International Forest Industries Magazine Dec Jan 2013

IFI Cover Dec/Jan 2012_HR 18/12/2012 11:40

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Peterson ad 10.2012_Layout 1 30/10/2012 16:30 Page 1

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | International Forest Industries 1

CONTENTSDECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 201319

4 Sawpoints 14 World Markets 62 Cutting Edge 64 Advertising Index

COVER: EWD

R E G U L A R F E A T U R E S

PART TWORobin Peach completes his snapshot ofthe products and companies on show atDEMO International Quebec, Canada

50

30 54

30 Industry Voice:The respondents to this year’sIndustry Voice call-out werelargely on the same page when itcame to forecasts for next yearand what customers are askingfor in these difficult times. And,while not overly optimistic, mostsuppliers are happy enough withthe markets to predict a positive,if slow year in 2013

50 High Profile:Peterson Pacific President LarryCumming took an early morningcall from Editor Chris Cann todiscuss the shift in forestrytechnology over the past 40years and why the US continuesto trail Europe in the use ofbiomass fuels

54 Biomass OperationFocus – Vermeer:A North American loggingfamily forced into the chippingbusiness is starting to see thebenefits of the VermeerWC2300 whole tree chipper

52 Biomass OperationFocus – Germany:Getting started in the biomassbusiness was made easier forAndreas Zeller by reliableKomptech technology

58

40

BIOMASS Biomass sector suppliers havetaken their foot of the pedal thisyear in terms of products releasedbut the quality remains historically high

Felling Heads:Tree length harvesting is a serious business thatneeds serious felling heads. For the first time,International Forest Industries has dedicated astand-alone feature to the technology improvinglife for full tree contractors

IFI_PG01_Contents_01 18/12/2012 11:44 Page 1

OPERATION FOCUS

It’s difficult trying to make generalcomment on a forestry sector thatcontinues to be divided.Our annual Industry Voice feature

(pp.30 – 38), which takes in the commentsand predictions on various forestrymarkets and trends, is usually a richsource of information when it comes togaining insight into the business offorestry in general, but this year hasproved disappointing.

From a harvesting and biomass pointof view, it was one of the more candid andfruitful features we have produced. Theassessment of this year was brutallyhonest with a clear indication of thehardships some companies faced, whilethe predictions for next year were notnearly as conservative as in previous years– that is not to say they were all optimistic,but all were honest.

On the sawmilling side, however, thecupboard was just about bear. Of thehandful of major sawmill suppliers weapproached, only Lucidyne provided itsthoughts with rest politely declining totake part without explanation. One wouldlike to pretend that this is because theyare too busy but that is probably beingoptimistic. Another explanation is rooted inthe sawmilling sector’s more protectiveattitude toward their technologies.

Whatever the reason, we have largelybeen left guessing as to how the industryfelt about 2012 and what it expects in2013. And so it suits me quite nicely to puton my sawmillers hat and have a go at thereview and forecasts myself.

It is not difficult to sum up the kind ofyear most sawmillers and sawmillsuppliers endured in 2012, which in a wordcould be described as: difficult. Sawnwoodproduct prices have remained depressedapart from a few spikes in line with higherdomestic uptakes in products related tonatural disaster rebuilds.

Mill managers would have continued totread the fine line between technologyinvestment to improve efficiencies andbasic cash conservation. Making thisslightly easier is the fact that most millersstill in operation have proven, robust

business models. Butthat does not meanthe purse strings haveloosened and so finding cash to makenecessary investments to grow profitsremains a true test.

For next year, it may be possible totake some guidance from the harvestingand biomass sectors, which have takentheir lead from macro-economic forecasts.

The theme for 2013 is for morevolatility. That spells a continuation of thehand-to-mouth existence of manysawmillers. However the term volatility, bydefinition, means there will be strongerperiods as well as low spots and, ifeconomists can be believed, theprevalence of those stronger periods willbe greater in the second half as globalrecovery builds momentum. Leadingcommodities forecaster CRU has predicteda return to pre-crisis level demand in 2014.

So how should we expect sawmillers toapproach 2013? It would be folly tosuggest they will show anything less thanthe caution and vigilance that have typifiedthe past three years and yet they mayfinally dare to think beyond the nextquarter.

Better times ahead for the world in2014 can only be good for the sawmillingindustry and it’s very possible thatmanagers may enjoy a year of modestgrowth and consolidation. And, whoknows, in 2015 they may even blow thecobwebs off the growth strategies andexpansion plans that were shelved in2009.

Having to look out as far as 2015 for areason to smile may seem depressing forsome, but it certainly beats the feeling ofpessimism, or at best uncertainty, carriedthrough the past three years.

So as you crawl out of your festive lull,here’s to a 2013 sprinkled with rays ofsunshine, a 2014 of green shoots, and a2015 of growth!

Enjoy

Chris CannEditor

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EDITORIALT: +44 (0)1442 877 583 F: +44 (0)1442 870 617www.internationalforestindustries.com2 Claridge Court, Lower Kings RoadBerkhamsted, Herts. HP4 2AF, UK

Editorial DirectorJohn Chadwick [email protected]

Editor Chris [email protected]

Editorial BoardDr Patrick Moore – Chairman and ChiefScientist of Greenspirit (Canada)

Darren Oldham – Managing DirectorSöderhamn Eriksson (UK)

Allan Hansard – Chief Executive of theNational Association of Forest Industries(Australia)

Professor Piotr Paschalis-Jakubowicz –Warsaw Agricultural University (Poland)

Andre de FreitasForest Stewardship CouncilHead of Operations

Eduardo MoralesSouth American Forestry Consultant

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International Forest Industries is publishedby International Forest Industries Ltd,2 Claridge Court, Lower Kings RoadBerkhamsted, Herts. HP4 2AF, UK

International Forest Industries (ISSN 1755-6732) ispublished monthly by International forest Industries LtdGBR and distributed in the USA by SPP, 17B S MiddlesexAve, Monroe NJ 08831. Periodicals postage paid at NewBrunswick, NJ. Postmaster: send address changes toInternational Forest Industries, 17B S Middlesex Ave,Monroe NJ 08831.

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2 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

EDITOR’S COMMENT2015 not so far away

ISSUE 31

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

IFI_PG02_Ed Comment_01 18/12/2012 13:03 Page 2

Vermeer ad 12.2012_Layout 1 18/12/2012 10:31 Page 1

http://www.vermeer.com

Forestry Commission Walessaid the disease had beenidentified at five sites in the

Wentwood and Wye Valley areasfollowing laboratory analysis ofsamples taken from the young ashtrees. All the young trees on thesesites have now been lifted anddestroyed as a precautionarymeasure to tackle the seriousdisease.

The disease was also confirmedin North Wales at a newly-plantedsite at Glynllifon College, inGwynedd. The dieback wasspotted by an employee andsamples sent for laboratoryanalysis confirmed the presenceof Chalara.

Meanwhile, a survey of othersites recently planted with ashfrom known infected nurseries iscontinuing. It follows thediscovery of the disease in asmall, recently-planted woodlandin Carmarthenshire.

Environment Minister JohnGriffiths said: “The WelshGovernment is taking the threat ofthis disease very seriously andofficials are working closely withour partners in the ForestryCommission (FC), Defra, the Foodand Environment Research Agency(FERA) and the devolvedadministrations in Scotland andNorthern Ireland on a UK-wideresponse to the threat it poses.

“Tree diseases do not respectcountry boundaries and we needto provide a consistent approach

to this threat in order to meet thedemands of stakeholders and thepublic and to ensure that ourresponse is co-ordinated andbased on the most up to datescientific evidence.”

FC Wales staff and otherstakeholders have carried out anunprecedented rapid survey of thewhole of Wales to check thecondition of the country’s ashtrees. Officials also attended atree health summit in London toassist in the development of anaction plan to manage the diseasein the UK.The key objectives of the planinclude: • Reduce the rate of spread of the

disease • Develop resistance to the

disease in the native UK ash treepopulation

• Encourage public, landownerand industry engagement andaction in tackling the problem,and

• Build resilience in the UKwoodland associated industries. Over the coming weeks, the UK

Government will work withscientific experts and otherinterested groups to develop andimplement the measures in theplan, and to set a longer termapproach to tackling Chalara. TheUK Government has alreadyimposed a ban on imports andmovements of ash plants andseeds into and within GreatBritain.

“I believe the action we havetaken to date is the proportionateresponse at this stage, althoughthis is a rapidly developingsituation and I therefore intend tokeep the position under review in

order to respond quickly to anynew information that mightrequire us to adopt a differentapproach,” Griffiths said.

SAWPOINTS

UK tackles wave of ash tree Chalara dieback Five newly-planted sites in Welsh Government woodlands have been confirmed to have Chalara dieback of ash

Difficulties ahead for Russianlogging industryWood Markets successfullywrapped up its seventhinternational tour of Russia’sforest industry on September16, 2012. Some key issuesidentified during the tourincluded:• Logging in Russia is in trouble.

Costs are rising rapidly andgood timberland is gettingfurther away from the millsand major transportationnetworks. The government isnot investing in transportationinfrastructure for the forestindustry. Logging revenue isseriously impaired due to thelack of a market for coniferouspulp logs and all deciduoustimber (except high-qualitydeciduous export logs)

• Large harvesting companieshave made major capitalinvestments into mechanisedharvesting systems to replacehigh-cost, inefficient, manuallabour. Operation of state-of-the-art logging equipment is atest for minimal Russian

preventative maintenancepractices and very cold winteroperating conditions

• The impact of the new logexport tax is uncertain at thistime. The process is very slow,and the quota allocationprocedure is cloaked insecrecy

• Russian investment in newand modernised sawmills inSiberia is impressive. Still, itremains a question/concernhow well Russians can operatethese new mills on their own

• The quality of red pine, larchand spruce saw logs in Siberiais very good: likely the best-quality softwood sawlogs inthe world.

WOOD MARKETS is publishing anew report on the russian woodproducts industry which will beavailable in March 2013. Source: International WoodMarkets Group,www.woodmarkets.com


IFI_PG04_13_Sawpoints_01 18/12/2012 11:50 Page 4

http://www.woodexpo2013.com


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Nate Clark, manager,corporate citizenship andvice president of the John

Deere Foundation, received theAmerican Loggers Council’s (ALC)President’s Award at its 18thAnnual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene,Idaho. Clark joins Andrew Bondeand Don Switzer as the third JohnDeere representative honouredwith the award.

“Nate was selected because ofhis outstanding work serving as

the chair of the membershipcommittee implementing goalsand targets that have put us on apath to success,” said ALCexecutive vice president DannyDructor. “There has been a longstanding recognition of John Deereand the working relationship theyhave with the American LoggersCouncil.”

Established in 1999, thePresident’s award is grantedannually to recognise individuals

who have continuously goneabove and beyond in their serviceto the organisation. AmericanLoggers Council President SteveSherich presented the award toClark and California logger MylesAnderson for their dedication andaccomplishments. Clark previouslyserved as manager, tacticalmarketing, for the construction &forestry division, and chair of theALC membership committee.

“It’s truly an honour to be

recognised by such an influentialand important organisation,” Clarksaid. “The American LoggersCouncil is the unified, nationalvoice for professional loggersacross the United States, and itplays a vital role in protecting andenhancing an industry and way oflife essential to many of our ruralcommunities.”


SAWPOINTS

Top American Logger Councilaward goes to John Deereemployee

Vice President of the John DeereFoundation, Nate Clark

EU forestry associations unite to help EU industry prosperBy signing a Memorandum ofUnderstanding this week, theexecutive directors of fourEuropean associations –theConfederation of European ForestOwners (CEPF), the EuropeanState Forest Association(EUSTAFOR), the EuropeanConfederation of WoodworkingIndustries, and the Confederationof European Paper Industries(CEPI) – formally committedthemselves to strengthen theircommunication and cooperation inthe future.

The four organisations,representing the core of theEuropean forest sector, have a longhistory of regular communicationand frequent cooperation. Forestryplays a prominent role in the workof each association.

The associations representmajor stakeholders of theEuropean forest resource-holdingside (the forest owners) and theprocessing side (the forest-basedindustry) – embodying the keyplayers of the entire European

forest and timber value chain. Allfour organisations are alsoshareholders of the Forest basedSector Technology Platform (FTP).

The purpose of this memorandumis to formally agree to:• Regularly meet, communicate

and exchange information aboutforest and forest-based sectors,relevant topics and policydevelopments at EU and pan-European level, and theactivities of each organisation

• Observe risks and opportunitiesof non-forest and forest policiesfor the forest and forest-basedsector at EU and pan-Europeanlevel

• Explore options of cooperationand common activities. Inparticular to strengthen andpromote forest and forest-basedsector positions within EU andpan European policy processesand other related initiatives.

The common principles of the

forest sector core group are:• Promote the principles of

sustainable forest managementand facilitate its implementationat all levels

• Promote the use of wood andresource efficiency

• Promote the relevance of theforest and forest-based sector inrural development and a globalgreen economy.

Future looks bright in BC asupgraded sawmill reopensCanfor Corporation officiallyreopened its operations atRadium Hot Springs, BritishColumbia, on October 29,following a $38.5 million capitalinvestment to upgrade thesawmill and build a new planermill. When the mill is running atfull capacity in 2013, it’sexpected to produce 240 millionboard ft/year and directlyemploy 144 people.

“This investment shows howoptimistic Canfor is about thefuture of our industry and this

region,” Canfor president andCEO Don Kayne said at theofficial reopening event onOctober 31. “The mill has beentotally reconfigured so that itcan produce high-quality lumberproducts for customers aroundthe globe, and do so efficientlyand competitively.”

Forests Minister SteveThomson responded to the newsby saying: “This is clearevidence of the success ofinnovative and progressivemeasures British Columbia has

taken to strengthen our forestindustry. Our government, inpartnership with the Canadiangovernment and the BC forestindustry, has developed newmarkets and increased demandfor our forest products – leadingto jobs and economic benefitsfor families in communities likeRadium Hot Springs.”

Canfor President and Chief Executive Don Kayne



http://www.tigercat.com

SAWPOINTS


Bandit adds several newdealers in the Midwest,Northeast, and South

Miner’s Equipment and Truck Repair –Oklahoma CityMiner’s Equipment and Truck Repair willstock and sell new Bandit chippers andstump grinders, and they will also stock afull range of Zenith knives.

Bobcat of Bowling Green – SouthernKentuckyAlready well established as a respecteddealer for numerous brands includingBobcat, Husqvarna, Wacker Neuson andmore, the seasoned staff will now offersales and service for Bandit hand-fedchippers and stump grinders.

Huntsville Tractor and Equipment –Northern AlabamaHuntsville Tractor and Equipment willstock and sell Bandit hand-fed chippersand stump grinders, joining their alreadyimpressive inventory of equipment fromthe likes of Kubota, New Holland,Takeuchi and more.

Knickerbocker Russell Company –Western Pennsylvania, Northern West VirginiaBandit hand-fed chippers and stumpgrinders are now a part of KnickerbockerRussell’s impressive fleet, backed by aqualified sales, parts and service team.Bandit factory parts and Zenith knives formost chipper makes/models are alsoavailable through Knickerbocker.

Tri-State Bobcat – Minnesota andWestern WisconsinTri-State Bobcat will stock Bandit hand-fed chippers and stump grinders as wellas a full range of Zenith knives.

CJ Logging Equipment – New York andConnecticutThis prestigious company is well-knownand respected among loggers in theregion, and they will now serve thosecustomers with Bandit’s line of largeequipment, including whole tree chippersand Beast horizontal grinders.

The Oliver Stores – New Hampshire,Vermont, MaineThe company offers top-of-the-line timberharvesting, processing, industrial, andconstruction equipment with sales andservice from three locations in Maine, andone in New Hampshire. Bandit is veryexcited to be a new addition to thislegacy; bringing whole tree chippers andBeast horizontal grinders to customers inMaine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.


http://www.banditchippers.com


http://www.banditchippers.com


Processing and Energy Expoin mid-October was a freshstart for both wood

processing trade shows and thebattered wood producers of NorthAmerica.

The show used to be the largestin the Pacific North West but died anatural death as the forest productsindustry hit hard times. However,2012 heralded a fresh start – it wasa new show held at a new location.Over 40,000 ft2 of exhibition spacewas used by 160 exhibitors andexhibition space sold out weeksbefore the show.

The mood of exhibitors and thoseattending the show wasoverwhelmingly upbeat: producersand suppliers were talking aboutkey indicators all pointing to arecovery in the US market. Julyhousing starts were up 29% overprojections from a year ago,projections for new constructionwere looking positive and pricesand order files had both picked up

markedly in the lead up to the show. Many suppliers commented

that sales for 2012 were expectedto be the best seen in severalyears and mills are now openingtheir purse strings and looking toupgrade or replace worn orobsolete systems to meet marketdemand and maintain theircompetitiveness.

The show highlighted the verylatest machinery, supplies andservices for the primary lumber,engineered wood products, paneland wood energy industries. Newproduct innovations were rolledout and demonstrated, and anumber of innovations by leadingtechnology providers wereunveiled for the first time at theshow.

This optimism was a huge boostin the lead up to WoodEXPO 2013which runs in both New Zealandand Australia in September. TheForest Industry EngineeringAssociation (FIEA) was in Portland

in October to meet with keytechnology providers who hadbeen involved in previous FIEAtechnology events, or those thathad customers in Australasia oragents representing them in thispart of the world, to discussopportunities for WoodEXPO 2013.

“Without exception, they wereexcited with the concept and werecommitted to this region’s firstWoodEXPO in September 2013,”FIEA Director, Brent Apthorp said.“The unique way WoodEXPO 2013has been designed was of keeninterest to North Americancompanies. It means they’ll beable to meet and work with bothNew Zealand and Australiancompanies at two separate shows– all within the space of under twoweeks.

“With the US market finallypicking up they’re very keen onservicing and working with localwood processing, manufacturingand panels companies. We’re

confident in getting through toWoodEXPO 2013 all of the majorsuppliers of wood processingtechnologies suited to localoperations. Already, withexhibition packs just been sentout to the market, stands arealready being sold and we’reconfident of a full house on bothsides of the Tasman comeSeptember next year.”

Over the next month or so FIEAwill be working with leadingtechnology providers that havealready expressed an interest onbeing involved in the two-days oftechnology workshops. A worldclass program to profile the verylatest tools and technologies localcompanies can use to improvetheir own operating efficiencies isbeing set up as part of thecomprehensive WoodEXPO 2013program.

Full details on the exhibitioncan be found on the event websitewww.woodexpo2013.com

“Upbeat” NorthAmerican woodindustry eyes role in WoodEXPO 2013

The Timber Processing and Energy Expo in Portland whet theappetite for next year’s WoodEXPO in New Zealand and AustraliaSAWPOINTS

Partnership between Autolog and AMS Solutions to benefit saw and planer millsAutolog, a leader in optimisationand controls, has reached anagreement with AMS Solutions, aBC-based industrial automationcompany, to act as its technicalrepresentative and support groupfor Western Canada and the USA.

Autolog has produced high endoptimisation systems for the woodindustry for over 25 years. AMSSolutions have similar experiencewith engineering leading-edgeautomation systems. Thispartnership brings together thestrengths of each company,greatly benefitting the market byadding local sales and support for

Autolog products in WesternCanada and the USA, as well asproviding greater access to AMSSolutions products and expertisethroughout North America.

Autolog will focus primarily onoptimisation systems, while AMSSolutions will provide controlswith after-sales support andservice. AMS Solutions’ strengthin sawmill breakdown equipment,combined with Autolog’s advancedoptimisation, will provide a levelof performance not previouslyachieved. Product lines, such asthe Autolog Grade Stamp Printerand the AMS Solutions IdealSTICK

will be available from bothcompanies.

Both companies are eager todemonstrate to the industry how

their partnership can helpmaximise returns in sawmills,planer mills and panel mills.



http://www.barko.com

Rising market demand forcustomised products isconfronting wood

processors and the skilled tradeswith unprecedented challenges.

