PRESENTATION BY DEREK HOWE.

CUT TO LENGTH ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN

FOCUS on FE – NOV 2011

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

CUT TO LENGTH OR CTL

• CTL IS A HARVESTING SYSTEM WHERE-BY TREES ARE FELLED BY A MECHANISED TREE HARVESTER , PROCESSED INTO DESIRED LOG LENGTHS INFIELD FOR FORWARDER EXTRACTION - WHICH THE FORWARDER THEN PRESENTS THESE LOGS IN NEAT SIZEABLE STACKS ON ROADSIDE FOR LONGHAUL TRANSPORT.

THE BALANCING ACT

IT IS IMPORTANT TO MATCH THE SIZE OF THE CARRIER – HEAD – FORWARDER

WITH THE TASK AT HAND.

THE EQUIPMENT MUST BE BALANCED TO EFFECTIVELY MEET:-

SUSTAINED PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS TREE SIZE

SPECIE SLOPE AND ROADSIDE BANKS

UNDERFOOT CONDITIONS EXTRACTION DISTANCES

PROOF THAT MATCHING IS IMPORTANT

BUT SO IS TRAINING

FACTS

• ATTACHMENT IS DETERMINED BY TREE SIZE

• BOOM REACH IS DETERMINED BY WEIGHT OF THE TREE AND ATTACHMENT - NOT SLOPE

• KILOWATT RATING IS DETERMINED BY ATTACHMENT AND TREE SIZE AND THE HEADS CAPABILITY

• TYRES ARE BETTER IN ROCKY CONDITIONS

• WHEELED UNITS CAN BE DRIVEN TO WORK

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CTL USING HYBRID MATCH LIMITED SLOPE CAPABILITIES BUT SANDY SOILS OK

PURPOSE BUILT FOR THE JOB POOR UNDERFOOT CONDITIONS

TRACKED 759JH HARVESTER

SEVERE ROCKY CONDITIONS

WET AND SENSITIVE CONDITIONS NEED WIDE WHEELS FITTED WITH

WIDE TRACKS.

LEVELING HARVESTING ENCROACHES INTO PREVIOUSLY YARDING DOMAIN.

CTL SYSTEM COST EFFECTIVE 2 UNIT SYSTEM ONLY

TO SUIT ANY CONDITION

Wheeled Harvester

Tracked Harvester

Forwarder

MULTIPLE LENGTHS ARE ACCURATELY OPTIMISED

CTL PRESENTATION FOR FORWARDER

> 500m3 / SHIFT

VARIANCES TRACKED HARVESTERS

• Size of machine 23 - 40 tons

• Kilowatt rating 135-250 kW

• Choice -Leveling base or not?

• Track length, width, grouser options

• Boom length to suit

• Attachment options

VARIANCES WHEELED HARVESTERS

• Size of machine 11 - 24 tons

• Kilowatt rating 75 -200 kW

• Leveling and rotating cabins?

• Tyre size

• Boom lengths

• Tracks & chains

VARIANCES FORWARDERS

• Size of machine 8 - 20 ton payload capacity ( often 25t ave)

• Kilowatt rating 75 -180 kW

• Operating weight 12 – 23 tons

• Leveling and rotating cabins

• Tyre size

• Boom length

• Tracks & chains

TRACKED HARVESTERS

CONSIDERATIONS

LEVELER OR NON LEVELER CAN CARRY BIGGER HEADS

MORE STABLE ON SEVERE SLOPES COST OF LOWBEDDING TO BE INCL

GENERALLY LESS TECHNICAL HIGHER FUEL BURN

ROCKS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC

TRACKED HARVESTER Options for Steep Slopes

• Leveling up to 51% slope

• Non Leveling 20%

• Steep slope = single grousers

EFFECT OF SLOPE ON PRODUCTIVITY PURPOSE BUILT

LEVELING TRACKED MACHINES

• RULE OF THUMB - UP OR DOWNHILL IS:-

0% - 25% = ZERO EFFECT

25% - 35% = 5% “

35% - 45% = 10% “

45% - 55% = 20% “

PROCESSING AREA ON SLOPE.

THERE IS NO SET RULE AS THE PURPOSE

BUILT LEVELLING MACHINES ARE

WELL BALANCED AND STABLE.

PROCESSING FACING UP THE SLOPE IS HOWEVER SLIGHTLY MORE COMFORTABLE AND PRODUCTIVE.

