International Forest Industries Magazine Dec 2013 - January 2014 Digital Version with Video

e v VOL TWO

www.ewd.de

PETERSON AD DEC_JAN 2014_Layout 1 20/01/2014 16:28 Page 1

www.petersoncorp.com

The Job: process 30.000 m3 of low grade hard-

and softwood logs per year/shift for packaging

and pallet components;

The sawmill: Koddenbrock in Goldenstedt,

northern Germany

The solution: EWD Log bandmill Technology

Slanted 17° with Combimes Optimizing edger

system and NKU150 thin kerf double arbor

circular saw technology. The slanted EBB1800

headrig with the new EW1000 .2 carriage

provides so many advantages over

conventional headrigs and allows the

operator to focus on his real job, making

the best grading decisions for the logs.

Automatic 3D on board scanning and a

high degree of automation allow him to

monitor the two other machine centers as

well, a real one operator sawmill!

CONTENTSDECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014

14 News 12 Appointments 68 World Markets 72 Advertising Index

COVER: EWD Log bandmill Technology

44

46

38

42

38 Sawlines: EWDEWD’s 17° slanted EBB_1800R-17° bandsaw headrig with 3D scanning, forward/backward sawing and new Combimes BNK Edging and resawing system, has paved the way into the future

42 Sawlines: HeinolaHeinola Sawmill Machinery has delivered a circular sawline with optimising profiling to a mid-tier Swedish mill

44 Sawlines: USNRTaking the control of end-of-line sorting operations with PDA technology can enhance an operation’s efficiencies

46 Sawlines: Wood-MizerWood-Mizer’s new SLP2 line is a systematic log processing line that uses thin-kerf technology to reimagine how narrowband blades can boost profits from logs, while reducing operating costs

DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 | International Forest Industries 1

LUMBER PROCESSING

L U M B E R P R O C E S S I N G

IFI_PG01_Contents Lumber_01 21/01/2014 11:17 Page 1

2 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014

58 Felling HeadsThe trend toward greater flexibility through increased

rotation and bunching capabilities has continued into

International Forest Industries’ 2013 Felling Heads review

6 Sawpoints 10 World Markets 70 Cutting Edge 72 Advertising IndexREGULAR FEATURES

64 Chipping in Chile:KBM owner Daniel Hermosilla talksabout the equipment and humanresources required to produce chips in Chile

50

64

24 Biomass: Despite a resurgence in mainstreamforestry sectors and the drop in focuson green energy, biomass remains aprominent fixture on the internationalforestry scene. This is only likely to continue

50 Industry VoiceOnce again, International ForestIndustries editor Chris Cann taps intothe leading brains in the business toinvestigate how markets, technologiesand trends have evolved over 2013 andwhat’s in store for 2014

LOGGING • BIOMASS

24

70

CONTENTSDECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014

IFI_PG02_Contents LOGGING BIO_01 21/01/2014 11:17 Page 2

TigerCat ad 06.2013_Layout 1 20/06/2013 11:47 Page 1

www.tigercat.com

OPERATION FOCUS

Christmas and New Year is a fascinatingtime to be in the International ForestIndustries offices, partly because thedirectors put on an exceptional Christmasparty. But also because it’s around thistime that the responses to our IndustryVoice (pp50) survey come back, whichprovide us (and you) with the inside trackon what’s likely for the year ahead, basedlargely on what has past.

This time last year, the overwhelmingfeeling amongst leading manufacturers offorestry machinery and equipment wasthat the worst may be over and the freefallwell behind us, but 2013 was to be avolatile year. As it turned out, mostperformed better than expected.

There were several companies recordingrecord sales and revenues during 2013,which is the key indicator of strength forany sector, while most companies were atleast pleased with their sales and keyfinancials.

Looking ahead, any talk of volatility hasvanished. The recurring theme is thatconsistency is likely to endure throughout2014. This will be led by the US, whichbegan a tentative recovery during 2013before a government shutdown put theshakes through the global economy oncemore. However, it seems no one truly seesthe demise of the US as a realisticoutcome and, as housing starts continuedto rise into the end of the year, themajority of our respondents said the USwould become a stronger and moredependable market in 2014.

A more stable year ahead, or at leastthe expectation of a more stable year, iscrucial for our industry because it allowsplanning. After five years of batteningdown hatches and making investmentsbased on faith, foresters can finally look atrealistic indicators of volumes in the year

ahead and budget their investmentsaccordingly. This in turn should lead to astaged uptick in equipment sales formanufacturers, as professionals who putoff upgrades gain the necessaryconfidence to dive in and make that bigpurchase.

Though moderation and stability werethe themes of this year’s Industry Voice,there was an expectation for growth insome markets for some companies. JohnDeere was hopeful of increasing itsinfluence in Russia and the Antipodes,while most companies said they wereanticipating strength in China – China hasbecome a market of increasing importancefor the forestry sector, following thenation’s massive impact on mineralcommodity markets since 2002 – whichhas continued to urbanise is hugepopulation.

But there will also be markets thatremain depressed. Europe in particular,though slowly recovering, will containpockets of struggling demand. Thosecompanies surveyed by IFI believe thattheir international focus and ability toshift between various markets will be amajor contributor to the expected stability.By definition, this means that companieswith a more domestic focus may endure orenjoy a more volatile year.

The overwhelming feeling, however, is apositive one. Not a cautiously optimisticone, but an expectation of positive marketsentiment, if only modest, across theworld based on actual results from a good2013. It’s been a long time coming.

Enjoy,

Chris Cann

SUBSCRIPTIONSTel: +44 (0)1442 877 583e [email protected]

Annual SubscriptionUK and Europe £160, €230Rest of the world US$270

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

ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONSLansdowne Media Services Ltd

Advertising ManagerPhil [email protected]

Group Advertising ManagerDavid [email protected]+44 (0)1442 87 77 77

Associate EditorRobin [email protected]

Advertising Production EnquiriesEmma [email protected]

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 IndustriesLtd GBR and is distributed in the USA by Asendia USA,17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831 andadditional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid atNew Brunswick NJ. POSTMASTER: send addresschanges to International Forest Industries, 17B SouthMiddlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831

© International Forest Industries Ltd 2007 – 2014

IFI uses, as preference, SI units throughout.

All dollars are US unless otherwise stated.

4 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Strap yourself in for consistencyThe industry forecast for 2014 is for some much needed stabilityand consistency in global forestry markets. It’s not exciting, butwe’ve had enough excitement and volatility over the past fiveyears to last a lifetime

ISSUE 37

DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014

IFI_PG04_Ed Comment_01 17/01/2014 12:51 Page 4

John Deere dec_jan 2014_Layout 1 17/01/2014 09:45 Page 1

www.deere.com/forestry


SAWPOINTS

Crane company Cranab mobilisesin major structural deal Swedish Crane manufacturer Cranab is making one of thebiggest-ever structural deals in the forest technology industryand creating a group with products for the entire chain fromscarification to clear cutting

John Deere Forestry working on its French Connection

Swedish Crane manufacturerCranab is making one of thebiggest-ever structural

deals in the forest technologyindustry and creating a group withproducts for the entire chain fromscarification to clear cutting.

The purpose of the deal is tocreate an internationallycompetitive group with foresttechnology offerings throughoutthe entire chain from scarificationto clear cutting. Other motivesinclude increased production andexports and the company’s wish topursue its already establishedpath towards eco-driven,innovative product development.Taken overall, this structural deal

means that Cranab, via itssubsidiaries, will add some 50employees bringing the total toabout 200 and increase its salesby approximately SEK100 million(€11 million) to around SEK350million (€40 million).

Part of the deal consists ofSwedish world-leader BrackeForest becoming a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of Cranab. BrackeForest manufactures machines forforest regeneration and felling andhas production facilities in Bräckeoutside Östersund, Sweden.

Another part of this deal is thatthe Italian Fassi Group, one of theworld’s largest manufacturers oftruck cranes, will become a new

shareholder of Cranab. The FassiGroup’s operations are based inBergamo, northern Italy.

In addition, Mittkapital,Ekonord and Inlandsinnovationwill invest equity in Cranab,through Z-forestab, which is thethree Swedish investmentcompanies’ joint holding company.

Chairman of the Board HansEliasson and CEO Fredrik Jonssonwill remain as majority owners ofCranab.

“With this deal we are taking amore comprehensive approach toa broader technology offering toforestry and which is permeatedby greater demand forenvironmental consideration,”

Jonsson said. “It feels great tohave a world-leading group offorest technology companieswhich together create newopportunities for each businessarea and company.”

“We see the forest as a majorindustry of the future,” GiovanniFassi, CEO of the Fassi Group said.“For this reason we wanted totake part in the foundation of oneof the most important anddiversified groups in the forestindustry, together with highlyspecialised partners, and in acountry with a very extensiveforest technology, culture andtradition: Sweden.”

John Deere Forestry is seeking to re-structure its sales territories offorest machinery in France. Thismove has been triggered by theinsolvency and liquidation of theformer sales partner for eastern,northern and parts of central France,Forêt Materiel Assistence (FMA).FMA has been involved in insolvencyproceedings since 17 Apri 2013. Theliquidation proceedings wereinstigated on 2 October 2013. Infuture, therefore, Bouchard Forêts in

Saint-Brice will be taking over salesof John Deere forest machinery innorthern France.

On it’s production lines Deere isconcentrating on introducing morefuel efficient forestry machineriesthereby hinting on a betterimproving fuel economy onForestry Swing Machine with anupdated pump/managementsystem and fuel economy kit forexisting models. When operatingin high-power mode, these

upgraded machines showed amarked improvement in fueleconomy without loss inproductivity, which translates togains for the logger’s bottom line.