Today’s processing solutionshave to cope with all kinds of orderscenarios, from mass productionthrough to single-lot production.They also have to be able to caterfor an increasingly diverse range ofmaterials and products. At thesame time, manufacturers have tofind new ways of compensating forthe productivity losses arising fromincreasingly customisedproduction.

While the emphasis in large-scale serial productionenvironments is on optimisingprocess flows, SMEs are morefocused on flexible processingsystems. These types of companiesare looking for innovative solutionsthat offer a broad range of

applications. For SMEs, the key toremaining competitive is the abilityto keep up with and respond toever-changing market trends.

More and more manufacturersare also seeking out integratedsolutions that can perform thework processes of multiplemachines. For these reasons,LIGNA 2013 will be putting thespotlight on the latest generationof flexible, multi-function machinesand aggregate technologysolutions.

German machinery suppliersalready have a solid a reputation asproviders of high-quality, state-of-the-art multi-functional processingsystems. Machines that arecapable of sizing, profiling andencasing raw panels in a singlepass have been in use in thefurniture industry for a number ofyears. LIGNA 2013 will beshowcasing the next generation of

these machines as well asintegrated solid wood processingsolutions that are designed to caterfor the ever-increasing diversity ofsurface finishes demanded by themarket.

The latest multifunctionmachines are now capable ofreproducing freely programmablethree-dimensional structureswithout the need for expensiveupgrade kits. Units like these allowSMEs both to deliver lucrativespecial orders and mass produceconventional products quickly andefficiently.

Today’s state-of-the-art grindingmachines offer all sandingprocesses in one workstation, fromcross and longitudinal sandingthrough to high-gloss finishes.Ageing effects, which used torequire multiple work-intensiveprocessing steps, can now beachieved in a single, continuousoperation, resulting in significantproductivity gains and spacesavings over traditional angularsystems.

Conventional timber sawingsolutions can also expect to facesome stiff competition from newtechnologies at LIGNA 2013. Thelatest systems combine panel, ripand docking saws in one multi-functional unit. For timberprocessors, this means majorcapital investment savings andefficiency gains.

Combined sawing-storagesolutions are also gaining groundin the industry, not least becauseof their automatic panel storageand feed systems, which minimisemachine idle time. They alsominimise scrap and processingwaste, reduce labour costs and areable to handle a diverse range ofmaterials and dimensions.

Five-axis technology hassignificantly expanded the areas ofapplication of CNC machiningcentres. LIGNA 2013 will feature anumber of machining centres whichrepresent the next evolutionarystage of this technology: six-axissystems. Here, too, the trend istowards greater flexibility and morecompact machines. Adapter

aggregates that can do the work ofup to five conventional toolassemblies in stair, door andwindow manufacturing operationsare likely to create a major splashat next year’s show. Users of thesesystems benefit from significantlyreduced retooling times and higherproductivity.

Modular systems offer analternative approach to retooling.Timber processors are sure to find asolution for their specific needs andjust about any application amongthe wide range of different upgradekits on show at LIGNA 2013.

A number of new-generationhorizontal panel saws on display atthe fair will feature an additionalpusher, enabling multiplesimultaneous cutting cycles.Manufacturers of throughfeeddrilling machines have alsoembraced the multi-taskingproduction principle. Selectedthroughfeed drilling machines nowfeature drilling heads that are fittedwith both vertical and horizontalspindles. Multiple-spindle drillingheads significantly boost theproductivity of timber windowmanufacturing operations sincethey can perform many of thevarious processing steps requiredfor the application of windowfittings, thereby replacing a wholeraft of individual angle drillingheads.

The idea of combining twoprocessing steps in a singlemachine can also be found in thelatest generation of vacuumpresses. These enable the pre-heating and moulding ofthermoplastic materials in a singleprocessing step. Even hand-heldpower tools are following the multi-tasking trend. For instance, LIGNA2013 will feature multi-planers thatcan cut, mill and slot a wide rangeof different materials, includingtimber, gypsum, and aluminium.For users, the trend towardsmultifunctional and multiproductprocessing systems opens up newopportunities to leverage multiplebenefits from a single machineinvestment.

Trend towards multitasking machineswill be focus of LIGNA 2013LIGNA 2013 will showcase the next generation of highly flexible, multi-functional wood processing machines

SAWPOINTS



http://www.ligna.de/home

Komatsu has added the Logmax brand to its product offering


SAWPOINTS

Log Max InternationalChairman Stig Linderholmrecently decided with help

from the board to sell Log Max AB(LMAB) and Log Max Inc (LMI),LMAB’s US sales subsidiary, toKomatsu Forest.

Komatsu Forest is a member ofthe Komatsu Group, the secondlargest construction machinerygroup in the world. KomatsuForest, which is based in Umea inSweden, is specialised in themanufacturing and marketing offorest machine equipment such asharvesters, forwarders and fellerbunchers.

In this transaction, LMAB andLMI will be acquired by KomatsuForest while Eco Log Sweden andits subsidiaries (EL Group) willremain an independent operationunder the current management.LMAB will continue to supplyharvester heads to EL Group as ithas done in the past.

Harvester heads made by LMAB

and Komatsu Forest are mutuallycomplementary in terms of thetype of harvesting as well as treesizes and this is the primaryreason for this transaction.

“Mike Arsenault and I are goingto step back and support LMAB asconsultants while the othermembers of the managementteam will remain in their currentpositions,” Linderholm explained.“Please be reassured thatKomatsu has confirmed it has nointention to restructure at LMABand LMI, and it has no intention tochange the current relationshipwith distributors.

“Personally, I think thatKomatsu is a fair and reliablecompany backed by anestablished management teamand technologies. Therefore, Ihave chosen Komatsu as theacquirer for LMAB and LMI. I hopeand believe that LMAB and LMIcan achieve further growth andexpansion within Komatsu.”

Komatsu Forest buys Logmax International


http://www.woodmizer.com


WORLD MARKETS

Rebuilding after US hurricaneboosts timber demandAccording to reports by ForestryResearch Associates (FRA), timberprices are rising as a result of therecent devastation caused byHurricane Sandy, which could

mean growing returns for thosewith investments in timberland.

The Chicago MercantileExchange was up by the maximumdaily rate of $10/1,000 bdft. The

rise is the result of the demand fortimber for use in the rebuilding ofthousands of homes, which weredamaged by the hurricanethroughout the Eastern US. DarylSwetlishoff, from Raymond James,told Canada’s Globe and MailNewspaper, “Lumber prices areatypically high for this point in theyear and bucking a seasonal trendalready”.

Several large forestry firms inCanada are now preparing to uptheir production in order to meetthe new demand for lumber. TheUS might also import timber fromelsewhere, such as Latin America,according to FRA’s analysispartner Peter Collins. Collinsexplained: “The impact of Sandy

was obviously devastating formany people living on the EastCoast and the demand for timberto quickly rebuild their homes willbe huge.”

Investing in sustainable timber,through plantation projects likethose run by GreenwoodManagement and other similarfirms in Brazil, can be a lucrativeoption at the moment. “Severalanalysts are predicting a boom intimber prices as demand continuesto creep up,” Collins said.

Prices are high due to strongdemand from emerging economieslike China and India, which areimporting huge amounts of timberfor house building andinfrastructure development.

Forestry investmentsgain wider mainstreamacceptance

Organisations are buyinginto agricultural and agro-forestry investments as

they reduce exposure to publicequity risk and seek more fixedincome returns. These are oftenstrategic long term investmentswith sustainability being a keycriteria. Investors are looking forclimate friendly, sustainable andreal assets with a minimumprojected financial return of 5%per annum.

The UK’s Environment AgencyPension Fund (EAPF) recentlyannounced it will be investing inreal assets including “farmland,forestry and timber”, areaspreviously not pursued by thisparticular pension fund.Furthermore, they were lookingglobally for investments –

recognition of the opportunitiesthat exist in this growinglyimportant asset class.

Some UK local governmentauthorities have openly statedtheir interest in forestry assetsdue to their use as a possiblehedge on inflation, as well as theappeal to trustees who often viewtrees as serving a social purposewhilst also being an investment.

Meanwhile, pension funds inScandinavia and Canadacommonly use forestry as an assetin pension portfolios. Investmentmanagers value forestry assets ina similar fashion to bonds: valueretention with income generation.

These strategic marketdevelopments are taken aspositive endorsements by theprofessional team at Sustainable

Capital in Luxembourg: “Portfoliodiversification is more importantthan ever for investors but addinga few more equities to a portfolio,or another real estate asset is notefficient diversification,” MichaelYoung, Chartered Financial Analystand Director of SustainableCapital said.

“Previously investors diversifiedusing a variety of real estateassets, equities, high-yieldingbonds and currencies but we sawin 2008-09 that all these assetclasses fell in tandem. Forestryand agriculture assets offer adifferent return and volatilityprofile to traditional portfolioconstituents.”

Sustainable agriculture andagro-forestry is not correlated totraditional stocks and shares and

has been a boom factor since theeconomic and banking sectorcrisis. Young goes on to explainhow “by creating a fund withdiverse natural resourceinvestments across differentspecies, regions and markets theoverall risk is dissipated, therebygiving greater security andimproved risk adjusted returnpotential for investors”.

However forestry andagriculture as an asset class isbetter suited to sophisticatedinvestors who understand thereturn, risk, liquidity andinvestment horizon characteristicsof the projects. A medium to longterm investment period isrequired, often in excess of sevenyears before an exit opportunitypresents itself.

IFI_PG14_18_World Markets_01 18/12/2012 11:54 Page 14

http://www.elmia.se/sv/wood


http://www.fecon.com


WORLD MARKETS

New Zealand log exportshave remained consistentthis year, recording a

seventh consecutive month above1 million m³ in August. Year todate figures showed a 3% increasein exports compared to the year toAugust 2011 on the back of astrong month in June. Exports toChina are up 9% compared toyear-to-August totals for 2011,despite China importing less logsoverall during this time.

China has continued its trend ofdecreasing imports, with August’srolling quarter total being 21%below the rolling quarter total for2011. Average monthly imports for2012 have been over 450,000 m³below those of 2011. Growth inChina is slowing down, as itseconomy is heavily linked to theEurozone via its exports. AsEurope slows down most Asianmarkets will to some extent go

with it. China is, however,investing heavily in domesticinfrastructure that will give aboost to construction. Much of theinvestment is in the interior, whereRussian logs may be better placedto take advantage of demand asNew Zealand logs will have toenter through eastern ports.

Most of the decreases in China’simports are from Russian andPacific North Western markets.This has led to New Zealandsignificantly increasing its marketshare in China this year, movingfrom a 23% share in August lastyear to a 34% share in August thisyear.

Indian demand is slowing forlogs as inventories are full up andinvestment in infrastructure iswaning. Supply is fragmented,while exports to India in July werevery low and picked up again inAugust. Export volumes were

down for 2012 compared to 2011,and monthly volumes have beenmuch more variable as high priceshave attracted huge volumes attimes which have then causedoversupply that suppresseddemand. Supply to India isreducing, and that should seeinventories right themselves in thecoming months.

South Korean inventories are ingood balance with supplymatching consumption. Buildingactivity in South Korea is easing,as like most of New Zealand’smajor markets in Asia its economyis largely tied to Europe. ThoughNew Zealand exports to Koreareduced by around 15% in 2012 incomparison to 2011, New Zealandstill retains a large market share.South Korean imports of NewZealand logs made up 60% of logimports for the third quarter of2012.

Exports to Japan increased inAugust to just over 95,000 m³ –the largest monthly figure in thelast four years, besides May’s totalof 145,260m³. Though NewZealand supplies close to 20% ofJapan’s log imports, it’s a verysmall contributor to Japan’simports of lumber. Japan’s lumberimports are a much bigger marketthan log imports.

Pacific North West exports toChina have lowered considerablythis year. Most of the decrease isfrom the US, although until AugustCanada was expected to exportless to China than in 2011. As theUS housing recovery gainsmomentum less wood will beexported. This will likely lead toNew Zealand gaining more marketshare in the major Asian markets.

Log exports for New Zealandremain steady

Low value domestic currency helps keep demand for Brazilian logs highPulp mills and sawmills in Brazil became more competitive in2012, because the costs for the wood raw-material, accountingfor about 70% of production costs, have declined by over 20 %since 2011, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly

Pulp mills and sawmills in Brazilbecame more competitive in 2012mostly thanks to a weakeningBrazilian real. Pine sawlog pricesin Brazil, in US dollar terms, fell22% in just one year, and prices inthe June quarter of 2012 were at alevel below where they were justbefore the financial crisis that hitin 2008, according to the WoodResource Quarterly.

In the local currency, on theother hand, prices have actuallyincreased steadily and in thesecond quarter of 2012 were attheir highest levels in over fouryears. Domestic demand for woodproducts was a key driver for the

higher log costs – in 2010 and2011, the local lumber market wasstrong because of majorinvestments in the housingconstruction sector in Brazil.However, the domestic marketslowed in 2012 and, instead,lumber and plywood exportsslowly picked up steam as thosesectors have benefited from theweakening Brazilian real and theBrazilian forest industry becamemore competitive in theinternational market.

With the Brazilian real expectedto continue to stay weak againstthe US dollar, market participantsare hoping for increased exports

of lumber, plywood and value-added products in the comingmonths. If this scenario actuallycomes to fruition, demand forsawlogs may go up and log priceswill likely move up in bothBrazilian real and dollar terms.Although Brazilian pulplog priceshave not changed much in thelocal currency, they have fallendramatically in US dollar terms asthe real weakened this past year.

Eucalyptus pulplog prices in thesecond quarter were down 28%from the same quarter in 2011,while pine pulplog prices declined26% from a year ago, according tothe WRQ.

The recent dramatic pricereductions of pulpwood have hadthe result that the wood costs forBrazilian pulpmill now are amongthe lowest of all regions trackedby the WRQ, as compared to ayear ago when wood fibre costs inBrazil were above the Global WoodFiber Price Indices (SFPI andHFPI). Since wood fibre costsaccounted for about 70% of theproduction costs for pulp mills inBrazil in the second quarter, thesubstantial reduction in pulpwoodprices has made the country’spulp mills more competitive in2012 relative to other pulpproducers around the world.



http://www.usnr.com

Biomass has been beatenback in the past couple ofyears as price has become

a barrier for companies andcountries alike. Governments havefound it hard to justify subsidieson green energy programs andlarge capital expenditure on newprojects as people the world overbattle with a poorer economicoutlook.

The US biomass industry hasbeen particularly badly shaken,though its strength was debatablein the first place, while Europe hasmaintained some strength, thoughover-enthusiastic nations likeSpain have been forced to take a

realistic look at the sustainabilityof their green energy projects.

And perhaps that’s notnecessarily a bad thing. Proppingup inefficient energy programs isdifficult to justify from anenvironmental point of view and itcan also be argued that energyprovision that is not efficient andeconomical is never going to besustainable.

This year’s biomass feature isprobably an accurate reflection onthe industry. New product releasesare low but there a handful ofstandout companies that continueto provide innovations. These arethe companies that will be

strongest on the other side of thiscurrent lull.

Size reductionCommercial waste, bulky waste,mixed construction waste andlight C&D waste are all demandingmaterials that take a lot of powerand energy to shred.

As a consequence, many cost-conscious operators rely on theTerminator direct low-speeduniversal shredder fromKomptech. This stationary single-shaft machine has anelectromechanical direct drivesystem that uses 30% less energythan hydraulic machines, for 30%lower costs.

It is powered by a heavy-dutyasynchronous motor driving azero-maintenance Powerband beltsystem, which transfers the

energy to a two-speed reversingtransmission with speciallydeveloped high-performanceclutches. From there, the powergoes directly to the shaft withalmost no energy loss.

High efficiency and low costsThe greatest benefit of thismechanical direct drive is its highefficiency. The Terminator directgives high throughput withsubstantially less energyconsumption than comparablehydraulic-drive shredders. Theresulting low operating costsmake waste treatment moreprofitable, for highercompetitiveness. Since theTerminator direct uses no highpower hydraulics, there are noneof the associated highmaintenance costs. Together withits notably lower investment costs,

Quality over quantity

Biomass sector suppliers have taken their

foot of the pedal this year in terms of products

released but the quality remains historically

high. With Paul Moore

The direct drive Terminator is the answer

whenever continuous high performance for

demanding materials is required, and the

composition of the input material is largely

known and constant – Komptech


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Demanding tasks that require continuous performance are suited to Komptech’s Terminator

The Terminator direct saves up to 30% of energy costs versusconventional shredders, and is extremely tough

IFI_PG19_27_Biomass feature_01 18/12/2012 12:10 Page 19

this means the machine pays foritself faster.

“The direct drive Terminator isthe answer whenever continuoushigh performance for demandingmaterials is required, and thecomposition of the input materialis largely known and constant,”the manufacturer said.

Two speeds and highcontrary-resistanceThe Terminator direct has twoconstant speeds. The higherspeed is for easily shreddedmaterial. For tougher materials,the operator can manually switchto a lower speed with highertorque. Like with hydraulicversions, if a contrary causes ablockage, the control electronicsautomatically switch theTerminator into reverse. The drumreverses, frees itself up, and thencontinues shredding. Even a highnumber of blockages within ashort time will not cause eitherthermal or mechanical damage.

Four shredding units for aperfect fit The range of applications of thisdirect-drive single-shaft shredderextends from coarse pre-shredding to the even shreddingof residual waste to a set grain.Komptech offers four differentshredding units to fit the inputmaterial and desired output size:U for Universal, UF for UniversalFine, F for Fine and XF for Extra-Fine output. The easily operated,‘steplessly’ adjustable shreddinggap adjustment is a further plus –the wider the gap between drumand counter comb, the coarser theshredding.

Komptech offers the Terminatordirect in six power classes, from75 to 320 kW.

Bandit Industries has released thenew Model 2550XP self-propelled

stump grinder with up to 44 hp.Featuring beltless hydrostaticdirect-drive, the Model 2550XPsets all-new standards for stumpgrinder production, reliability, chipcontainment, and lowmaintenance, according to Bandit.Compared to similar stumpgrinders with traditional belt drive,the Model 2550XP typically has asignificantly lower cost-of-ownership through reducedmaintenance needs and lessdowntime.

“The Model 2550XP is a highproduction stump grinder that hasthe power to go after large-scaleprojects or big stumps,” BanditSmall Equipment Sales Manager,Jason Morey, said. “Companiesthat spend a lot of time grindingstumps will really enjoy thismachine, as it can get just aboutanywhere, tackle just about anysized stump, and it powersthrough them in no time. It alsooperates just as smooth as our

smaller 2250XP, and of coursewith no belts there is far lessdowntime for maintenance.”

The reduced maintenancecomes from the high-powerhydrostatic motor used to directlypower the cutter wheel withvirtually no parasitic power loss.This eliminates the need for aclutch, jackshaft, drive belt, belttensioning system, and the manysheaves and bearings associatedwith those components. This alsoallows the engine to be mountedlower and at the rear of themachine for better balance. Anoptional four-wheel drive systemis available for exceptional all-terrain traction, and with standardflotation tires the Model 2550XPcan harmlessly traverse delicatelandscaping. Engine options rangefrom 35 hp or 38 hp gasolineengines, or a pair of Kubotadiesels with either 35 hp or 44 hp.

Once at the job site, the 2550XPbrings a massive 125 cm (50 in)swing arc to cover a broad area,reducing the need to repositionthe machine at the stump. It cutsto a maximum depth of 33.75 cm(13.5 in), and it features rubberchip curtains on both theoperator's console and themachine itself to aid in chipcontainment. A standard swing-out operator's station provides thecontrols for the drive system,cutter wheel swing, and up/downmovements of the cutter head,

while also positioning theoperator at a clear viewing angleto the grinding action. An optionalwireless remote control with atether backup is available foroperators who prefer to be awayfrom the machine. A hydraulicgrading blade is also available andrecommended for assisting withclean-up after the stump isremoved.