The following pictures indicate various quadrant capabilities.

UPHILL FELLING -

USING GRAVITY ASSISTANCE FOR DEBRANCHING

SIDE SLOPE FELLING –

SLEW TOWARDS AND PROCESS BELOW OR ABOVE

WHEELED HARVESTER Options for Steep Slopes

• About 40% slope STRAIGHT UP/DOWN

• Very limited side slope capability • Steep slope = tracks and/or chains

• Rotating cab improves operating

comfort on slopes and improved productivity over 10%

• More boom options including Tilt boom

• 4 x 4 or 6 x 6

TYRE TRACTION – GOING UP BANK

SMALL WHEELED HARVESTER PROCESSING UPHILL

WHEELED HARVESTER PROCESSING DOWNHILL

FORWARDING TO ROADSIDE. DISTANCE TO R/SIDE SHOULD BE MINIMISED

STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN SLOPE 6 X 6 OR 8 X 8

PURPOSE BUILT LONG RANGE FORWARDER

WET & SANDY CONDITIONS

4 X 4 OR 6 X 6

FORWARDER Options for Steep Slopes

• About 40 % slope

• Limited side slope capability

• Boom reach is determined by weight of logs

• Machine class is determined by tree size & forwarding distance

• Advantages = Leveling/ Rotating

cabin

BUNK OPTIONS

• In Steep terrain keep bunk options as standard as possible – Too high - machine top heavy – Too wide - unstable on side slopes – NEVER load higher than headboard

when extracting down slope – Safety consideration with wet

eucalyptus extraction on slopes - manage appropriately

KEEP WITHIN RECOMMENDED SAFETY PARAMETERS

WHEELED TRACKS

TRACKS & CHAINS SINGLE AND BOGEY

SLOPE CAPABILITIES CONSISTENCY OF TIMBER SUPPLY

PROLONGS TYRE LIFE INCREASED STABILITY ON SLOPES – LOWER C OF G

SOFT TREAD ON FOREST FLOOR EASE OF FITMENT – 30 MIN ON AND OFF

SOFT UNDERFOOT CONDITIONS

SINGLE WHEEL TRACTION

HARVESTING/PROCESSING HEADS

YOUR CARRIER IS AS GOOD AS ITS HEAD

SELECT WISELY

TO ACHIEVE SAFE HARVESTING ON SLOPES

• SELECT THE CORRECT SIZE HEAD TO SUIT TREES • SELECT HEAD SIZE TO SUIT CARRIER – kW • SELECT HEAD TO SUIT BOOM LENGTH • WORK IN FRONT OF CAB • DO NOT SLEW OUTSIDE OF SAFETY ZONE • KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE SIDE SLOPE • HEADS - WEIGHTS 500 kg - PROCESS 15cm stems “ 4700 kg - “ 85cm “

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HEAD = 1680 kgs - CARRIER = 20 tons

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HEAD = 4720kgs - CARRIER SIZE = 35+ ton

PRINCIPLE OF PRECISION MERCHANDIZING ON SLOPES IS ACHIEVABLE

TRAINING A NON NEGOTIABLE RIGHT

SLOPE HARVESTING IS DANGEROUS IF NOT TRAINED

IN TREES OF < 1m3

SLOPE HARVESTING COMPETENCY IS ACHIEVED:-

< 30 % slope approx 6 MONTHS

> 30 % ‘’ ‘’ 12 ‘’

SLOPE FORWARDER COMPETENCY IS ACHIEVED

< 30 % slope approx 4 MONTHS

> 30% ‘’ ‘’ 8 ‘’

Harvester/Forwarder Simulator GAIN EXPERIENCE

PROTECT THE MAN AND MACHINE

Simulation and Training GET COACHED TO THE NEXT LEVEL

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CONCLUSION

• SUPERIOR SYSTEM WHEN DEALING WITH STEEPER AREAS WHERE ONLY LIMITED ROADSIDE WORKING SPACE IS AVAILABLE.

• WITH VARIOUS MACHINE OPTIONS AVAILABLE – CTL CAN BE A TOTALLY PRODUCTION BALANCED 2 MACHINE SYSTEM.

• DO NOT BUY ‘OFF THE SHELF’ – CONFIGURATE TO SUIT JOB

• GLOBALLY - CTL IS A COST EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINED DELIVERY OPTION IN ANY CONDITIONS.

SELECTION – PLANNING – TRAINING = SAFE SUCCESS.

THANK YOU