“With fuel prices on the rise,running a fuel-efficient operation isnow more important than ever forloggers,” said Dave McFarlane,product marketing manager, JohnDeere Construction & Forestry.“The enhancements to our fleet ofSwing Machines are a testament to

John Deere’sdedicated focusto provide powerful equipment thatgets the job done in the mostefficient manner possible.”

Swing Machine enhancementswill be implemented on allmodels, including the 2154D,2454D, 2954D and 3754D. Fueleconomy kits are also available toupdate existing machinesmanufactured prior to November15, 2013.

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:18 Page 6

Bandit ad dec_jan.2014_Layout 1 13/12/2013 09:00 Page 1

www.banditchippers.com

The exceptionally powerfulPONSSE C5 crane providesmore lifting power and

reliability for PONSSE Ergoharvesters. The slewing power isensured by two direct-driveslewing motors, and the crane isprovided either with external orbuilt-in hydraulic hose set. At itscustomers’ request, the boomhead has been developed so thatit allows the use of a multi-plateswing damper at the top of thehanger, which allows the harvester

head to be used in aquicker and morecontrolled way.

The PONSSE C44+ isavailable for the PONSSE Ergo, Foxand Beaver. The new C44+ cranereplaces both the C22+ and C44models.

The C44+ crane is available withboth one and two slewing motorsfor the PONSSE Ergo, two motorsfor the PONSSE Fox, and oneslewing motor for the PONSSEBeaver.

The flexible usability andexcellent efficiency of the PONSSEparallel cranes guarantee efficientand economical performance,while the efficient movementsreduce fuel consumption.

PONSSE Ergo, C44+, H7, Keski-Suomen Metsäkymppi Oy, JerePasanen and Tapani Vainio, forestmachine operators: “The slewing

power is greater compared to theprevious C44 crane. The slewingmovement stops more accuratelydue to smooth braking of themotor. Furthermore, the boomslewing movement settles well inposition when working on slopes.”


SAWPOINTS

Mississippi Timberland acquires land in New York

Ponsse launchesnew C5 and C44+ modelsPonsse’s versatile harvester crane selectionprovides special power and extra reach for allconditions. An easy-to-use, agile crane andthe stability provided by eight wheels greatlyincrease productivity.

Mississippi based timberlandinvestment managementorganisation, Molpus WoodlandsGroup, LLC has successfullypurchased approximately 130,659acres in New York for about $57.5million.

The acquired property is in St.Lawrence, Clinton, Franklin andLewis Counties in the north-central part of upstate New Yorkand is almost entirely within the

boundaries of New York’sAdirondack Park. The property hashistorically been in timberproduction and consists mostly ofnorthern hardwoods. Additionally,the property is certified under theSustainable Forestry Initiative

“Molpus is pleased to expandits existing operations in upstateNew York,” said Ken Sewell, ChiefOperating Officer of MolpusTimberlands Management. “This

is a high-quality propertysupporting a diversity of northernhardwoods that fits well with ourclient’s investment objectives. Welook forward to managing it underthe existing conservationeasements and continuing thesustainable forestry practices thathave been historicallydemonstrated on this property.”

With this acquisition Molpusincreases its total assets under

management to more than $1.5billion with a total acreage ofapproximately 1,600,000. Molpuscurrently maintains an office inSaranac Lake, New York.

Molpus acquires, manages, andsells timberland as an investmentvehicle for pension funds, collegeendowments, foundations,insurance companies, and high-net-worth individual investors.

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:19 Page 8

www.tamtron.fi

IFI_PGS06_23_01 17/01/2014 11:10 Page 9

www.fecon.com


WORLD MARKETS

What’s in store for wood markets in 2014?The outlook for global lumber markets hinge on demand forces in the key consuming regions of the world.

More specifically, it will be the lumber demand trends in the U.S., China and Western Europe that will shape

global markets in 2014 and beyond. Attached is an analysis for the year ahead by International WOOD

MARKETS Group

While the supply dynamicsare becoming moreconstrained in some

areas, the ability for sawmillcapacity to ramp up production isan all too familiar dynamic thatcontinues to over-shadow theglobal lumber market. However, ifglobal demand can achieve a 4%(or higher) gain in 2014, theoutlook should be very good forlumber and sawn wood prices.

For the U.S. it is the pace of U.S.housing starts that will set thetone for the lumber (and panel)markets in 2014. After a stronggain in new U.S. housing starts of28.5% in 2012 (an increase of175,000 over 2011), 2013 will endup with a more lackluster gain ofonly 18.5% (+145,000 units) orabout 925,000 new housingstarts.

In 2013, the North Americanlumber supply chain became morebalanced - starting in the secondquarter 2013 - as productionstarted to swamp overall demand.By fourth quarter 2013, a muchbetter balance between supplyand demand had developed,setting the stage for a good startto 2014. However, without stronggains in new residential housingstarts increases of 20% of more(or 175,000 or more units), it ismore likely to just be a “good”year overall, but still could featuresome supply chain shocks duringthe year that could create pricespikes both up and down.

WOOD MARKETS is predicting asteady growth in housing starts in2014, but less than the 20% thatis needed to support a very strongmarket. North American lumberproduction is expected to increaseby almost 3 billion bf (+5.4%) in2014 – an increase over 2013’sestimated gain of 2.6 billion bf(+5.0%).

China continues to be a keywildcard in global export marketsas log and lumber importscontinue to increase. Thissituation has been exasperated bythe fall in total Russian logexports since 2007 (from 52

million m3 to 18 million m3) as theRussian industry has sufferedfrom rising domestic logging andtransportation costs despite areduced log export tax that cameinto effect in September 2012.

Erosion of the competitivenessof the Russian forest industry andits lack of cost control of logexports remains a critical issue. Tooffset declining log exports,Russian sawn lumber productionhas increased by about 30%during the last ten years, whilelumber exports have increased byover 50% (led by the growingpresence of Chinese-ownedsawmills in Eastern Russia).

Russian lumber exports toChina alone have grown fromabout 500,000 m3 in 2002 toabout 7 million m3 (4.4 billion bf –nominal count) in 2013. This hasresulted in huge changes inChina’s imported log and lumbersupply and has also created anumber of winners and losers asglobal trade flows have beenradically altered. WOODMARKETS’ latest monthly ChinaBulletin outlines how China’s newgovernment has plans to open upChina’s economy that will includeimproved market access forforeign investors.

The new plans also includesteadily increasing urbanization aspart of China’s developmentstrategy and that means furtherdirect or related investments inthe housing market. AlthoughChina’s housing market sizzled formost of 2013, despite thegovernment’s attempts to rein itin, it looks like the market isstabilizing and avoiding aboom/bust scenario - that is goodnews for exporters of softwoodlogs and lumber.

China continues to influenceglobal log prices as well as prices inmany domestic log markets,especially where logs can be easilyexported. China’s ability to outbidsawmills for sawlogs along the U.S.west coast (as well as the B.C. Coastand in New Zealand) has beenstrongly evidenced since 2010.

China has a huge and widening fibresupply gap but also has the world’slowest cost sawmills.

Consequently, China can affordto pay some of the highest pricesin the world for saw logs (and, attimes, for softwood lumber). Theanalysis shows that with reduced

Russian log supplies, China willremain a competitive threat tomany domestic sawmills incountries that can export saw logsto China. Source International WOODMarkets Group,www.woodmarkets.com

Employment down in SpainLow rate of building activities has caused further harm in the employmentlevels in the Spanish timber industry. Unfortunately the slight recovery inthe Spanish economy, which was observed recently, failed to sustain anylong term impact on the timber industry.

According to the Spanish timber-company association Confemaderafrom Madrid, employment numbers in the wood and furniture industry inthe third quarter of 2013 showed year-on-year decline of 17% to 120,900.The decline in the furniture industry was 7.8% to 80,600, while that in thetimber industry was even higher, at 17.7% to 46,600. The number ofbusinesses engaged in the timber industry in the third quarter of 2013decreased year on year by 7.5% to 25,973. This means that the branch haslost more than 10,000 businesses since the beginning of the economic andfinancial crisis in 2008.

98% increase in Chile forest firesA study conducted by ChileanWood Corporation (CORMA)reveals that there had been aincrease of 98% in forest firesthis season when compared tothe previous one. This entitymade an urgent call to thecommunity to reportintentionally set fires andincrease prevention measures forfires produced by negligence,which generate immeasurableloss for the country in terms ofhuman lives, as well asenvironmental and economicdamage.

According to the statisticspublished by the institutionthere has been 1,102 firesbetween regions Maule and LosLagos (the so called macro-forestry zone) so far in the 2013-2014 season, compared to 512fires at the same time period oflast season. About 5,521hectares have been affected,against 329 hectares at the sametime period last season, whichmeans the damage this year isseventeen times greater.

The Bío Bío Region has the

largest number of fires, with 694,which accounts for 68.58% offires in the macro-forestry zone.At the same date last year, 370fires had occurred (which means87% more this season). To date,5,214 hectares have beenaffected, which is substantiallygreater than last season’s 238hectares during the same timeperiod.

Fernando Raga, president ofCORMA, stated, “The sector’sbusinesses spend about $35 perhectare of forest on fireprevention and suppression. As acountry, we should aim towardszero forest fires and invest moreon prevention instead ofspending so many resources onfire suppression”. He added that,“for now, the most importantthing is to create awarenessregarding fire prevention,identify the perpetrators andreport them. Natural fires do notoccur in Chile, there is always ahuman cause: negligence,carelessness or arson, whichresults in irreparable loss for the country”.