“We’ve spent a lot of timetalking with people in the industry,grinding stumps every day,”Morey said. “Having a machinewith the power to get throughstumps quickly is important, butso is reliability.

“Regular stump grinders havecome a long way in the last 10years, and if you keep an eye onthe belts they perform well. Withthe 2250 and now the 2550, we’vetaken a new step towards creatingthe ideal stump grinder – one thathas the power people need butdoesn’t need quite so muchattention to maintenance.Changing or adjusting belts isn’treally hard, but after using abeltless 2250 or 2550, you’llwonder how you ever put up withbelts in the first place.”

Jeffrey Rader Corporation hasbeen awarded a contract to supplya boiler feed metering system toBurmeister & Wain Energy ofDenmark. The feed system will bean integrated part of BWE’s scopeof supply for the SleafordRenewable Energy Plant inLincolnshire, England.

The wood chip fuel feed systemwill be part of a 38.5 MW biomasspower plant that produces enoughenergy to power approximately65,000 households andbusinesses fed through theelectric distribution grid.

“This type of alternative fuelfeed system is typical of the typeof equipment Jeffrey RaderCorporation has been supplying inrecent years,” Jeffrey RaderDirector of Sales, EngineeredSystems, Ted Gentile.

The wood chip feeding systemwill augment the main straw fuelfeed system and allow for dualfeed of wood chips and straw fuelsimultaneously. Two boiler feedsystems will supply about 20 tphof wood chip fuel to the straw andwood chip fired boiler.

“The system, comprised of an

BIOMASS

Having a machine with the power to

get through stumps quickly is important,

but so is reliability – Jason Morey, Bandit

The Bandit Model 2550XP stump grinder




assembly of the company’sstandard components, acceptsfuel from the fuel yard that hasbeen pre-sized. As part of a utilitypower plant fuel feed system, theequipment must be heavy dutyand most of all reliable under24/7 operation,” Gentile said.

The system is scheduled to beinstalled and operational by theend of 2013 and the power plantwill commence production by mid-2014.

“Jeffrey Rader Corporation hasthe ability to supply all of thenecessary equipment for theboiler feed system, allowing ourcustomers to meet theirobjectives, including project cost,schedule and long termreliability,” Jeffrey Rader VicePresident, Engineered Systems,Tony Lubiani said.

Meanwhile, the company hasalso secured a contract to supplya complete biomass fuel materialhandling system to GEMMA PowerSystems for the ETEC WoodvilleRenewable Power project inWoodville, Texas.

The system will be part of a49.9 MW biomass fueled powerplant. The plant will provide powerto members of several electriccooperatives that are part of East

Texas Electric Cooperative (ETEC). “This is a significant project for

the biomass energy industry in theUSA and a major project for theEngineered Systems Group atJeffrey Rader Corporation,"Lubiani said.

The material handling system isdesigned to unload and store justunder 3,000 tpd.

Because this is a power plantthat will operate 24 hours a day, 7days a week, the fuel handlingsystem has to be highly reliable,low maintenance and have a highpercentage of availability. Thebiomass material handling systemby Jeffrey Rader includes truckdumpers, processing equipment,an open stockpile for storage,underpile traveling screwreclaimers, all interconnecting beltconveyors, structures andassociated equipment. Delivery ofthe equipment will begin in April2013. The power plant isscheduled to complete operationin late 2014.

North American chipping companyCBI’s two most recent innovationsare the Magnum Force 5800 andthe ChipMax 484V.

The Magnum Force 5800 wasdesigned to meet specific size

constraints. at 27.2 t (60,000lb)the machine is both weight andwidth transportation legal, whilestill containing all of the designfeatures and ingenuity that makesstrength and performance of CBImachines legendary.

Critical feed components suchas pulleys, conveyor chains, anddrive motors are identical to thelarger Magnum Force to ensurerugged performance. A diverterpan allows abrasive fines tobypass the rotor entirely and befed directly to the dischargeconveyor or removed and divertedunderneath the feed conveyor.Weldments are fabricated entirelyof Hardox AR450 to ensure highstrength with long life and lessweight.

The 5800 was engineered forland clearing and loggingcompanies, yard waste anddemolition wood processing, andmulch yards that demand high-volume throughput and maximumreliability. Features include a highlift upper roll for ease ofmaintenance; high torque,hydrostatic feed system; PT Techhydraulic PTO; and a Caterpillarengine. High strength drum rotorand screen system are shear pinprotected.

The entire system is controlledby CBI’s IntelliGrind logicincorporating a variable in-feedspeed that automatically adjuststo engine load and an optionalmodem communications systemthat provides for real-time systemdiagnostics. The Magnum Force5800 is available in trackmounted, truck mounted, rubbertire mounted and stationaryconfigurations.

Compact yet enormouslyproductive, the ChipMax 484V isan “extreme-duty biomassproduction workhorse”. Its maincomponents such as the rotor,chipper box and feed system aresignificantly stronger than anyother chipper in its class,providing owners with years oftrouble free service.

Featuring two rotor options, theChipMax configured with a twopocket chipper rotor can makehigh-quality fuel chips customsized from 19-30 mm; orconfigured with a 4 pocket chipperrotor ‘micro-chips’ from 3-12 mm.These ‘micro-chips’ produce aconsistent fibre length that“dramatically reduces the overallcost of producing pellets” as wellas improves the function of smallboilers. The discharge chute has


BIOMASS


http://www.morbark.com

CBI’s 5800 model is as robust as larger models but meets transport requirements for easy movement from site-to-site

the ability to both top and endload trailers.

Adding to its versatility, theChipMax 484V is available as aportable (pintle hook or fifthwheel mounting hitch), track, ortruck-mounted unit and is roadlegal in both width and weight.

CBI designs some of the world’sleading horizontal grinders,chippers, wood hogs, shinglegrinders, shredders, and customstationary systems and believes ithas a machine for any application.

PreservationLogging residue is an inexpensiveand easily accessible source ofbiofuel, but to improve the energycontent it must first dry on theground and after that it can bestored in piles for several months.To shelter the piles from moisturethrough rain, snow and ice, Walkihas developed a paper-based,waterproof cover that can bechipped and burned together withthe residue.

The importance of biofuels isincreasing globally due totightening emissions restrictions.Interest in wood-based biofuelshas also increased because thereare new combustion technologiesavailable on the market that aresuitable for solid biofuels.

At first glance, Walki’s biomasscover doesn’t look very high-tech,but it’s an ingenious invention thatvery efficiently improves theenergy content in logging residue.The cover itself is a 4 m or 6 m-wide laminate, mainly producedfrom renewable fibrous materials.It shelters the top of the pile butleaves the sides open, allowingmoisture to evaporate.

A very thin plastic layer withinthe cover makes it both

waterproof and very strong, butthanks to the characteristics of theplastic, the cover can be chippedalong with the residue and usedas fuel as well.

“The biomass cover is alreadythe widest of its kind on themarket and the production isconstantly growing,” WalkiProduct Line Manager KariSalminen said. “The newestdevelopment is a six-meter wideversion that can cover bigger pilesof logging residue and otherwood-based biofuels.”

In addition to shielding theresidue from water and snow, thebiomass cover also protects the

residue from freezing, which cantransform the pile into an icy heapthat’s almost impossible to handleand has low energy content.

“The phenomenon is familiar toanyone who has piled choppedfirewood outside and forgotten tocover it,” Salminen said. “In thewintertime, the wood is icy andheavy and produces much lessheat than dry firewood.”

In phase with theenvironment Finland and Sweden are pioneersin harvesting energy wood, butbecause energy saving andbiofuels have become so

BIOMASS


These ‘micro-chips’

produce a consistent

fibre length that

dramatically reduces

the overall cost of

producing pellets as

well as improves the

function of small

boilers – CBI

The 484V is another compact chipping solution from CBI and provides two rotor options for different chip sizes


important, interest in thetechnology is increasing in otherparts of the world as well.

“Energy wood is, in manycountries, an almost unusedresource for producing energy inan environmentally sound way,”Salminen said. “Our productmaximises the energy value oflogging residue; measurementshave shown that the solidscontent of wood can be raised byas much as 15% by using thecover.”

In Finland, the main reseller ofWalki’s biomass cover isUittokalusto, a Finnish companyowned by Grube KGForstgerätestelle of Germany. Thecompany has been selling thecover for about six years now andis very pleased with the feedbackfrom customers. The maincustomers are big forestcompanies in Finland and theirsubcontractors.

“The cover is easy to spreadwith the same machinery thatgathers the residue in the woods,”Uittokalusto Sales Manager IlkkaLeskinen said. “Our customers aresatisfied with the benefits of thebiomass cover and how easy it isto use the product.”

Size reduction cont’d

The Peterson 4300 drum chipperis the latest in a long line of highquality chipping and grindingmachines produced by Peterson.The 4300 drum chipper is suitedfor high volume biomass

producers who have a wide varietyof feed material, from logs up to61 cm (24 in) in diameter, to brushand small feed stock.

Powered by a C18 Caterpillar

engine, the 4300 is available intwo power ratings– 630 and 765hp (470 and 570 kW). At 19,250 kgpounds (42,440) and 249 cm (8 ft2 in) in width, the 4300 is a high

production chipper whosedimensions do not require anyoversize permits for roadtransportation.

The chipper utilises a 36 in


BIOMASS

Measurements have

shown that the solids

content of wood can

be raised by as much

as 15% by using the

Walki Biomass Cover –

Kari Salminen, Walki

Residue covered with the Walki Biomass Cover become drier than piles that are left uncovered


http://www.komptech.com

diameter by 91 by 114 cm (44-3/4in) wide drum with wear resistantAR450 wear surfaces on the drumpockets and shell. A sloped feeddeck makes feeding the chippereasier. The optional materialsizing bars and chip acceleratorminimize oversize twigs andbranches in the chips, and helpensure tight chip packing and fullyloaded chip vans.

Traditional babbitt type knifesystems are standard equipment.Chip length can be changed from1/4 to 1-1/4 in (6 to 32 mm) byadjusting knife extension and feedspeed.

The 4300’s new generation ofcontrols includes Peterson’s high-production Adaptive ControlSystem. The new control panelprovides self-diagnosis for faultysensors and open circuits. Faultindicators make troubleshootingeasy. The 4300 control panelfeatures an LCD display thatprovides the operator thecomplete engine and systemparameters to simplify setup andefficiently operate the machine.

The Peterson 5000H diskchipper-delimber-debarker

produces high quality low barkcontent chips for wood pulp andpellets, processing whole trees inone continuous operation.

The 5000H continues with manyof the same high quality chippingcomponents of the successful5000G model. The large feedthroat, which can accept up to a23 inch (563 mm) diameter tree ormultiple smaller stems, isachieved by placing the anvil andtransition in the chipper.

The standard three-pocket diskcan produce chips from 0.625 to1.25 in (16-32mm) long, while theoptional four-pocket disk canproduce chips from 0.5 to 1.0inches (13-25 mm) long. Chippingproduction rates up to 100 tons(90 tonnes) per hour can beachieved, depending on chip sizeand wood characteristics.

Peterson’s heavy-duty 66 inch(1676 mm) diameter, 4.75 in (121mm) thick chipper disk has areplaceable 0.5 inch (13 mm) wearplate. This disk diameter makes agood match of high productionand consistent chip quality. Largerdisks have greater speeddifferential between inner and

outer portions of the chippingknives, producing lower levels ofacceptable chips.

Traditional babbit-type knivesor Key Knife components areavailable, depending on customerpreference.

The Tier II C27 and C32Caterpillar engines are more fuel-efficient than previous engines ofequivalent power. A heavy-dutywet clutch helps assure smooth,continuous power transfer to drivethe chipper. The hydraulic systemuses efficient pressure-compensated, load sensinghydraulic components with mostsystems. The new flail drivesprovide more power and peaktorque for improved delimbing andreduced bark content. The fullyredesigned, high visibility,weatherized cab is moreconvenient to reach, and isdesigned to meet the latest OSHAstandards. Ergonomicallydesigned electronic joystickcontrols enable precise operatorcontrol over the two-sectionknuckle-boom log loader, whilecontrols for the variable speedflails and discharge spoutpositioning are readily at hand.Top or end-loading chip spouts areavailable, including a high rotationlong spout.

Peterson’s Adaptive Controlsprovide intuitive interfaces, a largeLCD display, and handy readoutsto provide the operator withinformation to more efficientlymake chips.

On-screen maintenanceinstructions and self-diagnosticfeatures increase up-time.Maintenance schedules and checklists are easily viewable on-screenin the cab. An optional on-board

modem permits remotediagnostics and monitoring ofmany machine parameters.

Peterson’s Adaptive CoolingSystem adjusts the fan speed tomatch cooling requirements. Fuelcost savings can be significantover the life of the machine. Dailyand monthly servicing are readilyperformed from the convenientplatforms and walkways aroundthe engine and chipper.

Peterson specialises indeveloping delivery andprocessing equipment that turnslow-grade organic materials intohigh value products.

The 2700C is Peterson’s latestgeneration of high productionportable grinders. Powered by theCaterpillar C13 engine at 475 hp(354 kW) or an optional C15 at 580(433 kW) hp, this model providesplenty of power in a compactgrinder. At 55,600 pounds (25220kg) the 2700C was designed foroperations requiring highproduction and frequent movesbetween jobs. With a feed openingof 60¾ x 32 in (1534 x 813 mm)combined with Peterson’s high liftfeed roll for an optional opening ofup to 44 in (1118 mm) high, the2700C can readily reduce a widerange of material.

The 2700C uses Peterson’s newgeneration of Impact ReleaseSystem that can be set in the


BIOMASSPeterson 4310B at Demo International 2012

Peterson 5000H Mt Gambier, Australia

Peterson 5000H Mt Gambier, AustraliaPeterson’s LCD display


detent mode to provide consistentproduct sizing or switched to thefloating anvil mode for a primaryreduction where accurate sizing isless critical. The floating anvilmode provides a high productionprimary reduction with moreprotection from contaminatedfeedstocks and reduced fuelconsumption.

The 2700C’s new generation ofcontrols includes Peterson’s highproduction Adaptive ControlSystem and a fully adjustable feedsystem that is optimised for awide range of materials. The newcontrol panel provides self-diagnostics for faulty sensors andopen circuits. Fault indicatorsmake trouble shooting easy. The2700C control panel features alarge LCD display that provides the

operator with complete engineand system parameters to simplifyset up and efficiently operate theunit.

The 2700C features a largegrate area that enables the 2700Cto produce materials to exactspecifications. Our quick-changemultiple grate system makes iteasy to customise grateconfigurations to produce a widevariety of finished materials.Grates are removed through anaccess door on the side wall of the2700C.

Another major innovationincluded on the 2700C isPeterson’s Impact CushionSystem. Urethane cushions allowmovement of the compressionroll/anvil housing pivot shaft,cushioning impacts due to

contaminants in the feed material.Shear pins above the cushion anda sensing circuit that stop theengine help protect the shaft fromcatastrophic damage in the eventof a severe impact.

Peterson specialises indeveloping delivery andprocessing equipment that turnslow-grade organic materials intohigh value products.

Industry-proven heavy duty drumchipper company, Pezzolato, hasused its years of manufacturingexperience to conceive the newPTH 1200/820 Hackertruck – aspecial drum chipper that hasevolved from the drum chipperupgrade project network throughthe combined contribution of theEuropean Community, the ItalianGovernment and the RegionPiemont, in cooperation with localmunicipalities.

The project mainly focused onengineering and constructing adrum chipper prototype that’sfeatures had never before beendeveloped for the Italian market.The aim was to improve theperformance and profitability oflarge scale portable drumchippers.

To meet this challenge,innovative devices wereincorporated in the final design:• Black-box: this is the first device

able to register all processparameters with a second deviceable to send parametersrecorded in the forest to theoperative exchange. Theparameters capable of beingcollected are: date; time andplace (GPS georeference); RPMof the truck engine and fuelconsumption; chipper workingand non-working hours; withcontinuous monitoring of chipshumidity; and the monitoring ofthe chipper inner temperatures

• Chips evacuating system:enhancements to the traditionalfan discharge chute allow anextra tube to cast chips in frontof the truck cabin. This allowsoperation in narrow corridors

• Automatic fire extinguish in theinitial stage: chipping processesare a heavy duty activities thatmay overheat the equipment incertain conditions. In addition,wood dust can create apotentially explosiveatmosphere. This innovativedesign adds fire safetyprotection to the unit


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http://www.pezzolato.it

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• A truck chassis-mounted unitwith a 336 kW (450 hp) motor,6x6 all-wheel drive, and a 2.3 mreduced gauge. The machine cannow be driven through narrowopenings, on steep slopes andon twisted forestry roads

• The integrated forestry craneand a C-shaped wood splitterwith chain saw finish off thepackage.

The closed 820 mm diameter by1,200 mm long chipping drum isfitted with two blades, each 1.2 mlong. ‘Quick & Smart’ blades, fixeddirectly to the drum, allow easyaccess for maintenance and quickblade replacement, and are 30%cheaper than traditional blades –resharpening up to three times ispossible.

Major blade damage iscontrolled with a collapsiblecounter-blade mounted on arunning slide and secured withadjustable shear bolts. This allowsshearing of bolts, which reducesextreme damage when a foreignbody is accidentally consumed bythe chipper. The design allows thecounter-blade to fall down, so thatthe foreign body exits before

causing major damage.

After substantial design analysisand in-field testing, Morbark hasintroduced the Advantage 3 high-performance chipping drum.Standard with Morbark’s full lineof heavy-duty industrial drumchippers, the Advantage 3 ChipperDrum can be retrofitted to mostexisting machines withoutmodifications.

The Advantage 3 Chipper Drumprovides three primaryadvantages:1. Better, more consistent

biomass fuel chips • The wider drum and reduced gap

between drum and housingreduces the frequency of sticksand twigs getting through forimproved chip quality

• Higher inertia tightly controlsRPMs for better chips

• Adjustable Babbitt-style counter-knives produce consistent chiplength

2. Wear-part and maintenancecost savings of more than 70%

• AR 400 heat-treated steel skinreduces wear for longer drumlife

• Recessed pockets mean less

wear in critical areas for lowermaintenance costs

• Knives are 3/4-inch thick with 1inch more depth, making knivesmore tolerant to wear and nicksand allowing the knife to besharpened more

• The ultrasonically tested drumshaft has increased diameter formore true rotation and reducedshaft failure

• Additional fasteners for morethan two times the clamp loadreduces the risk of throwing a

The new Pezzolato PTH 1200/820 HACKERTRUCK

Morbark Advantage 3 high-performance chipping drum



piece of the knife or holder.• Sled-runner-style drive key in

shaft prevents high stress byeliminating sharp slot cuts in theshaft

3. Unsurpassed peace of mind• Consistent chip quality and

reiable, fast production mean nomore worries about meeting fuelchip specifications

• Limited three-year warranty• Like all Morbark equipment, the

Avantage 3 Drum is supportedby Morbark’s extensive partsand service network

The newly redesigned VermeerHG6000 line of horizontal grindersprovides the power andperformance needed to increaseproductivity on site.. Loaded withfeatures engineered to increaseefficiency and versatility on thejobsite, the HG6000 series is thehorizontal grinder for thoselooking to maximise production inlarge-scale land clearing, woodprocessing or green-wasterecycling.

The revamped HG6000TX withdolly transport system has theversatility to get around thetoughest jobsites. And theintelligence behind the HG6000Eintroduces cleaner and more costeffective methods.

A single-piece dischargeconveyor belt removes possiblebottleneck areas to promotebetter flow of material from bellyto load-out. The dual-screendesign offers the operatora varietyof screen choices to maximiseinput and meet productspecifications.

The patented SmartGrindsystem and hydraulic feed rollerdown pressure keep materialmoving so that loading speed andproductivity are maximised.

