Terratech – Cranbrook
Phone: +1 250 489 1715
WYOMING
Terratech – Kamloops
Phone: +1 250 374 6961
UTAH
Black Hills Timber
Equipment
Phone: +1 605 578 2003
Terratech – Prince George
Phone: +1 250 564 8841
Dodd Diesel
Phone: +1 800 821 5921
CANADA
VERMONT
ALBERTA
Power Equipment
– Kingsport
Phone: +1 423 349 6111
Phone: +1 508 949 0005
The Oliver Stores
Phone: +1 800 339 6595
VIRGINIA
Equipment Inc.
Phone: +1 304 765 3810
WASHINGTON
Modern Machinery
– Chehalis
Phone: +1 360 748 4421
Modern Machinery – Kent
Phone: +1 253 872 3530
Coneco Equip – Edmonton
Phone: +1 780 451 2630
www.coneco.ca
Coneco Equip – Calgary
Phone: +1 403 569 1109
Coneco Equip
– Grande Prairie
Phone: +1 780 532 9410
Coneco Equip – High Level
Phone: +1 780 926 2501
Coneco Equip
– Fort McMurray
Phone: +1 780 791 0616
Coneco Equip – Red Deer
Phone: +1 403 340 8343
Coneco Equip – Fort St. John
Phone: +1 250 785 8161
www.coneco.ca
SOUTH AMERICA
NEWFOUNDLAND
& LABRADOR
Equipement Fédéral
– Paradise
Phone: +1 709 782 2151
www.federal-equip.com
ONTARIO
– Timmins
Phone: +1 705 264 4300
Terratech Equip
– Thunder Bay
Phone: +1 807 939 2262
www.terratech.ca
QUEBEC
– Quebec
Phone: +1 418 654 0245
SASKATCHEWAN
BRAZIL
Komatsu Forest Ltda.
Phone: +55 41 667 2828
CHILE
Komatsu Chile S.A.
Phone: +56 419 253 01
www.kch.cl
OTHER MARKETS
AUSTRALIA
Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd
Phone: + 61 2 9725 4077
NEW ZEALAND
Komatsu NZ
+(64)-9-277-8300
www.komatsu.com.au
Coneco Equip – Fort Nelson
Phone: +1 250 774 3215
Terratech Equip – Saskatoon
Phone: +1 306 931 0044
www.terratech.ca
MANITOBA
Terratech Equip – Estevan
Phone: +1 306 634 3108
Barlows Equipment Co.
Phone: +27 8332 74 17
Terratech Equip – Regina
Phone: +1 306 359 3121
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Terratech Equip – Winnipeg
Phone: +1 204 487 1050
www.terratech.ca
NEW BRUNSWICK, PRINCE
EDW. ISLAND & NOVA SCOTIA
– Fredericton
Phone: +1 506 457 5544
NORTH WEST TERRITORIES
Coneco Equip – Yellowknife
Phone: +1 867 669 0738
www.coneco.ca
YUKON
Coneco Equip – Whitehorse
Phone: +1 867 667 7368
www.coneco.ca
SOUTH AFRICA
Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd
Phone: + 61 2 9725 4077
INDONESIA
PT United Tractors Tbk
Phone: +62 21 460 5959
www.unitedtractors.com
39

English - Komatsu Forest

Transcription

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