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:19 Page 10

IFI_PGS06_23_01 17/01/2014 11:10 Page 11

www.mtu-online.com


WORLD MARKETS

The wood costs for pulp andlumber manufacturers in thetwo largest producing

countries in Latin America, Braziland Chile, have fallen during muchof 2012 and 2013, and were in thesecond quarter of 2013 at thelowest levels in over two years,according to the Wood ResourceQuarterly. The two countriescurrently have some of the lowestwood raw-material costs in theworld, and since these costsaccount for 55-65% of theproduction costs whenmanufacturing pulp and lumber, itmakes the industry quitecompetitive in the export market.

In Brazil, prices for both sawlogs

and pulplogs have come downsubstantially in US dollar termsthe past few years. The averagepine sawlog price is currently over20% below the record high levelsreached in 2011. This sharp pricedecline is more a reflection of aweakening Brazilian Real than anydramatic price changes in the localcurrency. The current sawlog costs,which were about 30% below theglobal sawlog index GSPI, makes Brazilian sawmills verycompetitive. Although Brazil is aminor player in the global lumberexport market, the country hasexpanded sales to the US, which isby far the largest consumer ofBrazilian softwood lumber, this

year, with shipments in the thirdquarter of 2013 reaching theirhighest levels in over two years.

Prices for pulpwood in Brazilhave followed a similar trend tothose of sawlogs, with sharpdeclines in US dollar terms butonly modest declines in theBrazilian Real the past year.Current pulplog price levels havenot been seen in almost five years,and the Brazilian pulp industry hasbecome much more competitivecompared to a few years ago.

Prices for pine sawlogs in Chilehave been surprisingly stable in2012 and 2013 despite higher logdemand from sawmills the pastyear both because of a stronger

domestic market and increasedexports. Chile is about the tenthlargest exporter of softwood lumberin the world and shipments toChina, Japan and the US were all upthe first half of 2013 as compared tothe same period in 2012.

Pulplog prices in Chile have alsofallen, with the second quarter2013 prices being about 8% lowerthan in the second quarter of 2012.The average cost for Eucalyptusfibre in Chile is currently thelowest in all countries tracked bythe WRQ, making the country’spulp mills some of the world’slowest cost producers of hardwoodmarket pulp.

Declining costs for sawlogs and pulplogs in Brazil and Chile over the past few years

have made the forest industry in the two countries quite competitive. In the 2Q/13,

pulplog prices in both countries were among the lowest in the world and sawlog prices

were substantially below the Global Sawlog Price Index GSPI, according to the Wood

Resource Quarterly

Brazil and Chile head to head

North American wood pellet exports doublingWood pellet exports from NorthAmerica have steadily increasedover the past two years, havingmore than doubled since late2011, according to the NorthAmerican Wood Fibre Review.

Pellet export volumes fromNorth America to Europecontinued to rise during the2Q/13, representing steadygrowth for the past sevenquarters, according to datacompiled by WRI and reported inthe North American Wood FibreReview (NAWFR). In that period oftime, volumes exported to Europehave more than doubled, from justover 500,000 tons in the 3Q/11 toover 1.1 million tons in the 2Q/13.Most of the increase in exportsover the past two years has beenfrom the US South, while exportsfrom the other major supplyregion, British Columbia, havebeen growing at a fairly modestrate since early 2011.

In the 2Q/13, pellet volumesexported from Canada were nearlystatic from the previous quarter,which was a reflection of a pellet

producing sector running at closeto full operating rate and withlimited investment in new capacityplanned for the past few years.With additional capacity in BritishColumbia, Ontario, Quebec andNova Scotia, pellet exports fromCanada will probably expandsignificantly in 2014. To date,Canada’s share of the total exportsfrom North America accounted for

38% in the 2Q/13, which wasdown substantially from 62% justtwo years ago.

The United Kingdom hasemerged as the major importer ofpellets exported from NorthAmerica. However, pelletshipments from North Americainto the UK likely peaked in the2Q/13 for 2013, as RWE’s majorbiomass power plant in Tilbury

shut down in August 2013. Powerplants utilizing pellets in the UKare still on track to increase theirvolumes consumed over the nextseveral years, but the ramp-upmay not continue as smoothly ashas been seen in the past twoyears.

Source: Wood ResourcesInternational LLC,www.woodprices.com

FSC award for Camilla HairCamilla Hair, the personresponsible for the SCA TimberSupply’s public relations, hasreceived the Forest StewardshipCouncil’s inaugural award forOutstanding Contribution to FSCFriday.

On a yearly basis FSC UKrewards the most innovativecelebrations of its annualawareness-raising day, FSC Friday.For the past three years SCA hasinvited selected merchantcustomers to join it in working withinfant, primary and special needsschools. Following school assembly

presentations on sustainableforestry and wood products by SCAarea managers, members of eachschool’s EcoCouncil or GardeningClub plant spruce saplings fromone of SCA’s Swedish nurseries.

FSC UK executive directorCharles Thwaites said FSC UKrelied heavily on certifiedcompanies to promote responsibleforest management and drivedemand for FSC-certified products.

“With the hard work ofdedicated individuals, such asCamilla, and the support ofcompanies like SCA, our reach is

infinitely greater than we couldever achieve on our own,” said MrThwaites.

Mrs Hair said it was a greatprivilege to receive the award. “I’dlike to share this recognition withmy SCA sales team colleagues, andwith SCA’s builders merchantcustomers, as it’s they who do theactual tree planting with localschools, creating memorableevents for the children andimpressing upon them FSC’s goodnews about sustainable forestryand wood products,” she said.

IFI_PGS06_23_01 17/01/2014 11:10 Page 12


IFI_PGS06_23_01 17/01/2014 11:10 Page 13

www.barko.com


LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

The first half 2013 was noteasy for the woodworkingtechnology and wood-based

materials industry. According tothe data processed by the StudiesOffice of Acimall – the‘confindustria memberassociation’ representing industrycompanies – the January-Juneperiod was tough for exports fromthe Old Continent.

Also for Germany, that is still atthe top of the ranking, butrecorded a significant decrease insales abroad (-14.81% comparedto the same period in 2012),confirming the negative trend inthe first quarter of this year. Itwent slightly better for Italy, whichstill remains in negative territory,while recovering some percentagepoints from the reductionrecorded in the first three monthsof 2013.

Asian export (from China andTaiwan) repeated the result of thefirst semester 2012, getting even

closer to their major Europeancompetitors, while export from theUnited States (up 8.36%) andAustria (up 1.54%) are basicallyaddressed to neighbour markets.

The United States once againreaffirmed their role of biggestmarket worldwide, with a positivetrend benefiting all their suppliers,Italy included. As usual, there is amassive flow of equipmentmanufactured in Asia, whileEuropean competitors are still ledby Germany.

In Russia, Germany is the topexporter, with a solid leadershipsupported by the supply of bigplants for panel production. AlsoItaly is performing well in thiscountry, though slightly droppingfrom 2012. Only marginal sharesfor the other actors of globalexport.

Competition is particularlytough in China, where all majormanufacturing countries areactive. Germany is the top

exporter with over €60 million inthe first half 2013, followed byTaiwan (€40 million) and Italy(just below €30 million).

Germany and Italy take thebiggest share of woodworkingtechnology export to Brazil,mainly as a result of effectivepartnership agreements with localresellers and, in some cases, hugedirect investments.

In Europe, Germany and Franceare the most importantdestination markets; it is worthhighlighting the penetration ofmade-in-China technology inGermany, a strongly growingtrend.

“Virtuous countries”rankedThe global trade analysis by theAcimall studies office also allowsto make a ranking of “virtuouscountries”, i.e. the markets that,in the second half 2013, haveinvested more resources inwoodworking technology (takinginto account supplies fromGermany, Italy, China, Austria andthe United States; Taiwan figuresare not available), as evidence of amanufacturing situation that –with all required caution – ispositive.

Again, the United States is inthe top position, with importgrowth rates close to 15%compared to the April-June 2012period. Interesting trends also in

Canada (plus 22%) and the UnitedKingdom (plus 7.2%), whereby thelatter has been consolidating itsstructural recovery in the past fewmonths. Growth in North Americais also supported by Mexico (plus27%).

Running up far behind, withmuch lower absolute values,Lithuania with €8.6 million in thesecond half 2013, up by 134.45%compared to April-June 2012),Serbia (€5.3 million, up 48.9%)and Paraguay (€1 million, up 41%).

Destination markets with anegative sign, meaning areduction of technologyacquisition from the leadingproducing countries, include Brazil(€26 million Euros in the secondhalf 2013, down 68% over thesame period of 2012) and India(€15.4 million, down 31%),countries that – we should notforget – have been very positive inrecent times.

In Europe, France (€56 millionin April-June 2013, down 8.7%compared to the second half2012), Belgium (€27.5 million,down 22%) and Switzerland(€26.9 million, down 7.3%), allmature markets.

Thailand and Australia aresuffering from drops close to 30%,combined with discouragingresults of countries like the CzechRepublic, Hungary and Greece.

Chilean wood panel manufacturerPaneles Arauco has reported workto replace its Nueva Aldeaplywood mill destroyed by adevastating wildfire early in 2012,is progressing well.