Whilst the recently added CATC-rated C18 Tier 4i (Stage IIIB)engine generates 755 hp (563kW), generating enough power tomeet the toughest onsite tasks.

FeaturesDuplex Drum – The Duplex Drumcutting system offers optimumcutting performance andsimplified maintenance. Thereversible hammers and cutterblocks offer nearly double the lifeof single sided designs.

Easy Access Screens – Thisallows the operator to changescreens more easily and in lesstime than side loading screens.

SmartGrind – This feature canincrease machine and jobsiteproductivity by reducing operatorinterface. SmartGrind can alsohelp reduce wear to vital enginecomponents by constantlymonitoring rpm levels.

Super Single WheelAssemblies – Provides improvedsite and transport mobility andincreased ground clearance.

Removable Anvil – With theeasily removable design, all anvilmaintenance can be performedoutside of the machine.

Whole tree chipper WC2300XLTier 4i (Stage IIIB)Vermeer’s whole tree chipperoffers a powerful, whole-treesolution As the push towardalternative fuels accelerates,governments and industries arerecognising the advantages ofusing wood chips as a source forpower generation.

With the whole tree chipper,Vermeer offers customers apowerful, whole tree solution forproducing wood chips.

For those in the loggingindustry, whole tree chippersrepresents an exciting, convenientvehicle for expanding theiroperations by utilising all parts ofa tree. Even the leftover slash cannow be picked up and chipped toprovide another revenue stream.

A second generation whole-treechipper, the WC2300XL, has thesame amount of power asVermeer’ s first generation wholetree chipper, but has more bite forwhen working in more challengingmaterial thanks to its enhancedinfeed.

By increasing the infeed rollerdiameter to 28 in (71.1 cm) theWC2300XL offers superiorproductivity whether working inslash or logs up to 23 in (58.4 cm)

in diameter. Running materialthrough the WC2300XL is easy andefficient, due to its variable-speeddual infeed conveyor chains,conveyor head pulley with integralgrip bars and aggressive infeedroller with crush capability.

Features and Benefits• The WC2300XL features an

infeed system that includesvariable-speed dual infeedconveyor chains, conveyor headpulley with integral grip bars,sloped infeed table andaggressive diameter infeed rollerwith crush capability. Theseprovide efficient feeding ofdifficult material types, reducingthe number of times an operatorhas to handle the material

• High wear material flow areas ofthe machine, such as drum knifepockets, discharge chute, cutterhousing and infeed conveyorfloor are designed withreplaceable wear parts. Thishelps extend machine life

• An operator can choose whetherto use double-edged cutterknives or babbitted single-edgecutter knives, to best suit the jobconditions. IFI


BIOMASS

HG6000



In 1983, six people converged on a 6000square-foot converted warehouse in CentralMichigan, USA because they believed they

could build a better wood chipper. Theysucceeded, and Bandit Industries was born.

For nearly 30 years, that innovative spirit hasbeen the driving force behind Bandit's success.This awardwinning company now employs aworldwide workforce of nearly 400, using250,000 square feet of manufacturing space atthe company’s Michigan headquarters to buildover 40 different models of wood processingequipment.

Bandit machines are built by specialisedwork teams using the latest manufacturingtechnologies and highest quality materialsavailable, backed by heavy-duty weldedconstruction throughout the manufacturingprocess to create the kind of rugged,dependable equipment that professionals need.

From small hand-fed to large whole treechippers, horizontal wood wastegrinders/recyclers, stump grinders, forestrymowers, and specialty equipment like self-propelled track machines or screen chippers,Bandit has a product for virtually any woods-related application.

Bandit hand-fed chippers are the backboneof tree service companies around the world.Available as disc or drum chippers, these hardworking machines can be ordered withnumerous options and chipping capacities upto 21-inches in diameter. When it comes tohigh-production whole tree chipping, loggersturn to Bandit’s line of whole-tree chippers forthe ultimate in production, reliability, and chipquality.

Bandit offers several disc and drum-stylewhole tree chippers for any situation, with thelargest machines able to process a 36-inchdiameter whole tree while filling a semi-trailerin eight minutes.

Bandit pioneered self-propelled track wholetree chippers by developing the world's firsttrack whole tree chipper back in 1990. By takingthe chipper to the trees, Bandit track whole treechippers provide the extra mobility andproductivity demanded by many logging, land

Bandit industries continue to excel in Biomass sector

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IFI_PG28_29_Company Profile advertorial_01 18/12/2012 12:11 Page 28

clearing and biomass professionals, especiallyin steep or swampy terrain. Bandit uses onlyCaterpillar® steel-track undercarriages, and alltrack chippers can be outfitted with numerousoptions such as operator cabs, loaders andmore.

Bandit continues to lead this segment byoffering track undercarriages as an option forevery hand-fed and whole tree chipper in theBandit lineup.

And because Bandit machines utilise heavy-duty welded construction with the strongestcomponents available, all Bandit chippers arebacked with an available five-year GUTSwarranty for the disc / drum, feed systems, andrelated equipment.

Beast horizontal grinders have been thewood waste processing machines of choice fornumerous industries since the mid-1990s.Beast grinders use Bandit's patented cuttermillto process material with more of a cuttingaction as opposed to hammering, delivering abetter end-product with greater efficiency andless machine wear-and-tear.

Numerous tooth and screen options allowthe Beast to produce everything from mulch todimensional chips and a ¼-minus product

called bio-sawdust, which is ideal for woodpellet production. Like Bandit’s whole treechippers, Beast grinders can also be optionedwith self-propelled track undercarriages, fromthe nimble Model 1680 to the 40-inch capacityModel 4680.

Whether processing stumps for mulch orturning switchgrass into biofuel, there's a Beastto accommodate any size project.

Bandit prime movers with forestry mowerattachments have become extremely popularfront-line site clearing machines for a variety ofapplications, including utility line clearing, gasand oil exploration, road construction andmore. These impressive machines can beoptioned with as much as 600 hp, wieldingmower heads up to 108 inches wide that can beswapped with a stump grinder head in a matterof minutes. High-capacity, heavy-duty hydraulicsystems ensure the cutting head receives morepower than the competition, allowing thesemachines to easily mow and mulch largediameter trees. Four models are available—theModel 3500, Model 4000, Model 5000, and theall-new compact Model 3000.

Bandit Industries is the go-to company forthose who demand quality, durability,

exceptional machine performance andunparalleled customer service. These are thereasons why more than 50,000 Banditmachines have been sold in over than 50countries, and demand has never beenstronger. Whatever the next 30 years may bringrest assured that Bandit will be there, providingcompanies with the innovative products theyneed, backed by the professionalism theydeserve.

Learn more at www.banditchippers.com


Bandit Industries, Inc. Contact: Regional Sales Representative6750 Millbrook Rd.Remus, MI 49340 USAE-mail: [email protected]: www.banditchippers.comPhone: 1-989-561-2270Toll Free: 1-800-952-0178Fax: 1-989-561-2273

Model 3590

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IFI_PG28_29_Company Profile advertorial_01 18/12/2012 12:11 Page 29


Steady as she goes

The respondents to this year’s Industry Voice call-outwere largely on the same page when it came to

forecasts for next year and what customers are askingfor in these difficult times. And, while not overly

optimistic, most suppliers are happy enough with themarkets to predict a positive, if slow year in 2013

IFI_PG30_39_IND VOICE_03 18/12/2012 12:17 Page 30


INDUSTRY VOICE

Manager, ForestryTactical Marketing,

John DeereMike Schmidt

CBI Owner Anders Ragnarsson

Lucidyne Director of Mktg & Sales

Bill Briskey

Rottne Export SalesManager

Jan Hennberg

Tigercat InternationalSales Manager

Gary Olsen

Komatsu ForestMarketing Director

Timo Ylänen

Ponsse Sales and Marketing Director

Jarmo Vidgrén

V olatility has been a key fixture in thepast few years and 2012 was nodifferent. Fuel prices and market

bounces meant the price of various forestryproducts swung between poor and healthyprice levels, though rarely testing anythinglike historic highs in most sub-sectors.Major suppliers reported mixed results withmost recording at least one very strongquarter to provide some hope for the future.

Broad global forecasting for the economyhas pointed to a relatively similar situationunfolding in 2013 and this was reflected bythe responses from our surveyedmanufactures. However, this year’s IndustryVoice feature detected a longer termforecast for stronger growth, withmanufacturers poised to take advantage of

a genuine uptick in the industry that couldhappen as early as this next year. Thatprediction may have found its way throughpurely because companies are sick offorecasting weakness but, as usual, onlytime can tell.

Despite the problems, companies aremaintaining their R&D budgets and havereported a reasonable appetite for newtechnologies from their customer bases.The reason for this is the need to be cost-efficient, which can only be achievedthrough better machinery. The only sournote was the scrutiny under which newpurchases now come, which can delay thepurchasing process.

And the key improvements customerswant are largely to do with fuel savings.

Customers have quickly realised that if fuelcosts can be cut back then the volatilityassociated with energy prices can be atleast partially negated. This has been thetrend for the past four years and hasmaintained or increased its focus this year.

The notable difference between thisyear’s survey and previous years is the lackof sawmills responding. International ForestIndustries contacted the usual players toget a feel for how they thought the industrywas shaping up for next year and how theycoped with the challenges of 2012, all butLucidyne Technologies politely declined torespond. Optimistically, this may bebecause they’re just too busy but given thenews reported in IFI, this year we have our doubts.


Komatsu: World demand forforest industry products is downand that of course impacts forestmachine demand. The economicsituation in Europe is not goodand next year is expected to be aslow growth period in mostmarkets. Chinese growth hasslowed down. This has a bigimpact on all markets becauseChina is the main driver behindmany forest industry products likepulp and paper. There is a bigvariation between markets sosome markets are very silent,while some other markets maystill be quite normal this year.

CBI: It has definitely negativelyimpacted our sales in Europe andthe US. In the US, the majorimpact has been because of thelack of housing starts and the landclearing associated with newsubdivisions, etc. I think anotherfactor which has as much, if notmore effect, is the difficulty to getfinancing for major purchasesbecause of the bank stabilityconcerns both in the US andEurope. The customers are beingforced to try to do more with lessand pay for repairs andrefurbishments in lieu ofupgrading equipment. We do notcurrently sell anything in Chinaand so have felt no impact.

John Deere: Economic conditionsin the United States, Europe andeven China have remained volatileand uncertain for several years. Assuch, the effect on our customersis largely unchanged fromprevious years. The economy hascreated uncertainty and a lack ofconfidence among our customers,which is exacerbated by the factthat no apparent solutions areforthcoming. As a result,customers continue to approachequipment purchases withcaution, putting off newequipment purchases longer.

Ponsse: A positive tone hasprevailed in the US, which hasprimarily been seen in better usedmachine sales. The sales of newmachines have also picked up. Theconstruction of detached houseshas been weak in the US for about

five years, but now the number ofbuilding permits has increased. Inthe United States, single-familyhouses are, almost withoutexception, timber-framed, and wehope that the growth in thedemand for structural sawn timberwill also generate demand forother wood industry products.

In Europe, from our point ofview, the slowing down of theforest machine market has beenfastest in Germany and Sweden,which have both traditionally beenstrong sales areas for us.However, there are also positiveexceptions in Europe – trading inthe UK and Norway has beenactive. The slowdown of growth inChina is mainly felt by us throughRussian sales. In the Far East,from which a lot of wood isexported to China, machine saleshave levelled off slightly.

Rottne: Of course the globaleconomic slowdown has alsoaffected sales of Rottne machines.But there are differences aroundthe world:• Northern Europe has for

instance not been affected asmuch as in the south

• Rottne has taken market shareson our home market and saleshave been quite good locally inspecific parts of Sweden

• Australia is at a complete standstill due to the strong Australiandollar and the bankruptcy ofseveral large timber companies

• North America has been slowbut recently have we noticed agrowing optimism.

Tigercat: The European marketrepresents a small but importantportion of our total sales. In 2012,we found that key markets in

Sweden and the UK have seen areduction in demand forequipment. US markets across theboard have been strong includingthe southeast, deep south, pacificnorthwest and northeast.

In addition we have seen newactivity and strong demand forTigercat products in smallermarkets such as Montana, WestVirginia, Indiana and Michigan.Probably the greatest Chinainfluence has had is in theAustralian markets. Australia’schip Chinese export market hasslowed due to alternative sourcingin other parts of Asia and thegeneral slowdown in China. Thatsaid, high value log exports fromthe west coast to Asia haveremained strong.

Lucidyne: We have experiencedan increase in sales for smallerpurchases, with cautiousexploration for larger systems byan increasing number ofcompanies. However, our primarysales are in North America andmost of our clients are notinvolved with exports to China andEurope.

Komatsu: Slow growth isexpected next year across theglobal economy. It also meansthat forest machine demand willbe below average. You have tokeep your costs in control, readthe signals well and be preparedfor market upturn. No one knowsyet but markets may start torecover late next year and if so itwill of course have a strong impact

on the forest machine market,which is typical front cyclebusiness.

CBI: We agree. We are increasingour focus on emerging markets inSouth America and introducingbetter equipment solutions inmarkets we have not been sellinginto – primarily introducing ahigher production, lower cost pertonne solution for creating pulpquality chips in the woods. Thishas been a welcome addition tothe market in Australia and we arebeginning to make inroads inBrazil and Chile while we push tomake similar gains in the US andCanada. We are also making veryconservative decisions with regardto inventory levels and focusingon putting the resources wherethey will be the most effective.John Deere: Our own forecastingalso indicates continuingeconomic uncertainty. We havepredicted that it would take sometime to come out of this period ofvolatility, and so have beenpositioning ourselves by focusingon ways to help our customersweather the storm and continue tobe profitable. During difficulteconomic times, maintainingprofitability is always the mostcritical objective. So we are alwayslooking for ways to help ourcustomers take cost out of theirbusiness, whether it’s throughkeeping their equipment runninglonger, more efficiently, orincreasing production.

Ponsse: The uncertainty in themarket has increased from thesummer of 2012, and the globalsales of forest machines haveslowed down, even though themarket is reasonably stable fromour point of view. Consideringdemand, we have managed welland increased our market share ina number of markets. Up to now,the factory has operated thenormal two shifts thanks to therecord high order books of thefirst half of the year. However, atthe turn of the year, we will haveto adjust our operations to thereduced demand, as ourproduction capacity is higher thanrequired by the current forestmachine market. We will adjustour operations by temporary lay-offs among our personnel, and thefactory will operate one shift.Service, sales and research and

INDUSTRY VOICE



development will operatenormally, and the adjustmentmeasures will have no impact onthe operations of our subsidiaries.

Rottne: I would say both yes andno. I think the spring of 2013 willcontinue to be difficult but we willsee how the market bottoms outduring the summer. During thesecond half of 2013, I think we willsee increased activity in the globalforest industry and consequentlyalso for us here at Rottne. We area small company compared to ourmultinational competitors andtherefore it is much easier for usto be flexible and adapt to marketfluctuations.

Tigercat: Tigercat will be expandingand diversifying its forestry productline in 2013 in order to capturemore volume – even if overallmarket conditions deteriorate –though our dealer forecasts areindicating a healthy 2013.

Lucidyne: I've heard from some insoftwood lumber circles that theybelieve it will actually be a goodyear compared to the last coupleof tough years, although salesvolume for their products will stillbe far from where it will be after afull recovery. However, specialtyproducts, meaning those aimed atconstruction/remodellingapplications that are not structuralbuilding projects may do very well.

Komatsu: No major shifts. Europeis quite depressed of course butso are many other markets aswell. North America is showingsome positive signals after a longslow period. From the growingmarkets Brazil, Indonesia and

Russia continue to be importantmarkets for Komatsu Forest.

CBI: There really have been fewshifts in key markets. These marketshave been soft for a few years now.Global markets have changed in thefact that we are focusing on themmore and spending more man hoursto visit areas when it makesfinancial sense.

Our key markets today areScandinavia, South America,

Australia as well as more attentionin the Asian and African marketswhile still pursuing the US andCanadian markets. The pulp andpaper industries have become abigger focus with the introductionof our flail debarker and discchipper and we are also focusingon pellet manufacturers for theEuropean markets and beyond.Global markets have also changedas more biomass energyopportunities present themselvesprimarily spurred by governmentalmandates to increase thepercentages of electricalproduction from renewableproducts, which is our ‘sweet spot’.

John Deere: Key forestry marketshave remained largely unchanged

for several years. Key SouthAmerican and particularly Asia-Pacific markets are experiencingeconomic growth, fuelling ademand for forestry products.These growing economies in turnhelp drive markets in other areas,even those that are experiencingeconomic uncertainty. One change we anticipate in 2013that was not present this year is agrowing demand for housing inthe United States. If this doesoccur, as many expect it to, it willobviously create more demand forlumber and will add a measure ofstability to the North Americanforestry market. Most loggers andmills in North America have beenworking at reduced capacity. Whenthe housing demand starts to rise,

INDUSTRY VOICE


Our R&D efforts actually increased,

as did our staff – Bill Briskey, Lucidyne


http://www.willemsonline.com

they will have to increase theirproduction and are likely to neednew equipment.

Ponsse: Finland, Sweden, Russia,Germany, France and NorthAmerica have traditionally beenkey markets for us. Over the pastfew years, the southernhemisphere —Uruguay, Brazil andChina—have also strengthened.The main reason is the high levelof investments related to the fastgrowing plantations. In thesemarkets, we particularly developservice, training and technologyrelated to eucalyptus debarking.Full service packages, in whichcustomers are offered service andtraining packages of differentlevels, have been in high demandin these market areas. The sametrend has also been observed inthe more traditional harvestingmarkets, particularly Russia.Harvesting companies areconcentrating even more onharvesting and businessdevelopment and transfer moreresponsibility for machineservicing to the machinemanufacturer.

Rottne: Sweden is our mainmarket and is a fairly stablemarket for CTL machines. Sales inEurope are slow now with Germanyas our best market. The CzechRepublic was very good someyears ago but is now very quit.

North America, our main exportmarket outside the EU from 1995to 2005, has dropped and hasbeen very low in the past five-sixyears, but now we can see agrowing optimism.

Russia is a difficult market butwe expect a growth for the comingyears as it has big potential. Wehave also noticed and seen thegrowth and potential in Asia,South Africa and South America,but as I said, Rottne is quite asmall company and for us is it veryimportant to make sure we canhandle the aftersales and spare

parts supply before we step in tonew markets and currently we arenot yet prepared to take that step.

Tigercat: Canada and Russia havehad back-to-back excellent yearsin 2011 and 2012. The big shift in2012 came from Brazil, where wehave a very strong and capabledealer in Tracbel, which allowedus to win some large tenders. NewZealand, where we have anotherenthusiastic dealer, AB Equipmenthas also done extremely well. Itseems as though the NZcontractors there are really seeingthe merits of Tigercat machines intheir extreme terrain conditionsand oversized timber. Asmentioned earlier, we witnessedgreater geographic diversitywithin the United States.

Lucidyne: I have not seen asignificant change in our marketsthis past year. We are stilltargeting automated gradingopportunities with softwoodlumber manufactures for ourGradeScan lineal grading system,

supported by our Grade Markreaders and control systems sincethey are key to ensuring that theentire planer mill is managedoptimally from a completebusiness perspective.

Komatsu: We have slightlyincreased spending on R&D andthe plan is to keep the currentlevel next year despite tight costcontrol. Komatsu is alwaysinterested in developing newtechnology and we see this as animportant investment to developbetter solutions for our customers.New innovations are a way toincrease productivity and cut costsand improve our customers’profitability. Of course we alsowant to improve the quality of ourmachines so therefore keeping theR&D budget at current levels isimportant.

CBI: R&D has always been a majorpart of our company history anddevelopment. Because of thechanging markets, we have beenforced to design a ‘bettermousetrap’ and build specialtyequipment for specific marketsand opportunities. Over the pastseveral years, this has become abigger and bigger part of ouroverall sales efforts. This has beenforced on us and our engineershave a ‘do more with less’ mantrathat drives the design of smartersolutions that enables thecustomer to satisfy specificmarkets and expand their overallopportunities.

