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July August 2005 - The Logging and Sawmilling Journal
INDUSTRY SHOWS
Swedish Equipment Success
The Elmia Wood 2005 show in June was another success, with a wide variety of equipment and increasing international attendance.
The Elmia Wood show, held in Jönköping, Sweden in June, confirmed its position as the leading international forest show, exceeding the expectations of the show’s organizers.
More than 50,000 visitors attended the show over its four days. A single day, the Friday of the show, saw the most visitors, with 19,300 people—a record for a single day in Elmia Wood’s 30-year history.
The number of foreign visitors increased, with the greatest increases from Brazil, Spain and the Czech Republic. There was healthy representation from Canada, including Logging & Sawmilling Journal.
The show featured a wide variety of forestry equipment, including some new equipment, a selection of which is reviewed below.
Tellefsdal’s U-Grip tire chains
 |
Norway’s Tellefsdal had its U-Grip pattern logging equipment chains at the Elmia show. The chains are designed with an oversized “U” welded to the links. This is said to offer superb chain traction and stability, as both vertical and horizontal links are supported by the tire. This pattern is used in rough conditions in Norway and Sweden, and is rapidly gaining popularity and market share, according to the company. Made of high quality boron steel, the chains have a flexible design in double or triple diamond. The design allows adjustments to be made to fit both new and existing tires, and provides traction and tire protection. |
Dutch Dragon felling head
The Dutch Dragon FH30-K felling head from Holland’s Wellink Machinetechniek was also on display at Elmia. The head can cut softwood up to 30 cm and hardwood up to 22 cm. The extra collector arms allow for collecting wood, keeping smaller trees together and proceeding to the next trees. The FH30-K head has a weight of 1,080 kg, maximum cutting diameter of 30 cm, and required oil flow of 60 to 120 litres/minute. All controls are supplied on the head.
Woody heads feature clawaction for loading wood
The Woody heads from Austria’s Konrad Forested are said to be suitable for harvesting and processing. With their claw action, the Woody heads can load wood as well. The unique and patented frame geometry of the heads makes the processing of crooked timber possible. The Woody can also be used in combination with an alpine harvester or harwarder (a combination of harvester and forwarder).
Due to the upward folding forwardfeeding function, groups of logs can be picked up and processed. Also, a practical, high-value loading claw with a large grabbing capacity and endless rotation is available.
There are two models, the Woody H50 and the Woody H60. The Woody H50 can handle a maximum log diameter of 55 cm, and has a maximum claw opening of 95 cm. It features forward feed power of 24 to 28 kN and forward feed speed up to four m/sec.
The Woody H60 can take up to a 65
cm log and has a maximum claw opening
of 125 cm. Forward feed power is 36 to
45 kN and forward feed speed is up to
four m/sec.
Alliance Tire introduces new forestry designs
 |
The Alliance Tire Company has strengthened its position in the forestry tire market with the introduction of various forestry tire designs in 40 sizes. The designs, some of which were on display at Elmia, feature steel reinforcement applicable for: flotation forestry tires for forwarders and harvesters; agro-forestry R1 tires for combined applications in forestry and agriculture; and LS forestry tires for skidders. The new tires were developed in cooperation with leading machinery manufacturers. Features and characteristics of Alliance tires include: strong nylon |
casings and steel belts; high under-tread gauge; strong, thick sidewalls; special tread compounds; and protective mudguards.
Kesla introduces new harvesting head
 |
Kesla, well known for its Foresteri and Patu equipment, introduced the new Foresteri 30RH harvesting head at Elmia. The head’s maximum sawing diameter is 750 mm and the tip-to-tip delimbing diameter is 480 mm. Constructed of high-strength steel, the head weighs only 1,400 kg, offering an excellent power/ weight ratio, says the company. Trees are fed to the head by three rollers. The exterior rollers are equipped with Sampo-Hydraulics motors of 940 cc or 783 cc. The head frame is equipped with a third roller operated by two Danfoss TMT series motors (400-315 cc). The motors are installed on to the same axle, thus operating as a hydraulic anti-skid system. Trees are delimbed with four moving knives and one |
fixed knife. The long cutting edge of the front knives allows easy removal of heavy limbs. The front knives operate with a common cylinder and both of the back knives are equipped with cylinders of their own.
Australia’s Rotree Spot Cultivator
 |
Australian company Rotree Spot Cultivator had its spot cultivator on display at Elmia. The Rotree Spot Cultivator is said to be lightweight, yet robust in construction. It has mounding boards for better mounding and features low cost, reversible, self-adjusting tynes. It can provide a variety of depths of cultivation through changing ground engaging tools. There are models to suit 12 to 20 tonne excavators, depending on the type of forestry task. The spot cultivators feature integral hydraulic valving.The benefits of the Rotree are said to be low capital cost per spot, and minimal or no clearing/burning of area prior to cultivation. Minimal tillage is required and it has a low environmental impact. |
Contact: Rotree Spot Cultivator, Scottsdale, Australia (03) 6352 2030
Moisio Forest has new harvesting head
The Moisio Forest Moipu 400 on display at Elmia represents a new kind of harvesting head, says the company, designed for forwarders as well as for harvester machines.