The US$167m reconstructionproject called Project Phoenix,initiated by the company early lastyear, is already 35% complete.Arauco is replacing the destroyed450,000m3/year radiata pineplywood plant at its big Bio Biovalley wood products complexwith a smaller 350,000m3/year

plywood facility.The new mill is due to produce

the softwood panels for chiefly forexport to the US, to Latin America- mainly Mexico - as well as toEurope, Asia and Oceania,according to the firm's Santiago-based parent group CelulosaArauco y Constitución SA. Whencomplete, the facility will provide780 permanent jobs, it added.

Finland's Raute Corporationwas awarded a major $65.5mcontract to equip the new plywoodfacility by Arauco.

Woodworking remains complex in Europe

Paneles Arauco replaces Nueva Aldea plywood mill destroyed by fire

International ForestProducts appoints Dyan L. Cotton as CFO

International Forest Products LLC(IFP) has appointed Dyan L.Cotton as CFO. Dyan joined thecompany in 2003 and hasprovided leadership to theFinance Department, playing akey role in supporting the salesorganization, developing newbusiness opportunities andmanaging the risk of some ofIFP’s more challenging marketsand projects.

“I am thrilled that Dyan hasaccepted this position at IFP,”said Dan Moore, Chief OperatingOfficer of IFP. “Over the past 10years, she has been a loyal andcommitted member of our teamand her excellent efforts have hada direct impact on the growth anddiversification of IFP. I lookforward to working closely withDyan in her new role.”

Exports from major producing countries (2013 January-June period, in million Euros.)

Country Total value 2013/2012 variation (%)

Germany 753.6 -14.81

Italy 513.2 -7.91

China 331.6 0.45

Taiwan 203.0 0.84

Austria 171.4 1.54

United States 152.9 8.36

Source: Acimall Studies Office, November 2013

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:19 Page 14

IFI_PGS06_23_01 17/01/2014 11:10 Page 15

www.lucidyne.com


LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS

Wood-Mizer introduces heavy duty, highperformance Bi-Metal blade engineered for production sawing

With an RC hardness of 67on the tooth edge, theBi-Metal blade provides

a longer sawing sharp life,especially for cutting abrasive,exotic wood species. The tooth ismanufactured with a ribbon ofhigh speed steel that is electronbeam welded to a high alloybacking material. This high alloybacking material offers acombination of durability andfatigue resistance, enabling asharp life that is 2-3 times longerthan carbon blades.

“The new Bi-Metal blade willgive you the best of both worlds,”said Wood-Mizer’s COO, DarrylFloyd. “It is less costly than otherStellite® and carbide blades andextremely easy to maintain.”

The slightly increased width,compared to other blades in itsclass, provides more strength andstability resulting in faster sawingwhile maintaining accuracy. BothBi-Metal blade options feature

7/8” tooth spacing with a 10degree hook angle and areavailable in either 1.36” X .042” or1.635” X .050” sizes.

With the addition of the Bi-Metal blade, Wood-Mizer nowoffers blades in four distinctbrands to meet every type of woodcutting application, from greensoftwoods to abrasive and exotichardwoods. • DoubleHard, High-Alloy: All

purpose, durable blade for mostsawing applications.

• SilverTip, Carbon: Ideal blade forthe resaw industry wheremultiple sharpenings are notdesired.

• RazorTip, Stellite®: SpecializedStellite-tipped blade for cuttingabrasive, kiln-dried, tropical,specialty and other tough woodand beams.

• RazorTip, Carbide: Specializedtriple chip carbide-tipped toothblade for the hardest ofhardwoods, and leaves behind asmooth finish.

• Bi-Metal, Industrial: Heavy dutyblade for production sawing.Provides a longer sawing sharplife, especially for cuttingabrasive, exotic wood species.Offering more than 60 basic

blade profiles and an extensivearray of combinations based onprofile, tooth height, width,thickness, tooth set and length,Wood-Mizer blades offerunmatched cutting flexibilityacross the board.

As the leading manufacturer ofportable band sawmills for morethan 30 years, Wood-Mizer offersan extensive line of portable andindustrial sawmill equipment. Thecompany supports its equipmentwith legendary customer service,blades, and blade maintenanceequipment. For more informationabout Wood-Mizer, call800.553.0182 or visit

www.woodmizer.com

Wood-Mizer LLC, the only sawmill manufacturer to also produce blades, introduces the

heavy duty, high performance Bi-Metal blade. Engineered for production sawing, the

innovative Bi-Metal blade will complement Wood-Mizer’s extensive line of bandsaw

blades

Weyerhaeuser Company hasrecently appointed Rhonda Hunteras senior vice president,Timberlands, effective January 1,2014. Hunter succeeds TomGideon, who will be retiring inFebruary 2014.

Hunter has been vice presidentof Weyerhaeuser's SouthernTimberlands operations since2010. Prior to that role, she held anumber of leadership roles in avariety of disciplines for ourSouthern Timberlands operations,

including planning and inventory,regional timberlandsmanagement, environmental andwork systems, finance, and landacquisition. "Rhonda is a provenleader with deep experience inmaximizing value fromtimberlands and I know she willbring a fresh perspective andvaluable expertise to this criticalrole," said Doyle Simons,Weyerhaeuser president and CEO."I want to thank Tom for the 35years of strong leadership he has

brought to this company and wewish him all the best in hisretirement." Rhonda Hunter hasbeen vice president, SouthernTimberlands, since 2010. Prior to that role, she held anumber of leadership positions inthe Southern Timberlandsorganization, including director ofinventory and planning, regionmanager for Arkansas/Oklahoma,environmental and work systemsmanager for Arkansas/Oklahoma,finance and planning manager for

Mississippi/Alabama, and landacquisition and exchangemanager. Hunter joinedWeyerhaeuser in 1987 as anaccountant. She holds a Bachelorof Science in Accounting fromHenderson State University.Weyerhaeuser Company, one ofthe world's largest private ownersof timberlands, began operationsin 1900.

Weyerhaeuser appoints Rhonda Hunter as senior vice president, Timberlands

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:20 Page 16


LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS – APPOINTMENTS

New VP for HewSawHewSaw is pleased to announce theappointment of Mr. TuomasHalttunen, M.Sc. (Tech.) as VicePresident, effective December 20,2013. Tuomas' areas of responsibilitynow include sales and marketing andafter sales operations. Tuomas represents the fourthgeneration of the family that founded HewSaw 50 yearsago and still controls the company today. He has worked ina number of positions at HewSaw, including internationalassignments at HewSaw subsidiaries and most recentlyleading the company's after sales operations. HewSaw is aleader in the design, manufacturing and sale of primarybreakdown equipment for sawmills. The company is basedin Finland and has subsidiaries worldwide, includingHewSaw Machines Inc. in North America.

Rune Sollie new CFO at Norske SkogRune Sollie (47) has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) inNorske Skogindustrier ASA. Sollie has broad experience from variousfinancial positions within Norwegian industry.

He has most recently held the position of chief group accountant inStatoil Fuel & Retail AS. He has broad experience from various auditand accounting work in UNIConsult AS, Yara International ASA, KPMG,the Directorate of Public Roads and the Central Bank of Norway. He also has experiencefrom the banking and finance sector, and is a board member of KBN KommunalbankenNorway.

I am very pleased to have with me an experienced and qualified professional such asRune Sollie in the further development of the company says President and CEO SvenOmbudstvedt. He goes on to say “The challenges ahead will be to continue to improveprofitability across the group and to adapt our organisation to the company’s size andactivities. Rune Sollie’s expertise and management experience will be very beneficial whenfacing these challenges”. “I look forward to working in a global organization with manyexciting processes and skilled people” says Rune Sollie. Sollie will assume the positionfrom 20 January 2014.

Rayonier elects Lynn Wilson as Executive Vice PresidentBoard of Directors of Rayonier has elected LynnWilson to the position of Executive VicePresident, Forest Resources.

“Since joining Rayonier, Lynn has led thesuccessful integration of multiple acquisitions,assumed responsibility for our internationalforestry operations and driven our ForestResources business to greater levels ofoperating efficiency,” stated Paul Boynton,Chairman, President and CEO. “This new titleappropriately reflects Lynn’s recently broadenedglobal leadership role and her sustained

success in leading our forestry operations.”Wilson is a member of Rayonier’s senior

management team and is responsible for 2.6million acres of timberland in nine states andNew Zealand. She’s also responsible for theadministration of Rayonier’s Land InformationServices and leadership of the company’stimberland acquisition team.

Prior to joining Rayonier, she served as VicePresident, Operations Support with Plum Creek– a position she reached after holding a varietyof responsibilities, including company Logging

Superintendent, SeniorResource Manager andGeneral Manager. Her forestrycareer spans more than twodecades.

Rayonier is a leading international forestproducts company with three core businesses:Forest Resources, Real Estate and PerformanceFibers. The company owns leases or manages2.6 million acres of timber and land in theUnited States and New Zealand.

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:20 Page 17

www.woodmizer.com

The Board of the Finnish ForestIndustries Federation has electedMr. Jussi Pesonen, the Presidentand CEO of UPM-KymmeneCorporation, as its Chairman for2014. President and CEO KariJordan, Metsä Group and CEOJouko Karvinen, Stora Enso Oyjwere elected as deputy chairmen.

In addition to the chairmen, thefollowing new members wereelected to the Executive Committee:

Managing Director KalleKantola, Haapajärven Ha-Sa Oy,Mill Director Martti Savelainen,Sappi Finland Operations Oy andCEO Tomi Yli-Kyyny, Vapo Oy.Managing Director Ville Kopra,Versowood Oy and ManagingDirector Sari Rämö, DS SmithPackaging Finland Oy willcontinue as members of theExecutive Committee.