John Deere: One of John Deere’score values is innovation, and ouraggressive pursuit of innovationdrives us to maintain and improveour focus on our customers’ currentand future needs. Staying true tothis value, we have sustained ourinvestments in innovation, and havealso been willing to increase themas our customers’ needs require it.At John Deere, we have increasedour research and developmentinvestments steadily over the lastfew years to improve the quality andperformance of our existingproducts and are activelydeveloping new products. Weexpect to continue a steady increasein research and developmentspending, year-over-year.

Ponsse: Ponsse’s basic strategyincludes strong investment inresearch and development of newharvesting solutions.Development of existing productsis happening continuously basedon customer feedback. We willalso continue along the lines ofstrong and rapid research anddevelopment in a slowed downmarket situation as investment inresearch and development hasproven to be a clear marketadvantage for us. During theprevious recession, we made a fullinvestment in developing eight-

INDUSTRY VOICE


Customers’ uncertainty about investment

decisions has increased – Ponsse


http://www.cleanfix.org


http://www.rottne.com

wheeled harvester models andnew cranes. Thanks to this, wewere able to offer efficientproducts meeting customers’needs immediately when theeconomic situation normalised.The demand for eight-wheeledmachine models came as a slightsurprise even to us and boostedour investments in production.

Rottne: Rottne has always beenheavily involved in research anddevelopment, which has been abeacon throughout our 60-yearhistory. We have always tried to beat the forefront in terms ofinnovation and new development.It is probably due to the fact thatwe have invested in our researchand development, both in goodand bad times, that Rottne hasbecome such a popular machinebrand among customers aroundthe world.

Tigercat: Research anddevelopment is key to the overallstrategy and success of Tigercat.Suffice to say that over the next 12months, you will be seeing somesurprising new product offeringfrom Tigercat.

Lucidyne: Our R&D efforts actuallyincreased, as did our staff. Theresolution and speeds we operate atnow allow us to solve almost all themost difficult tasks that a humangrader can do, in many casesexceeding what a person canachieve by a large margin. The fewthings we still have on our list toaccomplish are in most cases minorissues for the majority of ourcustomers, for the moment anyway.That will change as processingcapabilities and usagespecialisation continue to evolve,requiring our customers(manufacturers) to know even moreabout the characteristics of theirfibre. We will be fielding some newsensor technologies this year thatwill take our current GradeScanoffering up another notch, hopefullytaking us to the point where we cansolve these challenges.

Komatsu: Customers are alwaysinterested in new technology.During the tough times theimportance of increasing

productivity or cutting operationcosts is even bigger and usingnew technology and newmachines are important. Newmachines have lower fuelconsumption per produced cubicmeter so they play an importantrole in cutting harvesting costs.Investing in new technologycontinuously can be seen as a keyto survival in this tough businesseven during the tough times.

CBI: If the customer is presentedwith a viable opportunity, he iswilling to do what it takes to beable to supply it with raw materialfrom whatever waste stream itcomes from. Several customershave been forced to decrease theirspending because of feweropportunities, but we have foundnew customers and new markets.Some have maintained and a fewhave increased their spending butall decisions are scrutinisedsignificantly more and thesedecisions also take longer frominception to execution.

John Deere: Customers continueto be willing to invest in newtechnology, but only if it canimprove their productivity,efficiency or profitability.

An example of this is JohnDeere’s JDLink telematics system,which forestry customers areincreasingly embracing to lower

their operating costs. JDLink’scapabilities vary widely by globalregion, but the system has shownits value by allowing customers tosee how operators are using theequipment. Dealers can then inturn analyze the data to look forpotential gains in productivity andfuel efficiency. This has allowedcustomers to better train theiroperators and to save thousandsof dollars per month in fuel costs.

Ponsse: Customers’ uncertaintyabout investment decisions hasincreased. Many of them havepostponed their investments, andthe acquisition process hasslowed down. In Scandinavia,machine sales have become moredifficult due to an autumn that hasbeen extremely rainy and warm inplaces. We have had to wait forthe frost, and it has not beenpossible to reach a number ofstands even using eight-wheelers.The ten-wheeled forwarder forharvesting on soft terrains thatwas launched in the autumn hasinterested both entrepreneurs andforest companies. Our confidencein the sector is strong. Using cut-to-length machines, it is possibleto harvest wood in anenvironmentally friendly mannerand efficiently, and the woodindustry is a growth industrydespite the structural changeshappening inside the industry.

Rottne: A forest machine today isa sophisticated machine and ourcustomers are always interestedin new technology. The mostimportant thing today for ourcustomers is to keep operatingcosts low and productivity high. With our PowerTech Plus engineand a load-sensing hydraulicsystem, we can offer customers amachine that saves substantialamounts of money annually onfuel consumption. We can also seethat it is difficult to retain orrecruit good drivers, thereforeergonomics and comfort areimportant factors for ourcustomers. Rottne’s cab dampingsystems ‘Comfort Line’ is a goodexample.

Tigercat: In most of our markets,cost per tonne seems to bebecoming the overriding criteriawhen evaluating new technologyand new machine purchases. Withhigh priced fuel, labour shortagesand other harsh economicrealities, we believe our customerswill continue to embrace newtechnology that makes theirlogging operations more efficientand productive.

Lucidyne: The last part of 2012has seen many of our customersincrease their spending: all who atsome level are expecting theeconomy to continue improving.

Komatsu: During this type oftough times of course innovationswhich improve customers’profitability are important so lowoperating costs and highproductivity are demanded. Theprice tag should not be too higheither, so keeping investmentcosts reasonable is a key. Innovations related to fleetmanagement are interesting formany contractors as well. Goodtools to improve operationalefficiency really pay back. Withfleet management systems,owners can have good control ofmachines and compareproductivity and costs betweendifferent machines and conditions.This is an important tool to findthe fact-based improvement areasfor each machine.Finding good operators will be achallenge so having innovations


INDUSTRY VOICE

Our engineers have a ‘do more with less’ mantra

that drives the design of smarter solutions that

enables the customer to satisfy specific markets

and expand their overall opportunities – CBI


which improve operator comfort isimportant for many markets.Having a modern, spacious andwell insulated cabin is asked forby customers as well. There arealso discussions regarding usinghybrid technology in forestmachines. Komatsu has hybridexcavators in the product offeringand they are selling well but wehaven't yet introduced thistechnology to forest machines.

CBI: There are no specifics to citehere other than they say: “I needit to do more, but I only have thismuch to spend on it.”

John Deere: Fuel costs continue tobe a key concern among forestrycustomers. The cost of diesel fuel

is rising, and that is having amajor impact on operation costsand profitability. To mitigate thevolatility of fuel prices, customersare asking for innovations thatimprove fuel efficiency. John Deereskidders give customers what theywant and need by leveraging JohnDeere Power Systemstechnologies and the Power TechPlus engines. A recent studyshows that the John Deere 748Hskidder could save customersbetween $9,000-12,900 annuallyin fuel costs depending on theprice of diesel, setting thestandard for reduced fuelconsumption and ultimatelylowering operating costs forcustomers.

Ponsse: Eight-wheeled harvestershave been in high demand asharvesting is being transferred tomore challenging terrains – steepslopes and soft terrains. At thesame time, harvestingentrepreneurs have sought moreproductivity from their work usingnew crane technology. The ease ofuse of the new cranes has alsohad an impact on our acquisitionof new customers – the transfer toPonsse after using other machinemakes has been easier whenlearning how to manage our cranehas been effortless.

Various solutions affectingdrivers’ ergonomics play an evenlarger role when deciding onmachine acquisition. The comfortof the cabin, ergonomic controlhandles and the stability of the

machine are strong arguments forpurchasing one of our machines.Comfort during work also has aclear impact on the efficiency ofthe work, and the ergonomics ofthe machine is important whenhiring skilled drivers.

The average size of forestmachines has clearly increased ina number of markets. Harvestingentrepreneurs have to monitorcosts closely with the increase infuel prices, for example, and themachines must be economical andproductive. In simple terms, largermachines allow for harvestingmore wood and transporting morewood at once to the roadside.With the eight-wheeled machinemodels, the surface pressures ofthe machines are lower, and theweight of the machine is no longer

INDUSTRY VOICE

Tigercat will be expanding and diversifying its

forestry product line in 2013 in order to capture

more volume – even if overall market conditions

deteriorate – Gary Olsen, Tigercat


http://www.multisaw-sawmilling.com

so decisive, even among sensitivestands. Contrary to what peoplesometimes think outside thesector, forest machine drivers,forest companies and forestowners are quite particular aboutsurface damage to the terrain.

Rottne: Each market has its ownspecial requirements but commonespecially now in hard times isthat the machines should beflexible and versatile:• In northern Europe, which is the

most advanced CTL area, reliablemachines with high productivityand low ground pressure arevery important

• Southern Europe needsmachines that can climb andwork along the steep mountainsides

• Traction winches are alsorequested more and more

• For Russia, with its ofteninaccessible forests, is itreliability and local service/partsavailability that are important.

Tigercat: Whatever decreasesheadaches and increasesprofitability. Our customersdemand the highest rates ofuptime, good ergonomics toattract and retain the bestoperators, fuel efficiency, and theeasiest possible access for dailymaintenance procedures toincrease the likelihood thatroutine maintenance is completedproperly and time efficiently.

Lucidyne: The most significantinterest from our industry iswanting a scanning system thatwill know everything about aboard – to the point of being ableto direct it to an optimaldestination and that might evenmean not processing it at thatfacility. This capability may requireidentifying more than just knotsand other defects. Localisedstrength, local grain direction,colour, reaction to coatings,response to moisture changes, areexamples of characteristics thatcan make a board significantlymore valuable for specificapplications. Some facilities arealready building in or consideringmaterial handling changes toallow for increased flexibility inlumber flow in their processes.

Komatsu: In the longer term,biomass will increase inimportance. There are more andmore countries who are trying tomove more to renewable energyand biomass is one importantenergy source. Komatsu has somesolutions for biomass collectionbut demand for this type ofsolution is not increasing at themoment. During a recession thereare cheap alternative fuel sourcesavailable but, like I said, biomasswill increase in importance in thefuture.

CBI: All of our business is reallyfocused around biomass, but Ithink overall, it has decreased aswe look to provide options todifferent companies using thesame technology but applying it todifferent products. For instance,plastics, textiles, etc all have BTUvalue. If you take the entire wastestream and get the dirt, rock andsteel out of it, everything has aBTU value. Then it means youneed to decide what market willpay you more for these individualproducts. Is it better to simplygrind, chip or otherwise processthem and use them assupplements to fuel products, ordoes it make better financialsense to separate them andrecycle them? It is all just aboutwhat makes sense financially.

John Deere: John Deere ismaintaining its focus on biomassbecause we see its significantpotential to help meet the world’sgrowing energy needs. Biomass plays a critical role forthe forestry industry and inmeeting global energy needs. Itaccounts for almost 10% of theprimary energy consumed globally– more than all other renewableand nuclear energy combined –according to the United NationsFood and Agriculture Organization.Further, while more than two-thirds of the biomass energy isused for cooking and heating indeveloping countries, theremaining one-third is used byindustrialised countries for heat,power and transportation.

Ponsse: The harvesting of energywood is a slowly but steadilygrowing business area. Customersno longer seek special equipmentfor harvesting energy wood, butversatile product solutions thatallow harvesting of both energywood and industrial woodproductively. Harvester heads with

multi-stemming as a standardfeature, expanding load spaces inforwarders, LoadOptimizer loadscale for weighing loads can becited as examples.

Rottne: Biomass is an area thatwe in Sweden have worked on forquite some time – we are probablybeing considered as frontrunners.Both in cities and smallcommunities, we use biofuelheating plants that supply hotwater through a network to bigresidential areas.

For Rottne, biomass equipmentis a very small part of ourbusiness. We mainly concentrateon machinery for CTL. But over theyears have we adapted bothharvesters and forwarders asplatforms for the differentattachment tools or equipmentthat our partners develop forhandling biomass.

Harvesters can be equippedwith a special bio-cutter or multitree handling on the harvesterhead.

We can supply two differentsizes of forwarder chassis for themounting of various biomassequipment, such as chippers,container transport units, orspecial load space with clambunksfor forest residues.

Lucidyne: By designing oursystems to capture the mostpossible value from the lumberproduction process, the naturalresult is waste reduction. Agrading machine does not fearmaking close decisions while aperson will naturally beconservative and downgrade orwaste lumber to stay away frommaking a mistake. We are pleasedto be involved in our customer'sgoal of doing more with less andbeing a better steward of allresources. IFI


INDUSTRY VOICE

Customers’ uncertainty about investment

decisions has increased – many of them have

postponed their investments, and the

acquisition process has slowed down – Rottne


EWD ad 12.2012_Layout 1 19/12/2012 11:38 Page 1

http://www.ewd.de


Grip it and ship it

Tree length harvesting is a serious business thatneeds serious felling heads. For the first time,

International Forest Industries has dedicated astand-alone feature to the technology improving life for full tree contractors

IFI_PG40_45_FELLING HEADS_HR 18/12/2012 12:34 Page 40


FELLING HEADS


Gilbert LoggingEquipmentFor over 25 years, Gilbert’sforestry division specialised in thedesign and manufacturing oflogging equipment. The Canadian-based company offers fellingheads, high rotation wrists and acomplete line of cutting tools suchas saw blades and saw teeth.

The 3000L Series felling headsare well known for theirexceptional accumulation. Theyare available in 22, 24 and 28cutting size, all equipped with a3500 high rotation wrist, the mostrecognised in the industry.

“Their innovative geometryallows an accumulation of moretrees in tight, straight buncheswithout breaking any stems, nomatter the sizes”, Alex Gravel,Sales & Marketing Manager atGilbert said. All three models –3022L, 3024L and 3028L – excel inthinning, blown down, select andfinal cut applications.

Key features:• Unique and exclusive saw stops

to protect the saw drive systemand the saw disc against impactand gyroscopic deflection, which

increases the lifetime• Unique bolted saw drive system

for easy maintenance andincreased uptime

• Easy access to hydrauliccomponents for safe, fastmaintenance

• Wide front throat opening toaccommodate butt flare

• Unique conical base design tofacilitate clearance for fast sawrecovery

• Ensure that the bunches areoptimised for the skidder.

3500 high rotation wristGilbert high rotation wrists havebecome a standard in the industry.Gilbert has been promoting thisfeature since the early 90s. Thepowerful 3500 rotation wristdesign allows the operator togather more, no matter the angle.“It saves so much time byreducing swing and travel cycleswhich will extend theundercarriage lifetime of the fellerbuncher,” Gravel explained. The company offers two models:S1 and V2. The V2 is a morecompact version and is adapted tofit smaller heads while the S1model is well suited for 24 and 28

inch size head with superiortorque strong enough to handleany size of timber. These wristscan be retrofit and are compatiblewith most felling heads on themarket. “The high rotation wristwould be the first feature I wouldconsider to add if my head wasnot equipped with it in order toincrease my productivity”, Gravelsaid.

Features:• Two hydraulic motors on a 6-1

gear ration give a powerful 3500

rotation• Hoses go in the center of the

rotator gear for better protection• Heavy duty ball bearing rotate

gear.

Prentice SH-56B High Capacity Bunching Saw• Excellent productivity in thinning

applications because stems arebunched tight, compressed andstraight with the patented StraitGrip bunching finger and no-pinch-point tower

• Excels at cutting and handlinghigh volumes of small stems,mixed stems and large singlestems up to 56 cm (22 in)

• Handles single and large stemswell with superior balance andcontrol

• Extremely durable with extendedlife joints, robust structures andabrasion-resistant materials.

SC-57 Center Post Saw• Excels at cutting and handling

large single stems up to 57.6 cm(22.7 in)

• Able to bunch medium and smallstems, making it versatile forthinning through final harvesting

• Excellent speed and holdingpower from a single cylinder andlink that control the left andright side gathering arms andbunching fingers simultaneously

• Twisting and bending loadshandled with ease because ofthe large, robust structure

• Durable and reliable felling headwith chrome plated pins andabrasion-resistant materials.

SS-56 Felling Saw• Highly versatile saw designed

for harvesting large timber, witha single cut capacity of 56 cm(22 in), along with small stemaccumulation

• Able to harvest trees up to 76.0cm (30 in) on flat or adverseterrain with the industry’s onlyside cut door.

SC-57 Center Post SawPerformanceThe SC-57 excels at cutting andhandling large single stems up to56 cm (22 in). It also bunchesmedium and small stems, makingit a versatile saw for thinningthrough fi nal harvesting. Thegathering arms and tower worktogether to grip and tightly holdlarge single stems and smallerstem bunches for better control. Asingle cylinder and link control theleft and right side gathering armsand bunching fingerssimultaneously, improving speed

FELLING HEADS


3022L 3024L 3028L

Cutting capacity 21.50 in. (546mm) 23.5 in. (597mm) 27.5 in. (706mm)

Accumulating area 4.53 sq-ft (0.43 m2) 5.0 sq-ft (0.47 m2) 6.3 sq-ft (0.59 m2)

Max. front opening 57.5 in. (1461mm) 59 in.( 1499mm) 59 3/4 in. (1578mm)

Weight

High Rotation Wrist (350°) 6500 lbs (2955kg) 7550 lbs (3431kg) 8300 lbs (3773kg)

Rotation wrist (40°) 5800 lbs (2636kg) 7000 lbs (3182kg) 7800 lbs (3545kg)

Saw Blade 53 in. (1346mm) 56 in. (1422mm) 66 in. (1676mm)

Specifications

Model S1 V2

Weight 1900 lbs (864kg) 1425 lbs (647kg)

Rotation 350 degrees 350 degrees

Wrist torque 61,013 ft. lb. 48,300 ft. lb.

Dimensions

Height 38 3/4 in. (984mm) 33 1/2 in. (851mm)

Width 46 1/2 in. (1181mm) 44 1/2 in. (1130mm)

Depth 28 1/2 in. (724mm) 26 1/16 in. (662mm)

Specifications



http://www.deere.com/forestry

and holding power. The center ofgravity of the SC-57 is in close tothe front axle for stability evenwhen handling large stems inrough terrain. Hoses are routeddirectly into the back of the headfor maximum visibility.

DurabilityThe SC-57 supports loads thattwist or bend the arms of lessrigid saws. Large pivot pins reduce

stress and increase bushing life.Sealed upper and lower bearingchambers maximize shaft andbearing life by keeping eachbearing lubricated. The shaft istapered reducing stress duringhigh impact. The carry plate isdesigned to fl ex slightly to relievestress transferred through thewelds. Chips and other abrasivematerial are discharged from thesaw housing reducing wear andenhancing disc recovery time toimprove fuel efficiency. Hydraulichoses are encased in heavy-dutyrubber tubing and are not exposedto direct impact.

ServiceabilityThe SC-57 minimizes downtime forgreasing, motor adjustments ormaintenance. With the head tiltedforward and gathering arms andbunching fi ngers open, all greasezerks are accessible from theground level. There are no greasezerks located below the saw dischousing eliminating the need togrease from the bottom of thehead. Two large panels allowaccess to the saw motor from bothsides. The saw disc is easy toremove – the housing is totallyopen and the skids do not needto be removed to access the disc.

The Waratah FL85 felling headgives you maximum versatility. It’sa felling head, grapple,and saw — all in one. But this isno jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. This well-engineered,highly productive attachment ismade for major cutting andharvesting.

The efficient SuperCut 300 sawunit provides fast cutting cyclesand a maximum felling diameterof850 mm (33.5 in). The SuperCutsaw unit’s automatic chain

lubrication and tensioningimproves cutting performance andreduces maintenance time.