With this new combination harvester head, loggers can do a variety of tasks with one machine. The Moipu 400 handles felling, delimbing and loading.
The moving body structure of the Moipu 400 is patented. This new body enables the use of delimbing knives in loading so extra loading knives are not needed and weight is lighter than normal.
With the Moipu 400, tree delimbing is said to be easy. Operators can change the delimbing knives mechanically out from the timber’s surface, increasing the feeding speed and decreasing the need of power.
Maximum delimbing capacity of the Moipu 400 is 40 cm, with a felling capacity of 45 cm. Opening diameter is 120 cm. It has traction force of 18kN, and feed speed up to five m/s.
Working weight of the head is 600 kg. Measuring is done with a Motomit 4/Motomit IT.
Pinox offers bundler/ forwarder combo
 |
The Pinox 828/330 machine is a bundler-forwarder combination, and is said to work well both as a bundler and transport vehicle for the branch bundles or “slash logs.” The Pinox 828/330 is an optimal logging residual harvesting machine, says the company. The collection of the branches into the bundler happens with the help of a rotating cabin and a loader, and the feeding table for the |
bundler has been designed so that it is easy for the operator to feed material into the bundler. The logging residuals are fed into to the bundler using robust steel chain conveyors and reels.
The compression of the material is done between the steel conveyor belts without separate pressure devices. This makes a continual bundling process possible, and decreases the strain towards the structures and components of the machine. The same structural principles and components that have been used in the Pinox harvesters and forwarders have also been used in the bundler machine.
Austrian company offers
wide line of forestry clothing
Austrian company Schutzbekleidung offers a complete line of protective clothing and had a wide variety of forest industry items at Elmia, featuring rain protection clothing, safety boots, gloves and chainsaw protection clothing.
In chainsaw protection clothing, the company’s Kevlar-Extreme protection pants have been developed specifically, as their name implies, for work in extreme conditions, with a Kevlar- Keprotec fabric that is said to be very hard wearing. The pants offer six-layer chainsaw protection.
The pants feature a waterproof, abrasion and oil-resistant front, and a breathable and elastic back, creating space to move. There is an abrasion-resistant Keprotec strengthener around the knees, and the inside lining is made out of extreme high function fibre.
Tigercat
 |
The 2005 Elmia show was especially significant for Tigercat, as the company unveiled its new family of 1000 series forwarders. The culmination of five years of research and development, Tigercat’s new forwarder line consists of the 14- tonne 1055, the 18-tonne 1065 and the 20-tonne 1075. All three machines are powered by the Mercedes 906 engine. The Tigercat forwarder line is characterized by durable design and construction, a |
large comfortable operator’s station and unparalleled access to the engine and hydraulic components, according to the company.
Tigercat displayed an H860C track harvester in addition to the wheel models. The H860C is a new offering for the company and is based on the new 860C platform. Designed in response to market demand from Scotland, the H860C attracted specially strong interest from UK, Australian and North American contractors. The H860C may also be well suited to contractors working in the extensive blow-down in southern Sweden and Denmark.
Deere leverages the brand with its colours
At Elmia, John Deere formally announced the company’s plans to leverage its powerful brand name and well known green and yellow colour combination in its forestry equipment line. Deere publicly introduced its initiative to extend to its forestry products the John Deere name and the green and yellow colour combination already known worldwide in other equipment lines manufactured and marketed by John Deere.
Since the June 2000 acquisition of Timberjack, the company had kept the Timberjack colours and trademark for forestry products. Although some equipment will continue to be built for that brand and colour combination, the company said most of the equipment it manufactures in the future for work in forestry operations will carry the name John Deere and be painted the well-known green and yellow of its world leading agricultural equipment line.
“The John Deere brand carries a 168-year heritage for good stewardship of the land and a reputation for quality, innovation, integrity and commitment,” said Eric Hansotia, vice-president, John Deere Forestry Group. “This change contributes to our single global focus on the forestry business, placing our customers worldwide at the centre of everything we do.”
Since John Deere acquired Timberjack, the synergy of the two organizations has ensured that best practices were shared in technology, business processes and distribution, the company says. Machines made under the Timberjack and John Deere brands already share key components, common suppliers, quality controls, and manufacturing processes.
By placing the John Deere brand on its forestry machines, Hansotia said, the company is providing an outward signal to customers of the internal improvements. He said customers can be assured that they will continue to receive the same high level of committed service from dealers and support programs.
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