“Decisions made here in Finland

as well as in Europe have animpact on the competitiveness ofthe forest-based sector. Restoringof lost competitiveness must behighlighted as a priority. Thewings of growth should not beclipped but the industry should beencouraged to operate andemploy in Finland,” says JussiPesonen, the next Chairman of theFinnish Forest IndustriesFederation.

In addition, the followingrepresentatives of Finnish ForestIndustries Federation membercompanies were elected to serveon the Board of Directors in 2014:Managing Director Jussi Aine,Puustelli Group OyManaging Director Risto Hovi,BillerudKorsnäs Finland OyCEO Arto Huurinainen, Tornator OyjPresident and CEO, Ilkka Hämälä,Metsä Fibre OyCEO Lauri Junnila, Pankaboard OyCEO Pekka Kauranen, Harvestia OyCEO Juha Koukka, Savon Sellu OyGeneral Manager Juha

Kuusisto,VeljetKuusisto OyManagingDirector Heikki Merikoski, OySWM-Wood LtdGeneral Manager HeikkiMustaniemi SCA Tissue Finland OyExecutive Vice President KariNikkanen, Olavi Räsänen OyCountry Senior Executive LauriPeltola, Stora Enso OyjCEO Tapio Pitkänen, Omatalo OyManaging Director Kyösti Pöyry,Paperinkeräys OyManaging Director TimoRautalahti, Mondi Lohja OyManaging Director Tommi Ruha,Kuhmo OyChairman of the Board PekkaSairanen, Puusepänteollisuus ryPresident Tuija Suur-Hamari,Kotkamills OyVice President Production Matti-Pekka Vanninen, Jujo Thermal OyPresident, UPM Energy and PulpBusiness Group Heikki Vappula,UPM-Kymmene CorporationCEO Jouko Virranniemi, Pölkky Oy

Håkan Lindh, the current CEO ofHolmen Timber, has decided toleave the company. He will bereplaced by Johan Padel,a movewhich will be effective fromFebruary 1, 2014.“Under Håkan Lindh’s leadership,

Holmen Timber has undergone avery expansive period through theinvestment in the new sawmill atBraviken, while the market forsawn timber has been tough,”says Magnus Hall, President andCEO of Holmen. “It’s been adifficult job in a difficult market,and Håkan deserves our greatestthanks. We wish him everysuccess in his futureassignments.”“In recent years in particular, withthe construction of the newsawmill at Braviken, the work hasbeen exciting and educational butalso laborious,” says Håkan Lindh.“It now feels like a natural point intime to move on and take on newchallenges.”

Johan Padel is 47 and his currentposition is at Siljan WoodProducts AB, where he is CEO.Prior to this he was President andCEO of Setra Group, DivisionalManager of Moelven Timber, CEOof IKEA’s subsidiary SwedwoodLatvia Ltd, and CEO of AssiDomänHasselfors Trä AB. He also hasseveral years’ experience from themarketing side of the sawn timberindustry.“With its two modern, large-scaleand cost-efficient units, HolmenTimber has great potential forfurther growth,” says MagnusHall. “Johan Padel has the skillsand experience necessary to leadthis growth in a positivedirection.”The CEO of Holmen Timber is partof Group management and reportsto the CEO of the Holmen Group.



Jussi Pesonen elected Chairman of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation

New CEO for Holmen Timber

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:20 Page 18

www.serra-sawmill.com

After appointing their new CEO, RusForest ABHAS appointed Gustav Wetterling as CFO,effective immediately. Mr. Wetterling replacesKirill Pronin, who will remain available for atransition period.

Gustav Wetterling joins RusForest from BlackEarth Farming Ltd. where he was Director ofProcurement and previously Director of InvestorRelations. He has also worked for Vostok NaftaInvestment Ltd. and Svenska Handelsbanken.

Matti Lehtipuu, the RusForest Group CEO,said, “We are pleased to appoint Gustav asCFO, and we thank Kirill for his commitment tothe company since 2008. Gustav has impressiveexperience living and working in Russia infinance as well as operations, and he will makea significant contribution to the new RusForestteam.”

The Board of Directors has resolved toallocate a total of 300,000 employee stockoptions under the 2013/2016 program to Mr.Wetterling. At the same time, the Board ofDirectors resolved to allocate 300,000 optionseach to Anton Bogdanov, Group COO, and

Anders F. Börjesson, CEO of the Swedishholding company.

RusForest is a Swedish forestry companyoperating in Eastern Siberia and theArkhangelsk region of Russia. The Companycontrols long-term timber leases and utilizesthese resources to produce a wide range ofsawnwood products.

CFO Wetterling needs to get RusForest on trackAs the new finance chief of RusForest,Wetterling has some positive momentum tobuild upon. Compared to the previous year,third quarter EBITDA losses improved by 60%despite remaining in the red: it was still anegative SEK 11.2 million (€1.26 million). This,combined with a reduced net loss, shows thatalthough Wetterling isn’t inheriting a goldenegg, at least things are moving in the rightdirection. www.cfo-insight.com



RusForest appoints Gustav Wetterling as CFOand issues options to key employees

Conifex Timber appointsnew Vice PresidentConifex Timber announced that Patrick Bell hasbeen appointed to the newly created role ofExecutive Vice President. Mr. Bell brings to hisnew role extensive experience derived from adiverse background.

During his political career, Mr. Bell servedthree terms in the BC Legislature and held anumber of high profile positions with theProvincial Government, including Minister ofJobs, Tourism and Skills Training, Minister ofForests and Range, and Minister of Agriculture.Mr. Bell’s entrepreneurial career involvedinterests in a variety of businesses, including alogging company and a trucking company. Earlierin his career, Mr. Bell worked in the hospitalityindustry at a corporate level and remainsinvolved with the organization as a franchisee.

The role of Executive Vice President will bebased in Conifex’s Prince George, B.C.

Office and will focus primarily on theenhancement of the Company’s regionaloperations including raw material supply,lumber manufacturing, capital expenditureprograms, and human resources.

Mr. Bell was appointed to the Company’sBoard of Directors in August 2013 and willcontinue to serve as a director

Conifex CEO Ken Shields commented: “Pat’spassion for and knowledge of the forest industrybecame apparent in his role as a ConifexDirector. We are delighted to now have full-timeaccess to Pat as a senior executive.”

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:21 Page 19

www.terrasource.com

Finnish Timber Company Vapo has sold its Hankasalmisawmill to Versowood, a move which is effective fromJanuary 1, 2014. The sale includes all assets of the site,including the plant and liquid assets but however noneof the parties agreed to disclose the purchase price.

The Hankasalmi sawmill, which was comprehensivelymodernised by Vapo as recently as 2011, boastsproduction capacity of 260,000 m³/year. Roughly 60%of sawing is accounted for by pine and the other 40% byspruce. 75% of lumber production has until now beenexported, mainly to clients in Europe, North Africa andAsia. The plant most recently generated turnover of€60m and the work force of 85 has been taken over byVersowood. Vapo’s other two sawmills in Nurmes andKevatniemi, which together boast production capacity ofroughly 460,000 m³/year, will in future be managed asindependent profit centres.


LUMBER PROCESSING – WORLD MARKETS

2013 Finnish Timber sales increase by 10%

In 2013, the Finnish ForestIndustries Federation’smember companies procured

33.4 million cubic metres of woodfrom private forests. Thisrepresents an increase of 10%compared to the averageprocurement volume over the pastten years. Wood stumpage pricesincreased from the previous yearand high roundwood costsweakened industry’scompetitiveness on theinternational market, thusreducing opportunities foradditional wood use.Last year, timber sales got off to astronger start than in previousyears. The pace of trading pickedup as summer approached andpeaked in May. After a quietsummer holiday season, salesgathered pace again and weresteadier than usual for the rest ofthe year. Thus, the storms inDecember did not substantiallyincrease timber trade volumes.

Roundwood costsincreased from theprevious yearIn 2013, timber sales volumeswere 18 % higher than in 2012.Log procurement volumesincreased 26 % and pulpwoodvolumes 12 % compared to the

previous year. Industryprocurements amounted to a totalof 15.1 million cubic metres of logand 17.1 million cubic metres ofpulpwood. The stumpage prices ofsoftwoods log increased 3-4 % onaverage, birch log prices fell one% while pine and birch pulpwoodprices went up 1-2 %. Sprucepulpwood prices remainedunchanged.

In December 2013, pine logfetched on average EUR 55 percubic metre, but prices variedbetween EUR 45 and EUR 58depending on the region andlogging method. The average priceof spruce log was EUR 56 percubic metre but ranged betweenEUR 46 and EUR 58. The averageprice of birch log was EUR 40 percubic metre with prices varyingbetween EUR 29 and EUR 43. Theaverage stumpage price of pineand birch pulpwood was EUR 16while spruce pulpwood fetched onaverage EUR 17 per cubic metre.Pulpwood prices varied betweenEUR 13 and EUR 19.

Delivery contracts in 2013accounted for a total of 5 millioncubic metres of timber and theirshare fell from 18 % of total timbersales in 2012 to 15 % in 2013.About three quarters of deliverycontract procurements were

pulpwood. In delivery contracts,forest owners deliver timber to theside of the road.

Structural reforms neededto boost activity on thetimber marketFinland cannot afford to not makethe most of its forests. Its growingstock almost doubles every yearcompared to logging volumes, andas much as a quarter ofsustainable logging opportunitiesgo unused each year.“The problem is that a great dealof Finland’s forest is not in thesphere of market activity andforests are left unmanaged. Theshort supply keeps costs high,weakens investment conditionsthat are based on domestic wood,

and does not support the growthof the national economy. Thefunctioning of the timber marketsmust be improved with structuralreforms that revive the foresteconomy, and tax solutions are akey element in this respect,” saysForests Director Tomi Salo of theFinnish Forest IndustriesFederation.