There’s a hydraulic snubber forcontrolled side-to-side motion,high grapple arm grippingforce to hold the largest of trees,and a unique upper-boom linksystem for simple installation onlog loaders, excavators, and fellerbunchers.What does all this mean in thewoods? Harvesting standing andstorm-damaged timber.Picking, sorting, and piling withone attachment. Fewer cuts onlarge timber. And minimal use ofmanual felling. In short, more ofthe things that make youproductive — and less of whatholds you back.

Tigercat has recently made anumber of design enhancementsto the 5702 felling saw aimed atincreasing versatility andperformance in a wider variety offelling conditions.

Although the 5702 is wellknown and widely usedthroughout the world for bigtimber felling applications, thenext generation 5702 features anall-new accumulating arm design.The arms are longer with a revisedprofile to improve accumulation ofsmall trees, increasedaccumulating capacity and areduced incidence of crossed treesin the accumulation pocket. For

contractors wanting to upgradeolder model heads, a complete setof arms will fit earlier heads usingthe same link.

Also in a move to increaseaccumulating capacity andperformance, the front saw motorcover, which formerly protrudedinto the accumulating area, is nowa flat cover. This increases theaccumulating area and allowstrees to move into the pocket

more easily.The left ski and saw housing

exit have been modified toimprove chip exhaust and toreduce plugging when felling largetrees or when operating in deepsnow or heavy undergrowth.Service access and hose routingshave also been improved.The felling head is one of the mostvital components affecting awheeled feller buncher’s efficiency


FELLING HEADS

Prentice SC-57 Center Post Saw

Next generation Tigercat 5702 felling saw is enhanced for versatility and increased performance



http://www.gilbert-tech.com


FELLING HEADS John Deere FD55 Disc Saw Felling Head (DSFH)

and value, according to JohnDeere. It directly influences theequipment’s ability to harvestdifferent sizes and species oftrees, thus affecting itsproductivity. With a well-designedhead, feller bunchers can handleany kind of tree in their path.

John Deere has introduced thehighly anticipated FD55 disc sawfelling head (DSFH) to the market,empowering loggers with moreversatility and durability for full-tree timber operations. Availableto order now, the FD55 fellinghead is compatible with 643K and843K John Deere wheeled fellerbuncher machines and is ideal forthinning, final harvests andanything in between.

“The FD55 was designed withloggers’ needs in mind,specifically taking into account theoperators that frequently handlevarious tree diameters,” JohnDeere stated. “The large twin-post, high accumulation DSFHdelivers high productivity,increased uptime and lower dailyoperating costs to help loggersrun their businesses moreprofitably. Loggers dealing withlarge- and small-diameter trees, orin mixed stands, will benefit fromits versatility and cutting edgedesign.”

Advanced Design forProductivityEngineered with extensivecustomer input in mind, the FD55delivers best-in-classaccumulation capacity. Because ithas more usable space thansimilar disc felling heads, theinnovative pocket design enablesthe head to collect trees of alldiameters and species. The pocketarea is an industry leading 63 cm2(6.8 ft2) from the accumulationarea to the edge of the blade. Theergonomic head can handleanything from small-diameterthinning to cutting large singlestems up to 584 mm (23 in) formaximum versatility.

An efficient arm design allowsfor strong grab arm force for treemanipulation and placement.Engineered with one harvestingarm and one accumulating arm,the arms ensure tight treealignment and clean bunchrelease. The simple arrangementtranslates to quicker and easiercuts for the operator.

John Deere also designed thefelling head to increase ease ofuse as a means to improveproductivity. The FD55 wasengineered with a compact andstreamline design for superiorvisibility around the saw motor tothe cutting zone. The saw motor

and modified slope on the top ofthe head were positioned toreduce debris. These slightadjustments result in improvedoperator and machine productivityand an ability to work better withmultiple-tree harvesting.

Operators will also appreciateincreased control and stabilitywhen harvesting large treesbecause of a tall horn structurealigned to position the centrelineof sizeable trees over the machine.

Resiliency increasesuptimeEngineers created the head withprotective features in place thatwill increase uptime and improveefficiency. For one, the FD55 willhave Technodur on the high wearareas of the saw housing to helpextend its life. The wear platesprotect critical areas of the sawhousing for maximum durability,making heavy-duty blades andrugged components easy tomaintain.

Designers also moved the grabarm cylinder higher on the frameand away from the housing area.This movement better protects thecylinder from debris and alsomakes it easier to access forservicing. A proven chipmanagement system that is onlyoffered by John Deere makes the

FD55 simpler to maintain thansimilar disc saw felling heads.

Most of the plumbing is routedthrough the frame cavities, whichmakes it clean and easilyserviceable. Access openings arealso provided for easiermaintenance of plumbing andwiring.

Low daily operating costs Longer wear components andinnovative design of the FD55keep loggers’ daily operatingcosts to a minimum. Theimprovements in versatility andproductivity are a main part of thenew felling head, leading directlyto cost savings. The FD55 alsoshows an improvement inserviceability and endurance,further enhancing the cost savingsbenefit.

The removable saw housingdesign allows for easyreplacement of wear components,saving loggers time and money inthe long run. Additionally, heavy-duty blades and ruggedcomponents are easy to maintain.The simple arm arrangement withone grab arm and oneaccumulating arm pinned oppositethe pocket also allows for easymaintenance.

IFI


OLC ad 12.2012_Layout 1 18/12/2012 10:33 Page 1

http://www.oregonloggingconference.com/


HIGH PROFILE – BIOMASS SPECIAL

International ForestIndustries: How did you getstarted in the industry?

Larry Cumming: I’ve been in theindustry for a long time – since theearly 1970s.

I was a farm boy and so alwaysaround tractors and machinery towork on – that’s always been myarea of interest.

I was a graduate mechanicalengineer and fortunately therewas a company like Timberjackaround nearby to get me started inforestry and I started as a designengineer. The forestry industrywas fascinating and evolving asopposed to working on doorknobsor other less exciting products. It

seemed like pretty interestingstuff to work on at the time and, tobe honest, I still find it a prettyfascinating industry to work in.

Over those 40 years there havebeen about 11 years when I’vebeen away from forestry in themining and constructionmachinery sectors but I’ve foundmy way back.

IFI: How have things changedover your 40 years in theindustry?LC: Books have beenwritten on the overalltrends and it’sinteresting to look backat the key inventionsand the forks in the road

that have changed forestmachines and the harvestingmethods.

When I first started on thedrafting board, cable skidderswere the norm along with manualfelling. From that beginning,mechanical felling with the firstDrott track feller buncher was akey step in mechanisation alongwith the Denis stroke delimber,which allowed the industry tomove to more productive grappleskidders. The Koehring disc-sawfelling was a major step forwardfor the full tree system and wasmade more productive by highrotation of the felling heads.Today, big processing heads,strong enough to survive on largeexcavator based carriers havelargely replaced stroke delimbers.On flat planted forest terrain,

Peterson Pacific President Larry

Cumming took an early morning call

from Editor Chris Cann to discuss the

shift in forestry technology over the

past 40 years and why the US

continues to trail Europe in the use

of biomass fuels

Beatingthe drum

Drum chippers had to be redesigned with

heavier drums and knives with better knife

retention systems that can stand up to a bit of

abuse if someone gets a rock or piece of metal

into the unit

Chatting with customers is a crucial part of Cumming’s role to improve the Peterson products

IFI_PG48_51_High Profile_01 18/12/2012 12:37 Page 48

wheeled feller bunchers and pullthrough delimbers are the normfor the current state of the USSouth forestry industry today.For cut-to-length systems,Timberjack in 1989 was purchasedby Rauma Repola (now Metso)and that provided a chance tomerge and see how the EuropeanCTL technology was evolving. TheCTL harvesting went originallyfrom hand felling and forwarders,to double grip and then single gripharvesters. But the evolution ofthe software was probably thebiggest thing for the CTL systembecause it allowed optimisationand record keeping that permittedeach log to be directed to itshighest value use. In Europe, thecomplete wood supply chain wasorganised and optimised aroundCTL harvesting including thesawmill.

Of course with chippers, thingshave changed a great deal, too.The Peterson flail chain debarkersfirst introduced in 1981 provided away to produce low bark paperquality chips with portablemachines. In-field-chipping (IFC)became a possibility bringingmany advantages in certain typesof stands. With the advent of theportable delimber, chippersbecame popular in high

production operations wheresawlogs were not a significantpart of the value stream. Today,portable debarker-chippers fed byfeller bunchers and skidders arealso competing to displace CTLharvesting systems in southerneucalyptus plantations. This trendto IFC in eucalyptus harvestingwill be one of the significant newtechnology shifts in this decade.

Drum chippers have alsoevolved. The original drumchippers were pretty much a treecare tool used to take down one ortwo trees a day or chip smallertops and branches. When drumchippers were applied to morehigh production forestry biomasstasks they had to undergo quitean evolution to stand up to thejob. Drum chippers had to be a lot

heavier and more durable. As atree care professional if you gottwo loads a day that was a prettygood day. That kind of productionrate does not transfer to forestryand under the increased demandsthe existing designs just didn’tstand up. The earlier drumchippers, even not that long ago,had very short lives. They had tobe redesigned with heavier drumsand knives with better kniferetention systems that can standup to a bit of abuse if someonegets a rock or piece of metal intothe unit – you don’t want thewhole machine destroying itself.

IFI: You said “not that longago”; when was the majorshift?LC: Many North Americanmanufacturers have upgradedtheir drum chippers in the pastthree years to make them moredurable. We were late into theindustry with drum chippers sohad the chance to go around andsee what was working and notworking. We were able to applythat knowledge to produce a morerobust machine.

The biomass industry will gothrough a significant evolution inthe next five years particularly inthe US Southeast wood basket.North America is behind Europe interms of biomass utilisationpartially because there are nonational goals for renewableenergy and the EPA has still notyet decided that biomass is acarbon neutral energy source.Many states have their ownrenewable energy standards;however the result is that theprice paid for biomass remainswell below European prices. Thelow prices and lack of long termsupply contracts affect the typesof machines that are utilised.Today the perverse situation existswhere the wettest, lowest valuebiomass fuel gets the highestprice per energy unit. This is a

Fielding some questions from the media

Cumming takes clients on a tour of the Peterson factory

The forestry industry was fascinating and evolving as

opposed to working on doorknobs or other less exciting

products – seemed pretty interesting at the time and,

to be honest, I still find it a pretty fascinating industry

BIOMASS SPECIAL – HIGH PROFILE

There’s been a shift in North America from

Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth to the recent

presidential elections when nobody mentioned

green energy – the likelihood of there being a

national renewable energy standard in the

US is about zero

Cumming discusses in-field-chipping at an Alabama forestry show




carryover from the pulpwoodindustry that is paid by the wetton in the US south. Since loggersare paid very little for low valuefuel, the biomass is often a lossleader for their logging business.Loggers have been forced to investin low cost drum chippers andwere disappointed when theydidn’t stand up. It is highly likelythat the US South biomassindustry will evolve toward a morerational model that uses dryer andhigher value biomass fuel.Specialised biomass chipping andgrinding contractors will return tothe stand after the biomass hasdried and increased in value. Another trend that started inEurope was producing a chip thatdidn’t have long stringers thatwould plug up conveyors andhoppers. Boilers need a steadycontrollable flow of chips tooperate at high efficiency.European drum chippers haveutilised screens for many years toreduce these oversize pieces;however this is a newdevelopment in North America.Once customers see the chipquality that can be produced fromthese machines, they are unlikelyto accept chips with from drumchippers without screens.

IFI: So what’s next?LC: Well the original patent for thedisc chipper was established inthe 1800s so it’s remarkable that ithas not fundamentally changedover that time. However, it hasevolved continuously and there’sbeen 100s of patents andimprovements regarding chippinggeometry, knife angles, feedingmethods and durability. If we lookat just the clean pulp chip industrywhere disc chippers are normallyapplied, the goal there is toachieve a higher level of ‘accepts’– if you can improve on thatnumber by just a few percent thenyou can improve the bottom linefor your customers. Manycustomers are also demandinglower bark content from debarkingsystems so they can make higherquality paper grades or rayon. Sofor now, we haven’t come up witha replacement for a disc chipper ormobile flail debarkers but we stillsee many opportunities forevolving these products to makehigher quality clean chips both forpaper and the new uses.In the pellet industry, producersno longer have enough clean lowcost sawdust from sawmills as rawmaterial. This industry is nowlooking for small chips that can godirectly to the dryer without

another costly reduction step.Peterson and others haveresponded with drum chippersoptimised to make short thinconsistent chips that will dryquickly.

With drum chippers, apart fromthe quality of chip and thedurability that have already beenmentioned there is a huge neednowadays to manage the fuelconsumption – it’s paramount. Theoverall fuel economy andoperating costs can be reduced bygetting the chipping geometry andchipping speed optimised. We’vemade major progress there butthere is still much more that canbe done.

IFI: Is there somethingPeterson is working on at themoment to get ahead of thegame?LC: We tend not to discloseanything that’s too long-term untilwe have some patents files forthose innovations. But in general,I’d have to say we don’t expect toreplace disc or drum chippers butwe’ll be making lots ofincremental chipping anddebarking improvements that willhelp the bottom line for ourcustomers – they are all importantto improve the outlook for theforest industries.

IFI: You briefly mentionedEuropean sales before;what’s your approach toselling into Europe anddiversifying away from NorthAmerica?LC: Peterson wood grinders arewell known in Europe however wehaven’t sold any drum chippersinto Europe just yet. We believethat there’s a large market for thetype of product that we’re makingso the plan is to also introducedrum chippers into Europe overthe next few years. This will

involve a larger presence at Elmianext year. Elmia is one of the moreimportant forestry shows andincreasing our profile there shouldgive us a foundation to improveour forestry and biomass sales inEurope.

IFI: How has the biomasssector stood up through theeconomic downturn?LC: There’s definitely been a shiftin the way green energy includingbiomass has been looked at inNorth America since the globalfinancial crisis. It appears thatEurope is keeping the course forgreen energy and has a greaterinterest in renewable energy,global warming and other suchissues than North America. Theprinciple change has been two-fold. During the global financialcrisis in 2008-09 and what hasoccurred afterwards, people havebeen more concerned with jobsand the cost of their fuels ratherwhether or not it was green. Sothere’s been a shift in NorthAmerica from Al Gore’sInconvenient Truth to the recentpresidential elections whennobody mentioned green energy.So the likelihood of there being anational renewable energystandard in the US is about zero atthe moment, I’d say. But the statesdon’t seem to have backed off sothose that have renewable energystandards look like they’ll bekeeping them. Then there’s theoverall demand for energy, whichhas dropped considerably. If youtake Oregon as an example, thedecline in economic activity andthe improvements in efficiencyhave reduced the overall demandfor energy so power companiesthat want to start up and sell theirgreen power have had difficultysigning long term supplycontracts.

The other elephant in the room

Ensuring a premium product from drum chippers has become increasingly important

Liquid fuels have probably reached their peak

production so getting more energy, chemicals

and clothing from renewable biomass will

be a long term upward trend

HIGH PROFILE – BIOMASS SPECIAL

The Pacific Northwest has plenty of beautiful places to visit whenCumming gets some time off



BIOMASS SPECIAL – HIGH PROFILE

for renewable fuels in NorthAmerica is natural gas. Natural gasis so cheap, hovering wholesale ataround $3-4 per million BTUs, soit’s very difficult to compete – infact pretty much impossible – forbiomass to compete for heat andpower at those levels. If themarket is off the pipeline gridsomewhere then of coursebiomass is very competitive. Whatwe’ve seen is certainly a reductionin the interest in biomass –nobody with natural gas access isreadily converting to biomass inNorth America unless it is drivenby a state renewable energystandard or companies such asGoogle or Amazon that are hugepower users and want to project agreen image.

The price of natural gas is notlow in many parts of the worldhowever so we are seeing a lot ofinterest in Europe and all thosepellet mills starting up inSoutheast US are continuing toget orders and expand. TheTsunami in Japan completelychanged the nuclear industry andthe power generation plansaround the world. In fact, we seeJapan, Korea and China over thenext five years representingsubstantial opportunities for woodpellets and biomass from the westcoast of North America.

IFI: Does that mean you’llsteer away from NorthAmerica into new markets inthe coming years?LC: North America will continue tobe a key market however we areincreasing our efforts ininternational markets. Thegreatest success has been inSouth America and in Australia.

IFI: : How would you sum upthe future trends for thebiomass sector?

LC: I guess I’m optimistic.The worldwide pulp industry is

holding its own but is shiftingtoward growing more trees in thesouthern hemisphere and awayfrom paper as more people useelectronic media. The packagingpaper industry is still strong andother developments such asdissolving pulp for rayon andliquid fuels from biomass willprovide alternative future marketsfor forest products.

Both Peterson Pacific and ourparent company Astec Industriescontinue to invest heavily in thebiomass industry believing thatthe long term world trend mustinclude more renewable energy.Astec has spent many millionsdeveloping a wood pelletingsystem that has many uniqueadvantages over current pelletingsystems in use. Our Astec wooddryer can be used to also torrefywood chips, which will be one ofthe key new developments inimproving the economics of longdistance transport of biomass. Peterson Pacific sees a day whentrees become a scarce resourcewith higher prices as the world’seconomy improves. That’s notnecessarily the case today butliquid fuels have probably reachedtheir peak production so gettingmore energy, chemicals andclothing from renewable biomasswill be a long term upward trend.

Sure, there will be a few dips inthe road – and we’re in one ofthem right now – but the longertrend is upward.

IFI: I know you guys loveyour work and start veryearly in the morning but atsome point you must takesome time off. What do youdo with that time?LC: The Pacific Northwest wherewe’re from here has got to be oneof the most beautiful places in theworld. The ocean coast I thinkwould match any other in theworld and the mountains are greatfor hiking and skiing. That’s allclose by and we love to get outthere and enjoy it but the family isin Canada so we also go up there.

I was also fortunate enough to livein Finland for three years so oncea year we try to get back over toEurope to see some old friends sothere’s no shortage ofopportunities to fill up any timewe manage to take off.

IFI: With so much travel forwork and for pleasure youmust have formed someopinions on the best andworst airports.LC: I lived in Atlanta for severalyears and that’s one of the busiestairports in the world that takes alot of people and it has to be oneof the better designed airportsgoing. But if you want to look atjust space in an airport where it’snice to spend an hour or sobetween flights then it’s hard togo past Seattle or Portland –they’re great airports. They have anice feel about them and they’reefficient, also. IFI

The ocean coast of

the Pacific Northwest

would match any

other in the world

and the mountains

are great for hiking

and skiing

Healthy body, agile mind




BIOMASS – OPERATION FOCUS

Andreas Zeller has built arefinery. It’s small, compact,and mobile when it needs

to be. With it, he makes renewablefuel from local raw materials, forlocal customers. The greenrefinery is on the outskirts ofMutterstadt in Germany and –unlike its fossil counterparts withtheir steel gantries, smokestacksand gas flames – it basicallyconsists of a shredder and aKomptech screener. The rawmaterial is not fossil but ‘freshlygrown’ in the form of brushwood,logs, rootstocks and untreatedused wood, all of which absorbsas much CO2 when it grows backas it gives off when burnt.

It is harvested locally, mostlyfrom landscaping, and it is alsoused locally – instead of beingpiped thousands of kilometresthrough unstable regions, it istrucked short distances to areaheating plants.

Zelltherm custom qualityThanks to a certain stubbornness,the Zeller company has grown tobecome an established regionalvendor in a relatively short amountof time. It supplies the power plantsof private customers within a 100km radius with the customisedZelltherm brand fuel. Zeller cantailor the grain, heat value, ashcontent and ultimately the price toindividual customer needs.

“We sell customers exactly thefuel that makes the best businesssense for their system. There is nopoint in making top grade whenit’s not needed for goodcombustion, and when it costs toomuch in the long run,” Zeller saidconfidently.

“Transparency is ourphilosophy. We take prospects, forexample the mayor of a town witha heating plant, to see ouroperation and show them exactlyhow we make the fuel and whatwe make it from. We supply thematerial for a test phase, and ifeverything turns out as promised,we’ve gained a new customer.”