Anu IslanderSenior Advisor, ForestryFinnish Forest IndustriesFederation, tel. +358 9 132 6678

Tomi SaloForests DirectorFinnish Forest IndustriesFederation, tel. +358 9 132 6610

Vapo sells sawmillto Versowood

The U.S. economy remains somewhatfragile, and recent economic forecastssuggest that GDP growth figures will bequite low for 2013 (1.6%) and only slightlyhigher in 2014 (2.6%). A major downsiderisk has emerged: the ongoing battle inCongress over budget spending limits hasresulted in lower consumer confidenceand higher borrowing rates forgovernment, and may even result in asecond government shutdown and/ordefault risk when temporary budgetmeasures run out early in 2014.

The familiar themes of highunemployment, home foreclosures and“underwater” mortgages have been nearlyas prominent in 2013 as in 2012. U.S.housing, the key driver of North Americanlumber consumption, is now on a slowerupward trajectory. New- and existing-home stocks have retreated to historicallyaverage levels, prices have stabilized and

are rising in many regions, and starts havebeen growing (albeit from very low levels).Based on increased housing starts,lumber consumption for new U.S.residential construction alone should soarin the next two years. Demand will alsogrow due to strong gains in repair andremodelling, industrial, and commercialapplications.

Based on the demand forecast, totalU.S. lumber consumption is projected torise strongly, moving from 39.8 billion bfin 2013 (nominal; 63.8 million m3 net) to43.0 billion bf in 2014 and 47.3 billion bfin 2015 — up 9% each year. TotalCanadian demand will also expand, but ata much slower pace (given that Canada’shousing market has already recoveredfully from the 2009 recession).

Source: International Wood MarketsGroup, www.woodmarkets.com

U.S. lumber consumption projected to rise strongly

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:21 Page 20

Swiss Veneer Association, SFV has reportedthat veneer imported by Swiss tradingcompanies and veneer processors increasedslightly from January to the end of September2013. Across all wood species, veneers with avalue of SFR12.77m were imported by the endof September with the value of imports ofhardwood veneers showing year-on-year growthof 7.7% to SFR10.08m. There was particularlystrong growth from countries in which sub-contracting veneer plants were located.

According to calculations made by IFN on thebasis of Eurostat statistics, the value of veneersused in Germany in 2012 increased for thesecond year in succession. In a studyannounced in mid-December by the IFN, veneer

worth €76.7m was used in Germany in 2012.Compared to the situation in 2011, when veneerworth €63.7m was used, this represents anincrease of roughly 20%. Even though domesticconsumption has continuously risen since2008, with the exception of 2010, Germanveneer consumption continues at the low levelreached at the beginning of the newmillennium. Veneer used in Germany since2002 has only reached annual values ofbetween €45.3m and €78.1m. In contrast, backin 1995, veneer worth €309m was sold in

Germany. Following the sharp decline in 1996, annual German veneer consumption in the second half of the 1990s was worth over €200m.

Suzano Papel E Celulose S.A. has started upoperations at its new pulp production unitlocated in Imperatriz, Maranhao, Brazil.

The new pulp mill will have eucalyptusmarket pulp production capacity of 1.5 milliontons per year and surplus power generation of100 MW. Suzano has stated mill personnel arenow focused on effectively executing the ramp-up period to ensure an adequate learningcurve.

Suzano expects the pulp mill to produceabout 1.1 million tons in 2014.

The Board of Directors of Metsä Group’s parentcompany Metsäliitto Cooperative elected in itsconstituent meeting Martti Asunta to continueas the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Hehas been a member of the Board of Directorssince 2005 and Chairman since 2008.

Metsä Group’s President and CEO Kari Jordanare to continue as Deputy Chairman of theBoard of Directors.

Arto Hiltunen continues as the Chairman ofthe Audit Committee and Martti Asunta andEino Halonen as its members. Martti Asuntacontinues as the Chairman of theCompensation Committee and Eino Halonenand Antti Tukeva continue as its members.Metsä Group focuses on tissue and cookingpapers, consumer packaging paperboards,pulp, wood products, and wood supply andforest services.



Veneer gains momentum in Germany and Switzerland

Suzano starts up new pulp mill inMaranhao, Brazil

Martti Asunta to continue as Chairman of MetsäliittoCooperative Board of Directors

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:22 Page 21

www.se-saws.com



Södra unveils strategy for 2014-2020After a number of months ofintensive and comprehensive workmapping out Södra’s way forward,the company’s Board has nowmade a formal decision on a newgroup strategy.

Following a period in the early2000s when the companyachieved rapid growth and goodprofitability, Södra has seen aphase in which profits have beendown and growth has stagnated.Changes such as a reduction inthe allocation of electricitycertificates and industryrestructuring will also affectSödra. A new collective strategyhas been devised so that thecompany can adapt to newsituations.

First, Södra must become a

more unified group – one Södra.This will be done so that sharedresources can be used moreeffectively and also to allow staffto work more efficiently. A clearlyunified Södra will also reinforcethe way in which the company isperceived by everyone else, sostrengthening the Södra brand.

Growth is a prerequisite foradding value for Södra’s owners inthe long term. Companies whichfail to grow lose theircompetitiveness and do notdevelop. Södra’s business isbased on creating an outlet for itsmembers’ timber and using theindustry to give them a share ofthe profit from processing. Themarkets for Södra’s products aregrowing by 3% to 5% each year.

Much of this growth is not takingplace on existing, mature markets,but on the rapidly growing Asianmarkets. And Södra has to be partof this.

Growth is vital to all businessareas – but the ways in which theywill grow will vary slightly.Investments have to be made in anumber of areas. For the pulpbusiness, extensive investmentsat the mill are planned to takeplace during the strategy period.This means that production andturnover will increase. Investingwith a view to increasingproduction capacity is vital if thecompany is to ensure thecompetitiveness of Södra Cell.

For the sawmills, growth willmainly involve making the most of

the opportunities provided byearlier investments. The same istrue for the interior wood businessand Trivselhus. For Södra Skog,the increase in production willresult in a need to increase itstimber supply.

All industrial operations mustbecome 2% to 3% more efficienteach year in order to handle theirrelative competitiveness. Thismeans that Södra has to worksmarter and improve continually.Processes and working methodsmust be reviewed, in all respectsand in all parts of the group, andSödra has to derive the full benefitfrom the huge investments whichhave already been made.

Lumber production of Alberta Forest ProductsAssociation - member companies up 12% in 3Q

Values of lumber, pulp andpaper, and panelboardmanufactured by Alberta

Forest Products Association(AFPA) – member companiestotalled approximately $670million for the 3Q 2013. The valueof production was up $55 million(8.9%) from the same period lastyear. Compared to the 2Q 2013,production values increasedapproximately $9 million (1.3%).

"So far, 2013 has been a verypositive year for our industry,”said AFPA President and CEOBrady Whittaker. “Prices havebeen relatively strong in each ofour sectors. Strength and stabilityfor the forest industry means thatwe can continue to grow ourbusiness in 50 communities,employ Albertans, and care for ourforests.”

Whittaker also predicted thatresults for the 4Q 2013 will bepositive. “Lumber and pulp priceshave continued upward throughOctober and November and Ibelieve that will be reflected whenwe finalize our results for 2013.”

AFPA member companiesproduced 855 million board feet(mmfbm) of lumber in the 3Q 2013with a value of $290 million. Partof this production came from the

secondary manufacturingsector. Total productionvolumes were up 92mmfbm or 12% from the3Q 2012, and valuesincreased $42 million(17.1%). Compared to the 2Q 2013,production volumes increased 17mmfbm or 2%. Lumber productionvalues were nearly identical forthe 2Q and 3Q 2013.

AFPA member panelboardoperators produced 278 millionsquare feet of 7/16 inchequivalent product in the 3Q 2013

valued at $84 million.Compared to the 3Q 2012,production was upapproximately 13 millionsquare feet (4.9%), butvalues decreased $8

million (9%). In comparison to the2Q 2013, production declined by10 million square feet or 3.6% andvalues declined by $10 million or10.6%.

The AFPA’s pulp and papersector total production for the 3Q2013 was 388,900 air dried metrictonnes (ADMT) valued at $296

million. Production was down4,900 ADMT (1.2%) from the 3Q2012, but values increased by $21million (7.6%). Compared to the2Q 2013, production increased by30,600 ADMT (8.5%), and valuesincreased by $19 million or 6.7%.

The Alberta Forest ProductsAssociation is a private, non-profitindustry organization,representing forest productscompanies operating in Alberta.

www.albertaforestproducts.ca

Finland’s Koskisen now offers fire-resistant sawn timberAt the end of November 2013,Koskisen became the third sawntimber manufacturer in Finland tobe granted fire-retardantcertification for its products. Inline with the new certification,Koskisen now manufactures forthe Finnish market wood panelsand exterior cladding boards thathave been treated with a fire-retardant coating.

To ensure its fire resistance, thesawn timber is carefully treatedbefore being delivered todistributors and end users. Inorder to achieve an end result that

meets the requirements, the sawntimber is treated several timeswith Teknosafe 2407-00, a fire-retardant coating whichguarantees the highest possiblefire class – P1 – for wood products.End-use applications for the fire-resistant products includeparticularly exterior cladding andventilation gap surfaces.

The protected products areclassified according to Bs-1, d0 EN13501-1. The exterior cladding ofapartment buildings and carefacility buildings in Finlandrequires structural fire protection

or a separate sprinkler system toprevent the spread of fire.Koskisen’s fire-retardant coatingsystem for wood can replace thesemethods. “All in all, sawn timbertreated with a fire-retardantcoating can resist fire for longerthan ordinary timber, andfurthermore it does not catch onfire very easily. The treated timberis also weatherproof,” says VesaSaarelainen, Sales Manager forKoskisen Houses, explaining theadvantages of fire-protectedtimber products for the customer.

IFI_PGS06_23_01 21/01/2014 11:22 Page 22

IFI_PGS06_23_01 17/01/2014 11:11 Page 23

www.microtec.eu

BIOMASS

Despite the re-emergence of tried and testedfossil fuel technologies in the wake of theglobal economic crisis, the biomass

industry is yet to take a backward step, as thisyear’s biomass feature has shown.

There are three possible reasons for this. Firstly,Western governments at the forefront of greenenergy technologies have been unable to shiftaway from the commitments made pre-2008.These commitments centred on reducing carbonemissions and manifested in a focus onsubsidising green energy technologies on anational scale and energy self-sufficiency throughproducts such as pellet boilers at a local level.

Secondly, green technology has taken dramaticstrides toward efficiency and sustainability as anenergy provider in its own right. This is far moretrue for some sectors of green energy than others,and for some pockets of biomass within thegreater biomass sector – but the trend is clear. Thisshould encourage government to persist withgreen energy initiatives in the expectation that in

the future these industries will be economicallyviable in their own right.

And thirdly, the pulp and paper industry hasimproved in strength following the lows of 2008and this sector remains the key consumer of chips,which remain the key biomass product. This isshown up in this year’s biomass feature, which isagain dominated by the chipper manufacturers.

In truth, the strength of the biomass industry isprobably the result of all three.

Morbark has redesigned its 40/36 Whole TreeMicroChipper. It is the latest in a string of designenhancements the North American company hasexecuted to make the machine “perfect for micro-chip producers”.

The 40/36 Whole Tree Drum Chipper was firstintroduced in 2008 as a compact, affordable andproductive biomass chipper. The model wasimproved by the addition of the Advantage 3 highperformance chipping drum in 2011, whichsignificantly improved chip quality. The latest

Still goingstrong

Despite a resurgence in

mainstream forestry

sectors and the drop in

focus on green energy,

biomass remains a

prominent fixture on the

international forestry

scene. This is only

likely to continue


Morbark’s redesigned 40/36 Whole Tree MicroChipper

With new biomass plants being built in the United States and the

rapid expansion of wood pellet exports to Europe to meet the

European Union’s mandate that 20% of its energy come from

renewable sources by 2020, our customers need a cost-effective

system for making microchips – John Foote, Morbark

IFI_PG24_37_Biomass_02 17/01/2014 11:24 Page 24


www.vermeer.com

The Beever M20R brush chipper is ideal for entry-level biomassproduction, lot and land clearing contractors, contractors and large treeservices. It is a high-capacity, high-production chipper with an extensivenumber of standard features for its class. The Beever can be configured ina variety of models for greater versatility

23WCL Chiparvestor shows what it’s capable of. A full line of MorbarkChiparvestor whole tree chippers means different sizes and configurationsare provided so customers can customise their machine with options suchas a cab and loader (WCL), no cab and loader (NCL), on tracks or tyres,and diesel or electric power

The new horizontal grinder 3200 Wood Hog hasadded a mid-range option for recyclers

BIOMASS

model includes an enhanced drumset with 16 knives utilisingstandard hardware; an operator-friendly slide-in forestry gratesystem to reduce oversized chips;and a mechanically driven chipaccelerator to fully load vans withthe micro-chips.

“With new biomass plantsbeing built in the United Statesand the rapid expansion of woodpellet exports to Europe to meetthe European Union’s mandatethat 20% of its energy come fromrenewable sources by 2020, ourcustomers need a cost-effectivesystem for making microchips,”John Foote, Morbark VicePresident of Sales and Marketing,said.

“This newly re-engineered40/36 MicroChipper is thesolution. We are able to produce afar superior product, producing95% acceptable micro-chips atvolumes of more than 70 t/h.”

With an average fuelconsumption of 2.25 t of micro-chips produced per gallon (4.54litres) of fuel used, the Morbark40/36 MicroChipper allows ownersto reduce costs and maximiseprofits. In customer tests, 95% ofthe micro-chips produced passedthrough a 1⁄2" grate, and anaverage of 65% passed through a1⁄4" grate. These micro-chips arevital for pellet mills, eliminatingthe need to regrind the wood fibreprior to pelletising.

“[A] universal powerful forestrymower with a chute for collectingthe mulching material.” This ishow Italian manufacturer Seppi Mhas described its Midiforst Dragomulcher, from its Midiforst range.

The mulched material is takenby a conveyer belt up the chuteand can then be collected andcarted away in a trailer, leavingthe soil clear of material. TheMidiforst drago collects wood upto 150 mm (6 in) from the forestfloor for further use. As well aswood, various other materialssuch as grass, leaves andbiodegradable waste can bemulched and collected.

Midiforst Drago: F E ATU R E S

• The chute is aerodynamic sotransports dry and also wetmaterial in large quantitiesquickly and efficiently fordischarge

• The hydraulic folding chute hasa chute deflector that ishydraulically adjustable

• Wear-resistant conveyor beltfor high discharge

• Height adjustable trailer hitch

• e-support roller to controlcutting height

• Rear hood with variable rakes.

Applications

• Collection of material forenergy production



• Clearing of site for replanting

• Collection of biomass forcomposting

• Environmental clearing inurban areas.

Productivity: 30-60 m3/h

Heating value 18-20 MJ/kg(upper)

Density40-80 kg/m3

Water content 5-10 % (mass)

Fine fraction <2% (mass)(pollution)

Austrian company, Binder, designsand installs automatic biomassboiler systems for commercial,industrial, communal, andresidential applications. With

more than 3,000 plants installedall over the world, from Canada toJapan, Binder is one of CentralEurope’s top-five suppliers.

For over 30 years, Binder hasbeen focussing solely on boilersfor industrial and commercial use.The range of biomass fuels thatthe company’s boilers are suitedto include pellets, woodchips,energy crops or cores and shells,and covers every application in thefield of district heating withrenewable energy. As a systemssupplier, Binder also provides allthe required components aroundthe boiler.

Earlier this year, Binder wascertified by the American Societyof Mechanical Engineers (ASME),according to the requirements ofthe H-stamp. The company is thefirst and only Austrian group toachieve this status.

“This certification will enablethe production of boilers for theNorth American market and manymore,” Binder stated.

Yield for the Midiforstin typical applications

Seppi’s Midiforst mulcher can handle a variety of materials


BIOMASS

Binder biomass boilers and is the only H-stamp certified company inAustria


www.komptech.com

During a recent logging project inFinland, a new delimbingattachment with feeding wasdeveloped by Allan Bruks (ABAB)for its Bioharvester 255 head. Thecombination turned out to be verysuccessful.

Daniel Furu, a Finnishentrepreneur, calls the ABABfelling head “the guillotine”,saying that it delimbs aseffectively as an ordinaryprocessor. “It is flexible, effectiveand fast,” he said. “Since it is notdangling but fixed, there is a lotless damage in forest whenworking.”

The ABAB head has anadjusting arm that can be fixed tomake it easier to single out treesto cut without causing damage tosurrounding stems.

ABAB has been manufacturingharvesting heads for many yearsand believes the sturdyconstruction, high cutting speed,

few moving parts, and fixed natureof the Bioharvester 255 acompetitive product.

The feed rolls press the tree,causing breakage on the limbs tomake the material easier totransport. It also damages thebark, which eases the dryingprocess, increasing the energycontent. Furu pointed out thatwhen cutting with a knife insteadof saw, production does not stopfor changing chains and there isno oil leakage in the forest.

“It is very exciting to have thisnew attachment that makes sucha big difference to theentrepreneur,” he said.

ABAB Marketing Manager, KiaBruks Thyrén, said there wasalready “great interest” in thebioharvester 255 feeding fellinghead, which was expected toincrease now that delimbing hasbeen included in the device.

Sustainable forestry connectsABAB with MaineIn October, ABAB was invited topresent its felling equipment on ademo-tour across northern Maine,US. The state of Maine is up toalmost 90% covered with forest.There is a tremendous amount ofresource in the forests in this areaof the US and many owners areaware of the importance inthinning, to promote a sustainableforestry. However, there is a needgenerate saleable biomass woodproducts in order to get the forestmanagement done.

“The land owners that considerinvestments in thinning devicestoday will invest knowing thatthere is a return of investmentfurther down the line in a betterquality forest,” Bruks Thyrén said.“The whole forest industry will behealthier as that product becomesmore valuable.”

There is a plan to build powerplants in the area, which is verypromising for the future of biofuelproduction in Maine. Machinedemonstrations were carried outin September in Maine inconjunction a big dealer for forest

equipment, who had tried similarthinning devices in severalprojects during last seven years.The ABAB head was in the dealer’sopinion the best they had seen sofar, considering the clean designand low production cost.

“There is a huge opportunity touse the vast resource Maine has inits woods for bioenergy and wesee a rising interest from the landowners to invest in thinning,although there is not yet a highdemand in the material asbiofuel,” Bruks Thyrén said.

“We met some very big forestowners that that want to optimiseproduction/acre and see thinningas a way to accumulate growthand shorten time to desiredmaximum diameter of valuablehard wood.”