The range of services extendsfrom straightforward fuel sales toheat contracting, includingoperation of the heating plant anda guaranteed fuel supply.

Desire and realityEverybody talks about gettingaway from fossil fuel but it’seasier said than done. Biomassheating and power plants facetough competition fromconventional power plants backedby gas and oil giants that are notgoing to just fade away. The pricepressure is often passed along tosuppliers of renewable fuels.

Zeller knows all about that:“Biomass heating plants can onlypay a certain maximum rate forfuel. If the price of gas sinks theycome under pressure and lookaround for cheaper fuels. What’smore, the fuel market is veryflexible, not to say opaque.Different fuel grades, seasonalsurpluses and shortages, and themany middlemen just make itconfusing.”

To cope with this dynamicsituation, Zeller has invested in amodern screening system.

One screen – four fractionsThe heart of the system is a newMultistar star screen, paintedbright yellow. It is fed by anupstream shredder through anintermediate hopper, which allowsthe addition of other material. TheKomptech Multistar separates intofour fractions: fines forcomposting, two fuel fractionswith different grain, and woodyoversizes, which go back forreshredding.

Electronic conveyor scales giveprecise data on output, whichAndreas Zeller can accessremotely at any time. His motto is,“it has to pay”, and he regularlyexamines volume flows andmaterial streams to adjust hissystem and processes for theoptimum economy. He likes theway the screening system giveshim to the flexibility to do that.

“I can respond to differentmaterial properties or newcustomer requirements instantlyjust by changing the screen cuts.You can’t do that with trommelscreens.”

The boss gets his hands dirtyZeller spends a lot of time at adesk, but that doesn’t prevent him

Andreas Zeller has successfully turned a containerservice into a broadband recycling operation

The right fuel for success

Getting started in the biomass business

was made easier for Andreas Zeller by

reliable Komptech technology

We sell customers exactly the fuel that makes

the best business sense for their system – there

is no point in making top grade when it’s not

needed for good combustion, and when it costs

too much in the long run – Andreas Zeller, Zelltherm

IFI_PG52_54_Biomass Op Focus Komptech_01 18/12/2012 12:39 Page 52

from regularly doing hands-onwork.

“When I help with themaintenance on a machine oroperate a wheel loader a couple ofhours loading the star screen, itlets me know what really worksversus what only works on paper.”

He’s always had this closecontact with his machines – for aslong as he can remember, thefamily business was thedetermining factor.

“Home and business were oneand the same, and when I waslittle I would drive my go-kartaround among the containers.Later, before I went to school Iwould often turn our compostwindrows in the morning and then

show up at school smelling ofcompost, which not everyteacher thought highly of.”

Sometimes during a quietmoment he reflects on whathe has accomplished at ayoung age – turning what wasoriginally a container serviceinto a broadband recyclingoperation, and entering thechallenging field of biomassenergy. Zeller is convincedthat it will be of enormousimportance to his business,and to the future environment. IFI



I can respond to

different material

properties or

new customer

requirements instantly

just by changing the

screen cuts – you can’t

do that with trommel

screens – Zeller

The Komptech shredderand screening system

can respond to producespecific fuels for

individual clients

Zeller doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty

IFI_PG52_54_Biomass Op Focus Komptech_01 18/12/2012 12:39 Page 53

http://www.halcosoftware.com



Ever since his dad showedhim how to safely operate achain saw, third-generation

Fye family logger, Malcolm III,knew what his life calling wouldbe. Although he did spend a briefperiod of time employed at analuminium processing plant, Fyefelt out of place on amanufacturing production floor,and returned to the forest,outdoors and fresh air. Simply put,logging is in his blood.

It is harvested locally, mostlyfrom landscaping, and it is alsoused locally – instead of beingpiped thousands of kilometresthrough unstable regions, it istrucked short distances to areaheating plants.

“I left school in the 11th gradeand have been working in thewoods ever since,” Fye said.“Now, don’t get me wrong here,I’m not encouraging anyone elseto leave school. But for me it wasthe right thing to do.

“At the time my dad reallyneeded the help. I always lovedbeing in the woods and have sincetaken over our small, family-operated company. Now my son ishelping out. Logging is our way oflife. It’s just something we know

really well and love doing.”Established by Malcolm’s father

nearly 50 years ago, Fye Loggingis located in the extremenortheast corner of upstate NewYork, near the quaint, picturesquevillage of Dickinson Center.Surrounded by a collection of sixstate forests – and a stone’s throwfrom Adirondack State Park –timber and woods are abundanthere.

Fye Logging has always been afamily operation and three of thecompany’s four employees areFyes. At age 67, Malcolm’s father,Malcolm Jr, is still very active inthe operation and enjoysoperating the loader and slashequipment, while son Malcolm IVruns the grapple and skidder. Fyedid venture outside the family tohire a driver for the company’stractor/trailer rig for delivering

finished wood goods to theirintended destinations.

Diversification leads to growthNot surprisingly, the area wasonce home to a major paper milland Fye Logging served as one ofthe mill’s many pulp suppliers. Butwhen the mill closed a few yearsago, Fye was forced to diversify.

“We were pretty heavily intopulp at the time,” Fye said. “Afterthey closed the paper mill, westarted looking into differentthings. We process firewood, pulpand logs – whatever we can do tokeep things going. We bought awood processor and put up a lotof firewood and also got intochipping. We’ve been chippingwood for about four years nowand it seems to be going prettygood.”

Private landowners who hireFye Logging to harvest selecttracts of land compose themajority of the company’scustomer base. The extent ofclearing – either selective or clear-cut – is largely dictated by thelandowner’s plan for hectares. Thetype of wood, size of trees andspecies plays a part in the enduse. All logs are separated andsorted according to size withanything marketable as lumber(typically logs greater than 15.2cm (6 in in diameter) sold to anearby lumber mill and theremainder either processed intochips or cut into firewood. In 2011,Fye Logging produced more than7,000 cords (25,371.9 m3) offirewood.

Fye will tackle land-clearingprojects of most any size,although most jobs usually fall inthe 2-4 ha range. He estimatedtheir company cleared in excess of242 ha this past year, some of itselective, but most was clear-cut.

“We’re on a job right now wherethe landowner wants to createmore meadowland,” Fye said.“Originally the acres weremeadow but had becomeovergrown over the years. On that

Fye Logging is a family business, through and through

Logging in the blood

A North American logging family forced into the

chipping business is starting to see the benefits

of the Vermeer WC2300 whole tree chipper

Logging is our way of life – it’s

just something we know really well

and love doing – Malcolm Fye III, Fye Logging

IFI_PG54_55_Biomass Op Focus Vermeer_01 18/12/2012 12:42 Page 54

job we’re clear-cutting it all out.Sometimes we’ll do selectiveclearing – it all just depends onwhat the landowner is planning todo with the land.”

Renewable energyopportunitiesFye likes to limit the transport ofproducts to within an hour radiusfrom the jobsite as transportingmaterials distances much furtheraway starts cutting into profits.Fortunately, after the closing ofthe paper mill that for years hadbeen situated near DickensonCenter, Fye began looking at otheroptions to backfill the lost volumeand income.

Success came when he wasable to negotiate an agreement tosupply ground wood chips to acogeneration energy plant locatedjust 45 km away in nearbyChateaugay, NY.

Built in 1992, ChateaugayPower Station is a wood-residuethermal power plant with installedcapacity of 20 MW and averageannual production of 252 GWh.The plant is one of several in theNortheast corridor of the US builtand operated by Boralex, a

privately held electricityproducer whose corebusiness is thedevelopment and operation ofpower stations that run onrenewable energy. Boralexemploys close to 300 people inQuebec, the Northeastern UnitedStates and France; and owns andoperates 22 power stations with acombined installed capacity of 347MW. Recently acquired byReEnergy Holdings, based inLatham, NY, Boralex is the largestproducer of wood-residue energyin North America, operating sixthermal power stations in thestates of Maine and New York withtotal installed capacity of 204 MW.

“We try to supply the plant withthree loads of chips a day,” Fyesaid. “Each load will averageabout 27.2 t so we’re looking at81.7-90.7 t every day, just for thisone plant. Some days are good,some days aren’t, depending onweather and breakdowns. But wetry to get three loads a day up tothem if we can.

“It has been a real boost for ourbusiness, especially because it issteady and consistent.”

To help supply the feedstock

needs of the cogeneration plantmore efficiently, Fye added a newchipper to his fleet of wood-processing equipment, theVermeer WC2300 whole treechipper. The WC2300 chipperfeatures a 440 -hp (328.1 kW) Tier3 engine and can chip throughmaterial up to 58.4 cm (23 in) indiameter.

Fye likes the compact designthat allows the machine to bemoved around jobsites moreeasily, along with the increase inproductivity he has realised sincebringing the WC2300 on boardmore than a year ago.

“It has been a super machine forus,” Fye said. “We’ve had it forabout eight, nine months now andthe WC2300 has really helpedincrease productivity and chippingcapacity. With our other chipper, wewere having to sharpen the knivesafter every three loads or so, butwith the Vermeer machine, we’regetting at least 10-12, dependingon how clean the wood is.

“The other big difference we’veseen is in efficiency. We can load a

27.2 t trailer in under 25 minutes,where it was taking us nearly anhour with the other machine. Ofcourse it all depends on the sizeand the type of wood.”

Specifications for the chips Fyeprocesses for the Chateaugayplant range from 1.6 -1.9 cm (5/8-3/4 in) and is composed of avariety of wood types andcomposition. The WC2300 chipperhas allowed Fye to chip all parts offelled trees, making virtually theentire tree recyclable.

“The WC2300 whole treechipper has been great forprocessing the brushy, soft woodand pine tops after we take ourlogs out,” Fye said. “It has alsoallowed us to increase the volumeof waste wood we’re able to chipbecause we can use all parts ofthe trees we cut. It’s been a goodinvestment for our small family-operated business. We have to bepretty careful about the money wespend. There’s not much room forerror.”

Despite ongoing challenges –fuel costs, transportation andincreasing competition for woodsources – things all loggers face intheir operations, regardless ofcompany size, Fye is optimisticabout the future. He sees thebiomass and renewable energymarkets as a good thing for hisoperation, and for the logging andenergy industries in general.

“Anything we loggers can do tohelp with the renewable energymovement is good,” Fye said. “Itis one of the great things aboutbeing involved in a family-ownedlogging operation. Not only do weget to be our own boss, beoutdoors and in the woods, it’salso gratifying knowing that weare doing something really goodfor the environment.” IFI


BIOMASS – OPERATION FOCUSMalcolm Fye III with

his Vermeer 2300 whole tree chipper

The 2300 produces chips for theChateaugay plant ranging from 1.6 – 1.9 cm

The 2300 takes a variety of feedstock

IFI_PG54_55_Biomass Op Focus Vermeer_01 18/12/2012 12:42 Page 55


BIOMASS SPECIAL

The term ‘biomass’ refers primarily to plantmaterials, especially tree and grass cropsand forestry and agricultural wastes.

Biomass is a renewable energy source .The energyit contains comes from the sun (as does mostuseable energy).

Through the process of photosynthesis,chlorophyll in plants captures the sun’s energy byconverting carbon dioxide from the air and waterfrom the ground into carbohydrates. When thesecarbohydrates are burned, they turn back intocarbon dioxide and water and release the sun’senergy they contain. In this way biomass functionsas a sort of natural battery for storing solar energy.As long as biomass is produced sustainably – withonly as much used as grown – the battery will lastindefinitely.

The same process produces traditional fossilfuels – coal ,oil and gas but on a vastlydifferent time scale. While it takes millionsof years to convert organic material tofossil fuel, biomass can be created, usedand recreated in a matter of a few(between one and 10, typically) years.

The time factor lends biomass twoimportant properties as a fuel relating toenergy conservation and to theenvironment. Firstly, it can be consideredto be renewable and secondly it is alsocarbon neutral, that is its use in acontrolled manner does not contribute to anet increase of carbon dioxide in theatmosphere and therefore it does not havean adverse greenhouse effect.

There are many types of plants in theworld and many ways that they can beused for energy production. Localconditions will obviously affect the most

cost effective approach. While we are focussing in this article on the use

of solid biomass, it is possible to create both liquidand gaseous bio fuels. These may be in principleeasier to transport and utilise in combustion plantsbut may be themselves energy consuming inproduction (such as heating plant matter toproduce methane).

Energy cropsEnergy crops can be farmed, just like food crops.Trees and grasses are generally considered themost suitable. Trees can grow very fast and somewill grow back after being cut close to the ground,a feature called coppicing, which can allowharvesting every three-to-eight years for 20-30years before replanting. Poplar and maple in theUS and willow in northern Europe can grow up to12 m in the years between harvests.

ResiduesAfter plants have been used for other purposes,leftover wastes can be used for energy. Timberharvesting in forests, sawmills and crop residuescan all contribute.

Emissions from biomass combustion and other benefitsMost Biomass fuels contain very little sulphur andconsequently SO2 emissions are minimal,although NOx, CO and particulate emissions maybe comparable to more conventional fuels. Inaddition to the carbon neutral benefit describedabove, there is an additional greenhouse benefitwhere wood waste would otherwise have beenland filled and produced methane.

Generation of energy crops and cultivation ofbiomass can provide employment in rural areasand can often contribute significantly to ruralregeneration projects.

The greenhouse effectThe greenhouse effect is the rise in temperaturethat the Earth experiences because infrared (IR)absorbing gases in the atmosphere (carbondioxide and methane for example) trap energyfrom the sun. Without these gases, heat wouldescape back into space and Earth’s averagetemperature would be about 40° C colder.

IR absorbing gases constitute normally lessthan 1% of the (dry) atmosphere but their presenceis vital to preserving life on the planet. Theexistence and importance of the greenhouse effectis not in dispute. More controversial is theenhanced greenhouse effect – the effect that theindustrial society of the past 150 years has had inincreasing carbon dioxide levels due primarily tofossil fuel combustion in power and heatgeneration and vehicular use.

The Kyoto agreement realised that a concertedglobal effort is required to reduce emissions ofthese gases. In the UK, the government aims toensure 10% of our energy production is byrenewable non-greenhouse enhancingtechnologies by 2010. This aim is encouraged bythe UK’s rapidly dwindling oil and gas reserves.Britain is no longer self-sufficient in the latter, andby 2020 will only be producing 20% of the oilproduced currently.

Other countries have their own objectives andtargets.

Combined heat and powerThe basic elements of a combined heat and power(CHP) plant comprise one or more prime movers todrive electrical generators The heat generated inthis process is also utilised, for a variety ofpurposes including: industrial processes,community heating and space heating.

CHP provides a secure and efficient method ofgenerating both electricity and heat at the point ofuse. Due to the use of the heat from electricitygeneration and the avoidance of transmissionlosses because electricity is generated on site, CHPtypically achieves a 35% reduction in primaryenergy usage compared with electricity powerstations and heat only boilers.

Biomass is ideally suited to CHP, either as a gasor to drive a steam turbine. The use of biomass

Biomass 101Martin Curtis from

biomass energy system

provider, Bioenergy

Technology, walks the

uneducated through the

basics of the biomass

sector from

start to finish

Figure 1: The carbon cycle is nature's wayof moving carbon around to support life onearth. Carbon dioxide is the most commonvehicle for carbon, where the carbonmolecules are bound to oxygen. Plantphotosynthesis breaks the carbon dioxidein two, keeping the carbon to form thecarbohydrates that make up the plant, andputting the oxygen into the air. When theplant dies or is burned, it gives its carbonback to the air, which is then reabsorbedby other plants

IFI_PG56_57_Biomass special_01 18/12/2012 12:44 Page 56

instead of fossil fuels for CHP makes anenvironmentally friendly technology evenfriendlier. The example below shows a typicalenergy distribution benefit from a gas fired CHPscheme. Substitution of a renewable biomassfired boiler to provide high pressure steam to aturbine retains the efficiency and has theadditional benefit of having no net greenhouse effect.

Types of combustion equipmentFixed retort – Broadly, biomass burners willeither be of a fixed or moving grate type. Theschematic below illustrates a fixed grate withcyclonic combustion. Cyclones are suitable forfine particulate wood such as sawdust. Ingeneral, fixed grate burners require fuel, whichis in chip (say 20 mm x 20 mm or less) or pelletsize or less. Their advantage is theirappreciable lower capital cost compared tomoving grates The illustration also shows ‘autode-ashing’ and a ‘grit arrestor’.Bioenergy Technology would normally supply awater-cooled pre-combustor prior to the burner.

Moving chain grate – Moving grates allowgreater residence time between thecombustible material and combustion air andhave some flexibility in the rate of movement ofthe grates. These features enable such burnersto deal with a greater variability of Biomassmaterial supply, but are significantly moreexpensive than fixed grates.

A large variety of combustion equipment isnowadays commercially available but it isdifficult to state specifically that a certainequipment is more suitable for a given fuelquality than another.

Small-scale combustion (50-500 kW) is oftenperformed using some kind of additionalequipment attached to the boiler. The main typesare pulverised fuel burner, pre-oven and stoker.

Stoker – A stoker consists of a screw or a pistonworking in connection between fuel storage anda retort in the bottom of the boiler. The fuelmust not have too high moisture content in astoker. In small stokers dried fuel chips withmoisture content of 25-35% are burned.

Pre-oven – With this firing method, notcompletely combusted gas is transferred fromthe pre-oven to the boiler through a connectingchannel. The pre-oven is often necessary forwet fuels with moisture content higher thanaround 40%.

Pulverised fuel burners – These may beinteresting in the future for small boilers.Currently pulverised fuel burners are only usedin large installations. Pulverised wood burnersare normally used to retrofit oil or coal boilers.

Grate furnace – The grate furnace is the mostcommon type of equipment for capacities of>500 kW. There are various types of grates. Themost common are the fixed sloping grate, themoving horizontal grate, the moving slopinggrate and the multi stage grate.

The fixed grate can be air-cooled or water-cooled. It is most commonly used at capacitieslower than 1-2 MW. Since the slope of the grateshould be different for different types of fuel, or

even for the same type of fuel, which isprepared in different ways, this type of grate isnot very flexible. When burning a dry fuel, likeresidues from arable land, water-cooling isused, and when burning a wet fuel air-cooling.

The moving grate is commonly used atcapacities larger than 1-2 MW, but even in thelower capacity region, there are many boilerswith moving grates. Since the fuel bed is mixedmechanically, moving grates are more fuelflexible than fixed grates. For fuels with highcontents of ash, like straw and residues fromarable land, a moving sloping grate should beused. Otherwise, there is a risk for sintering ofthe ash. Fuels with varying particle sizes alsorequire a moving grate.

The most common fuel type used in grateboilers is wood chips, but also mixtures ofwood chips/peat, wood chips/shavings fromsawmills, briquettes and residues from arableland are frequently used. Interest has increasedduring the last years and additionaldemonstration plants for residues from arableland have been erected.

Fluidised beds are used mainly for capacitieslarger than 10 MW. A bed of sand, ash and fuelparticles is fluidised by the combustion air,which is blown into the bed through thebottom. In a circulating fluidised bed, the

air/flue gas velocity is so high that the fuel isentrained in the combustion gases. The solidmaterial is then separated in a cyclone andrecycled to the lower section of the bed.

Energy efficiencyHeat is produced from biofuels at efficienciesbetween 70-90 % depending on the fuel andthe performance of the boiler. In a condensingboiler, the moisture in the flue gas iscondensed, which enables additional heat to berecovered. The total efficiency can therefore beincreased to near 100% (based on the lowerheating value, LHV, in wet fuel). IFI


SPECIAL – BIOMASS

Moving chain grates have some advantages but are expensive

Pulverised fuel burners could be widely used insmaller operations in the future

Fluidised beds are for capacities of greater

than 10 MW

IFI_PG56_57_Biomass special_01 18/12/2012 12:44 Page 57


Front row left to right: Davey Haldeman, Larry Cumming (Peterson Pacific President), Mal Windrim, Tom Le, Dave Girard, Jim Prior & Mike Bonomo; back row left to right: Steve Farmer, Charlie Bagnall,

Brian Gray, Derek Izworski, Doug Desloges

DEMO INTERNATIONAL 2012 – A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

Peterson Pacific enjoyed a busy and highlyproductive show. A high class team of Petersonoperatives pictured demonstrated:• Peterson 7900 EL – Disk Chipper – Petersons’

largest chipper – when paired with the 6830debarker forms a complete chipping solution.•Peterson 6830 Debarker

• Peterson 4310B Track Mounted Drum Chipper –The 4300 is designed for high volume biomassproducers.

Supported by• CAT 320 D – Forestry machine• CAT 545C – Skidder• CAT 938 K – Wheel loader

Saint-Raymond, Quebec – After a four yearwait visitors to DEMO International 2012were not left disappointed as this massive

event made its way back to the forests of Quebec. A total of 8,578visitors made their way around the approximately 1.5 mile long loop totake in demonstrations and to see the latest products, services and

equipment available to the industry.The event was presented by the Canadian Woodlands Forum and was

hosted by Gestion Solifor on its property, La Seigneurie de Perthuis,which is located 75km outside of Quebec City. André Tremblay, Président-directeur général of the Conseil de l’industrie forestière du Québec, wasthe honorary President of DEMO International 2012.

IFI_PG58_59_Demo Int Peterson_01 18/12/2012 15:27 Page 64


British Columbia andYukon TerritoryWoodland Equipment2015 West TransCanada HwyKamloops, BC V1S 1A7Phone: 250.372.2855Fax: 250.374.2844

Alberta, Saskatchewan,Manitoba, Ontario, andQuebecWajax IndustriesLimited815 Trillium DriveKitchener, Ontario N2R 1J9Office: 519.893.2942Toll Free: 866.376.4430Fax: 519.893.1068Website: www.wajaxwest.comConstruction & Forestry

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,NewfoundlandAtlantic CAT175 Akerley Blvd.Dartmouth, NS B2Y 3Z6Phone: 902.468.0581 Fax: 902.468.4220

Canadian Dealers

DEMO INTERNATIONAL 2012

Model 4310B

IFI_PG58_59_Demo Int Peterson_01 18/12/2012 15:27 Page 65


INNOVATION

Crane manufacturer Cranabis currently paradingaround its FC16 – the

largest model in its newgeneration of cranes forforwarders. The company believesthis new model reinforces itsposition as the leading craneproducer for forestry machines inthe global market.

The FC16 has been developedespecially for the market's largestand most powerful forwarders.The development of today'sforwarders has resulted in theirbecoming larger and morepowerful, with an increasedloading capacity – the largestmachines have an increased loadcapacity from 18-20 t. The newFC16 has been developed tomanage the highest demands withincreased strength and highperformance.

At its full range of 8.5 m thecrane can lift all of 1,310 kg at thetip. Gross lifting torque is 165kNm. Added to this is a powerfulslewing engine with a slewingtorque of an impressive 42.5 kNm.

“We have followed marketdevelopments and the users'needs very closely, and havedesigned our new model entirelyto meet the new demands of theindustry,” Marketing ManagerMicael Olsson said. “This newcrane is, for example, optimised inproportion to the slewing effectand the lifting force. We have beenvery careful in this respect whendeveloping the new FC16.

“We know that harmonybetween lifting force and slewingeffect is crucial. These propertiesare vital in sloping terrain where itis especially important that theforwarder is fitted with a cranestrong enough to both lift andslew whilst fully laden in the samemotion cycle.”

New generation praised fromthe outsetCranab's new generation of craneswas presented in June last year,and was launched to theimmediate satisfaction of anenthusiastic market. It is alreadybeing sold to several machinemanufacturers who are installing

We know that harmony between lifting force and

slewing effect is crucial – these properties are

vital in sloping terrain where it is especially

important that the forwarder is fitted

with a crane strong enough to both lift and

slew whilst fully laden in the same

motion cycle – Micael Olsson

The FC16 is designed for heavyduty forestry applications

Extensive improvementsLeading Swedish

crane manufacturer,

Cranab, released a

new program of

developments last

year that have been

rapidly embraced

by a market eager

to take advantage

of the latest

advances

IFI_PG60_61_Innovation Cranab_01 19/12/2012 10:59 Page 60


INNOVATION

them in serial production on their machines. Some of the most exciting new features are

the possibilities of sensors and intelligentcontrols. In addition the new generation has anadvanced lifting geometry, a new protectedhose routing and a new brake solution betweenthe crane tip and rotator. The market's needswere central throughout the entire developmentprocess, with the manufacturer recognising thatfunction, ergonomics and service accessibilityhad to be prioritised.

“We have several examples where the usersconsider the crane's good qualities to havebeen vital when making decisions oninvestment. And that importance is of coursesomething that we feel even better about,”Olsson concluded.

Largest model with applicable designThe FC16 has all of the excellent propertiesfeatured in the new generation, with theaddition of increased capacity for largermachines. The FC16 comes as standard as asingle telescopic crane, but it will also beavailable as a double telescopic crane and a 10m version. The FC16 is used to best effect withCranab grapples CR360HD, CR360HDX, CR400,CR400X or CR400HD.

The FC16 has been added on top of the sixnew single telescopic designs from Cranab’s

latest development program. The two best-sellers are the FC10 and FC12 for mid-sized

and large forwarders have been enhancedwith an option for an extra-long design

with a range of 8.5 m, which is uniquefor single telescopic cranes of that

size. When Cranab presented itsnew crane program last year it

was immediately embracedby foresters and harvester

manufacturers andfurther models werepromised straightaway. That led to newsingle telescopiccranes for its entirerange of forwardercranes.

The advantages of a single telescopic craneare many. It is efficient, lighter in weight andconsists of fewer moving parts making it easierto maintain. In addition it is strong, robust andhas significantly better range.

Great need and revolution“We have seen that the market has beendemanding a wider range of single telescopic

cranes and versions for the 8.5 m range havebeen missing,” Olsson said. “During the furtherdevelopment of our new generation of craneswe have been able to produce these models.The extra long 8.5 m design for the FC10 andFC12 that we call ET+, is also something wedescribe as a revolution in its class.”

In addition to the features of the newgeneration of cranes, Cranab also emphasisesthe selected external hose routing on the singletelescopic cranes. The design combines aprotected, compact solution with generoushose dimensions and well thought-out hoseroutings.

“We have put a lot of care into making a low-level hose control from the underside of thecrane to the topside,” Olsson said. “The bendradii of the hoses are optimised and at thesame time it is an uncluttered installation inwhich we have minimised the built-in elementsand have succeeded in making it compact. Theexternal hose routing give the hoses a longerservice life and good accessibility for servicingor hose replacement.”

New generation praised from the outsetCranab's new generation of cranes waspresented in June last year and the resultsspeak for themselves.

“With our new cranes we are able to meetmore customers’ needs thanks to the featuressuch as a greater lifting height in the immediatevicinity and an advanced geometry. This makesit easier to lift materials higher and closer-in.That's why the new crane generation isparticularly suitable for chippers or top-and-branch handling,” Olsson explained.

With the six new single telescopic cranes andthe recently-launched FC16 for the largestforwarders, Cranab claims to hold the market'smost comprehensive range in its newgeneration of cranes. IFI

The Cranab ET+ is new to the recent range of cranes

IFI_PG60_61_Innovation Cranab_01 19/12/2012 10:59 Page 61

The new 655K Crawler Loaderfrom John Deere wasdesigned and built using

significant customer input toprovide contractors with a machinethat helps increase productivity anduptime and lower daily operatingcosts. The latest addition to the K-Series line builds on the highlysuccessful 755K crawler loader.Both models are assembled inDubuque, Iowa.

The 655K features a John DeerePowerTech 6.8-L IT4/Stage IIIB dieselengine that delivers a productivecombination of power and torque,boasting a net horsepower of 145 HPat 1,800 RPM.

A key feature of the 655K is thehydrostatic transmission, a featureJohn Deere first pioneered incrawler dozers in North America in1976. These transmissions providecustomers infinite speed control,power management, live powerturns, counter rotation whilestaying in gear, and dynamicbraking. The transmission controlsallow operators to pick between theV-pattern or joystick transmissioncontrol option to get work done. In

addition, Total Machine Controlallows customised machineresponse that can be tailored tomeet the needs of individualoperators.

Customers can choose betweentwo bucket options: a general-purpose bucket or a four-in-onemultipurpose bucket with lifetimelubricated bucket pivot pins toincrease uptime by eliminatingperiodic service. In addition, a rearripper design helps turn materialson the jobsite.

John Deere’s exclusive Quad-Coolsystem isolates coolers from engineheat for increased efficiency anddurability. A standard hydraulic-driven variable-speed suction fanruns only as needed, reducingnoise, fuel consumption, andcooling component wear.

“Ground-level maintenanceaccess and the Quad-Cool systemprovide ease of service that isimperative for operators in thefield,” said Deere. “If the crawlerloader is easier to service on a dailybasis, it’s more likely that servicewill get done, ultimately extendingthe life of the equipment and

increasing productivity forcustomers.”

Inside the cab, operators will findincreased comfort thanks to quieteroperation, larger access doors anda standard air suspension seat. Aviscous cab mounting reducesnoise from vibration while double-laminated rear window glass andcomplete interior sound-dampeningtreatment significantly reduce noiselevels. The 655K also features asealed switch model with keylessstart and the ability to enableexclusive features such asturbocharger cool-down and autoshutdown. A touchpad securitysystem requires a numeric passcode to prevent unauthorisedoperation.

Onboard diagnostics include astandard display monitor thatprovides real time values for every

temperature, pressure and speedsensor on the machine. The crawlerloader constantly monitorstransmission temperature to avoiddamage to the hydrostat system. Ifthe transmission temperature is toocold or hot, the associated light onthe monitor will illuminate.

Fleet managers, owners oroperators looking to get the mostout of their 655K can rely on thestandard JDLink Ultimate systemthat continuously collects andtransmits machine data for machinemanagement via mobile phonetechnology. The system provides24/7 online access to the machine’slocation, health, utilisation, fuelconsumption and other informationto help contractors betterunderstand costs and jobsiteperformance.

www.deere.com

CUTTING EDGE

New addition to the Deere K-Series family

New single point sensor line from Gocator

LMI Technologies, a globalleader in 3D sensormeasurement technology for

industrial measurement andcontrol applications, launchedtoday a new Gocator DisplacementSensor product line. The Gocator1100 series and Gocator 1300

series are the first offerings fromthis new line of all-in-one 3Dsmart displacement sensors. Tomark the launch, both series ofdisplacement sensors weredemonstrated in October at VisionChina in Beijing.

“LMI has developed an excitingnew line of single point sensorsfor use in high speed inspection,based on over 30 years of Selcomlaser sensor knowledge,” saysCEO Terry Arden. “These sensorsleverage the success of Gocator’sground breaking user interface todeliver an exceptionally easymeasurement device to operate.”

For two years, Gocator sensorshave been setting a new standardfor optimisation and control intoday’s production facilities.Gocator Displacement Sensorsenable users of all levels ofexpertise to perform high-speeddimensional measurements such

as height and thickness, orsurface roughness. With scanrates up to 32 kHz, all-in-oneGocator Displacement Sensors areideal for real-time closed loopcontrol and automating non-contact distance measurementprocesses. Users easily set up,measure, and control with thesame multi-language web basedinterface found in all Gocators.

Gocator Displacement Sensorsare scalable, come with an opensource SDK, and can “plug” intoPLCs using industry standardprotocols.

Highlight features of Gocatorall-in-one 3D smart displacementsensors include: • Scan rates up to 32 kHz• High-resolution measurement

over various ranges, up to 2 m• A built-in web browser based

multi-language interface thatdoes not require coding or

specialised training• EtherNet/IP certified for

“plugging” into PLCs• Pre-calibrated, integrated laser

and optics that deliver real-world measurement out of thebox

• Laser measurement and dataprocessing done in the sensor

• Rugged IP67 housings forindustrial environments

• 2m, 3R, 3B laser class optionsoptimised for different types ofapplications.

Manufacturers looking forfurther information about GocatorDisplacement and Profile sensorsolutions are encouraged tocontact LMI Technologies. Datasheets and a product linebrochure Gocator are available fordownload from the Gocatorproduct page

www.lmi3d.com


IFI_PG62_63_Cutting Edge_01 18/12/2012 12:54 Page 62

The Model 200UC UtilityChipper brings low cost withreliable performance and

production to the popular 30.5 cm(12 in) capacity disc chippersegment. It’s similar to Bandit’spopular Model 200XP, but featuresa lightened frame and chippingdisc along with a plastic fuel tank.

These changes allow the Model200UC to ride comfortably on asmaller 2721 kg (6000 lb) axle with38.1cm (15 in) wheels, making thismachine easier to tow andmanoeuvre. It shares the same 14

x 17 in chipper throat opening andfeed system with the Model 200XP,and it can be equipped withengines from 48-97 HP.

The end result is amanoeuvrable chipper thatdelivers the production andcapability of a 30.5 cm (12 in)machine, but with a lighter weightand a lower price point comparedto many other machines in thissegment. This is an ideal fleetchipper, and the Model 200UC isespecially well suited for utilityclearing thanks to its combination

of weight, size and large throatopening. It’s an inexpensive, no-nonsense 30.5 cm (12 in) discchipper with the ability tocompress and chip large, limbybranches without sacrificingmanoeuvrability. Companies that

need the larger capacity of a 30.5cm (12 in) chipper but cannotjustify the higher cost of a typical30.5 cm (12 in) machine will findthe Model 200UC to be a perfect fit.

www.banditchippers.com


CUTTING EDGE

Moipu’s new M250Dmodel has experiencedan overall redesign. The

main innovation is the replaceablecutting method.

The lower frame is bolted to amain frame and is easy to removeto allow even greater versatility inthe uses for the head. Theguillotine cutting is suitable forsmaller trees, but is superb withchallenging terrains and forests.The M250D is equipped with asaw cut designed for hardwood.

The frame is designed to becompact and lightweight. Thisensures easy control even on asmaller crane. Although designedto be lightweight, it’s alsodesigned to last in the demandingenvironment of professional use.

“The light but robust structurecan handle even rougher use,”Moipu stated. “The structure hasbeen designed to be compact, butalso keeping in mind the need foreasy maintenance. Being easy tomaintain helps to ensure the longlifetime these heads have.”

The lower frame can be either asaw cut or guillotine cuttingdevice. As a saw device, theM250D uses the efficient andreliable Hultdins SuperCut withParker 19 cc motor. As a sawdevice, the head can cut trees upto 440 mm in diameter, while thenew geometry of the rollers allows

better accumulation treatment andbetter feeding for different sizetrees. Overlap of the rollers alsohelps the feeding of smallertrunks. The M250D version feedrollers are non-clogging.

“The roller structure is open, sothe bark of the trees and dirt canpass through the roller,” themanufacturer stated. “As a result,the rollers are lighter and havebetter grip.”

As part of the host of changesto the model, the guillotine hasbeen further developed; now it’sable to cut wood up to 300 mm indiameter. Compared to sawcutting, this method is cheaper,has less need for maintenanceand provides a more reliablecutting performance. New bladesincrease the efficiency further –cutting performance is up to 20%higher compared with the

previous version. The M250D can also be

provided with an L90 power block,which is an option that reduces theload of the base machine andmakes operation of the head moreefficient. Power block isrecommended if the basic machinehas enough hydraulic flow.

The new D version is alsoavailable as a stripped model,suitable for first thinning

operations in forest because itbypasses the traditional feedingprocess so the loading propertiesare very good. The advantages arethe affordability and a lighterstructure. The model is mosteffectively used when it’s installedin small or medium-heavyforwarders, which are intended tomake loading in addition to asmall thinning.

www.moisioforest.com

Bandit’s lighter,cheaper chipper stillmaintains performance

Moipu’s M250D enjoys overhaul

M250D L: Model with no feeding, 430 kg

M250D ES: Model with feeding,535 kg

M250D ESS: Model with feedingand saw cut, 550 kg

Cutting with guillotine: 300 mm

Cutting with saw cut: 440 mm

Limbing diameter: 40-350 mm

Feeding speed: 5 m/sec

Hydraulic requirements:Pressure: 200-280 bar

Flow with guillotine: 120-160 l/min

Flow: with saw cut: 160-200 l/min

Moipu M250D specificationsThe Moipu M250D isone of the moreversatile heads onthe market

IFI_PG62_63_Cutting Edge_01 18/12/2012 12:54 Page 63


ADVERTISERS INDEX

UK, Europe, South Africa, US East CoastCONTACT: Phil Playle or David Lansdowne

Lansdowne Media Services Ltd

Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777

Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617

Email: [email protected]

or [email protected]

JapanCONTACT: Yuko Ishihara

Japan Advertising Communications, Inc.

Star Bldg., 3-10-3 Kanda Jimbocho

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051

Tel: 81-3-3261-4591

Fax: 81-3-3261-6126


Western USA (AZ, CA, NV, UT) Australia, & New ZealandCONTACT: George Roman

Roy McDonald Associates, Inc

4779 Luna Ridge Court,

Las Vegas NV 89129, USA

Tel: +1 (702) 515 7247

Fax: +1 (702) 515 7248


Western USA (MT, ID, OR,WA) & CanadaCONTACT: Bob Warren

Lansdowne Media Services Ltd

Tel: +44 (0)1442 877 777

Fax: +44 (0)1442 870 617


US Mid-West, Central & MountainCONTACT: Kevin Lapham

J.P.Media Inc

1163 E.Ogden Ave, Ste. 705-359 Naperville

IL 60563, USA

Tel: +1 (630) 420 9752

Fax: +1 (630) 420 9763


South AmericaCONTACT: Ricardo Cortés

Editec S.A.

Avda del Cóndor 844 Of. 205,

Cuidad Empresarial -

Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile

Tel: +56 2 757 4200

Fax: +56 2 757 4201


SALES OFFICESBandit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/9

www.banditchippers.com

Barko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

www.barko.com

Cleanfix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

www.cleanfix.org

Elmia Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14/20/46/51

www.elmia.se/sv/wood

ESRI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBC

www.esri.com/forestry

EWD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F/C/39

www.ewd.de

Fecon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

www.fecon.com

Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

www.gilbert-tech.com

Halco Software Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

www.halcosoftware.com

John Deere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

www.deere.com/forestry

Komptech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

www.komptech.com

Lucidyne Technologies Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

www.lucidyne.com

LIGNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

www.ligna.de/home

Morbark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

www.morbark.com

Multisaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

www.multisaw-sawmilling.com

Oregon Logging Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

www.oregonloggingconference.com/

Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

www.petersoncorp.com

Pezzolato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

www.pezzolato.it

Rottne Industri AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

www.rottne.com

Tigercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

www.tigercat.com

USNR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

www.usnr.com

Vermeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

www.vermeer.com

Willems Baling Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

www.willemsonline.com

Wood-Mizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

www.woodmizer.com

WoodEXPO 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/IBC

www.woodexpo2013.com

ADVERTISERS INDEX

For the complete IFI Show Directory 2012/13 visit www.internationalforestindustries.com go to download IFI issues

IFI SHOW DIRECTORY

JUNE 5 – 8, 2013ElmiaWoodElmiavägen 11, SE-554 54 JÖNKÖPINGMeet forestry professionals from all the World

CONTACT:Veronika AlbertTel: +46 36 15 22 [email protected]

2013

woodexpo2013_ad 10.2012_Layout 2 29/10/2012 10:54 Page 1

http://www.woodexpo2013.com

esri ad 04.2012:Layout 1 25/4/12 08:47 Page 1

http://www.esri.com/forestry

International Forest Industries Magazine Dec Jan 2013

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Transcript of International Forest Industries Magazine Dec Jan 2013