“An obstacle in this state is thelong distances from loggers to endusers. Logistic is always crucial inmaking profitable biofuel, but thiswill change with new powerplants.

“A higher demand for biofuelwill for sure make the felling headvery interesting as an investmentthat can make immediate return.”

The rollers on the 255 make transporting and drying wood easier


BIOMASS

The ABAB Bioharvester 255 on show in Maine, US


www.cleanfix.org


www.morbark.com


The Peterson 7900EL Disc Chipperseen here in Chile working intandem with a 6830 Debarker isdesigned for high volumeoperations that require the abilityto chip large diameter feedstock ormultiple stems.

The largest disc chipper thatPeterson has built to date, the

7900EL has the ability the producechips from 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄4 inches (6 to 32mm). When low bark or ash contentis a requirement, the 7900EL canbe paired with the Peterson 6830Debarker. The extended deck of the7900EL feeds the large feed throatcapable of accepting up to a 30inch (76 cm) diameter trees, or

multiple smaller stems.The Peterson 6830 Debarker is a

dedicated chain flail debarkingmachine designed for long-stemchipping operations that requirelow bark or ash content. Designedfor multiple stems, or trees up to30 inches (76 mm) in diameter, the6830 quickly and effectively

debarks even the hardestfeedstock.

The 6830 is controlled by anIQAN operating system, whichprovides the operator with allcritical engine and performanceparameters. When paired with thePeterson 7900EL, the operator cancontrol both machines. When



The Peterson 7900EL Disc Chipper seen here in Chile working in tandem with a 6830 Debarker


combined with a Peterson 7900ELDisc Chipper, the 6830 is theultimate in-field clean chippingplant.

Peterson 4310B TrackMounted Drum ChipperFor Biomass Fuel ProcessingApplicationsThe 4310B drum chipper is suitedfor high volume biomassproducers who have a wide varietyof feed material from brush andsmall feed stock to logs up to 24inches (61 cm) in diameter.

The 4310B is powered by a 765horsepower (570 kW) C18Caterpillar engine. At 55,000pounds (24950 kg), the trackmounted 4310B is designed foroperations requiring highproduction and frequent movesbetween jobs.

The chipper utilizes a 36 inchdiameter by 44-3/4 inch (91 by 114cm) wide drum with either 6 or 12

knife pockets. Traditional babbitttype knife systems are standardequipment. Chip length can be setfrom 1/8 to 1-1/4 inch (3 to 32mm) depending on rotor and knifeconfiguration Other key featuresinclude a hydraulic clutch, slopedfeed deck for ease of feeding thechipper, and wear resistant AR 400wear surfaces on the drumpockets and shell. Optionalmaterial sizing grates furtherreduce oversize twigs andbranches in the chips, and anoptional chip accelerator helpswith loading. The end load spoutis standard, and an optional toploading spout is available.

The 4310B’s new generation ofcontrols includes Peterson’sAdaptive Control System. Thecontrol panel provides self-diagnosis for faulty sensors andopen circuits. Fault indicatorsmake troubleshooting easy. The4310B control panel features an

LCD display that provides theoperator the complete engine andsystem parameters to simplifysetup and efficiently operate themachine.

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

Peterson 4300B Drum ChipperWhole Tree ChippingThe 4300B drum chipper is thelatest in a long line of high qualitychipping and grinding machinesproduced by Peterson. The 4300Bdrum chipper is suited for highvolume biomass producers whohave a wide variety of feedmaterial, from logs up to 26inches (61 cm) in diameter, tobrush and small feed stock.

Powered by a C18 Caterpillarengine, the 4300B is powered by765 horsepower (570 kW). At

52,000 pounds (23,586 kg) and 8feet 4-3/4 inches (255 cm) inwidth, the 4300B is a highproduction chipper whosedimensions do not require anyoversize permits for roadtransportation.

The chipper utilizes a 36 inchdiameter by 40 inch wide (91 by102 cm) drum with wear resistantAR400 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 inches (6 to 32 mm)by adjusting knife extension andfeed speed.

The 4300B’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 4300B control panelfeatures an LCD display thatprovides the operator thecomplete engine and systemparameters to simplify setup andefficiently operate the machine.

“Ask anyone in the biomassindustry about chip size andeveryone will agree that sizematters,” Bandit Industries’President Jerry Morey statescategorically.

Bandit’s biggest drum-stylewhole tree chippers now offer anoptional microchip drum designedto deliver the small wood chipsmore and more biomass facilitiesneed. Available for the Model2590, Model 3090, Model 3590and recently made available forthe Model 3590XL, the new drumdesigns feature double the knivesfound on standard drums,delivering twice the cuts perrotation to produce wood chips assmall as 3/16” in size. Themicrochip drum can also be easilyconverted to a normal chippingconfiguration for standard sizedchips, allowing users toconveniently produce severaldifferent chip sizes to servemultiple markets.

“Bandit chippers are already


BIOMASS

4310B Track Mounted Drum Chipper

4300B Drum Chipper


known for producing a great chip,but with biomass marketsexpanding rapidly around theworld, we knew it was time to takean extra step for our customers”,

Morey said. “Chip size certainlymatters, but it usually comes at acost of machine efficiency andperformance.

“We set out to build a chipper

that could make the bestmicrochip on the market withoutgiving up the performance peopleexpect from Bandit. And that’sexactly what we have with ournew microchip drum.”

The microchip drum works inconjunction with another Banditinnovation – the Card BreakerSystem. This simple devicefunctions like a screening system,taking advantage of Bandit’s highchip velocity through thedischarge system to break largerchips as they exit the machine.Used in conjunction with Bandit’sflow control option to fine-tunethe feed rate, the result is aspecifically sized, high-qualitymicrochip that is achieved withoutsacrificing the production,efficiency, and chip throwingpower for which Bandit whole tree

chippers are known. Compared to similar machines

producing microchips, Banditwhole tree chippers are averaging33% better on fuel economy,based on testing and customerfeedback.

“Customers using our microchipdrum are consistently telling usjust how hard the machine throwsthe chips, just like our standardwhole tree chippers,” Morey said.“They are also reporting fuelconsumption rates of roughlythree tons per gallon dependingon the material, and somecustomers are throwing 40-50loads per a set of knives. We’revery pleased with the responseswe’ve received on the microchipdrum. It’s the ideal setup to serveany fuel wood market anywhere inthe world.”

“Our second generation of theVermeer whole-tree chipper, theWC2300XL, has the same amountof power as our first generationwhole tree chipper, but has morebite for when working in morechallenging material thanks to itsenhanced infeed,” Vermeer said.“By increasing the infeed rollerdiameter to 28 in (71.1 cm) theWC2300XL offers superior

Bandit 2590

New drum designs feature double the knives found on standard drums


BIOMASS

Chip quality is an utmost priority for Bandit


productivity 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 whether

to use double-edged cutterknives or babbitted single-edgecutter knives, to best suit the jobconditions.

Italian manufacturer Pinosa, isknown worldwide for itstechnological innovation, the mostrecent of which is the MDM450 –“a compact centre for initialprocessing of woody biomass”. Apatent application has been filed.

Pinosa describes the MDM450as the “saw that splits, the splitterthat saws”, expressing the unit’s“extreme versatility”. The unit canproduce firewood, dappled woodfor the subsequent production ofcharcoal, dappled wood to use asfuel for gasification plants, andmeter length split. It can workwood with a maximum length upto 1.6 m and a maximum diameterup to 600 mm(depending onmodel). The samemachine can alsobe used as a logsplitter because ofits maximumlength capability.

The machine is controlled bya single operator and can beequipped with manual, semi-automatic ones or be fullyautomated controls. In theautomatic version, it is capable ofsawing and splitting withprogrammable measurement thatnever leaves the bottom of the log(optimized sawing); sawing andsplitting into same pieces ofprogrammable measure leaving astandard bottom (constant sawing– system suitable for subsequentpackaging of wood); or ofautomatic sawing and splittinginto a number of pieces set(sawing in divisions – suitable forshort and mountain mixed wood,to divide it into two-three or fourpieces without leaving a bottom atall). The machine can be equippedwith extraction conveyor belts of

various lengths, fixed or reclining,screens for cleaning the materialbeing processed and/or packagingsystems for firewood and/or longlength split.

“With the MDM450, thesegment sawn is processed

without any transfer, thereforesaving cycle time andconsequently energy,” Pinosastated. “The risk of stopping thecycle to intervene manually in thecase of deformed or sawn shortsdistorting the process is alsoeliminated.”

It is a multifunctional machine,compact and versatile, which canwork both logs and branches. Itincorporates four different typesof machinery:• Combined sawing/splitting: it

can saw and split any type ofmaterial without any transfer

• Sawing Machine: it can saw logsand/or branches and mixedmaterial without splitting

• Splitting: it can only split (bymeans multiple and adjustablesplitting grid) segments of logsalready sawn earlier

• Log splitter: can split wholelength logs with a maximumlength of 1.6 m.

The unit can be powered by anelectric motor, a tractor shaft,combined (electric motor andshaft drive) or a diesel engine.

“Its compact size combinedwith the fact that the machine canbe set up as a mobile version,makes it usable both on-site andin the forest, as well asexploitable in the business ofsubcontracting and/or rental,”Pinosa said.

The MDM450 is equipped withcovers and/or guards to protectthe parts that may pose a hazardto the operator. The compartmentsof access to potentially dangerousareas are equipped with special

electronicsystems ofredundantinterlocktechnology,which stopsthe machinein case ofopening, aswell as theemergencystop buttonsthat caninterrupt theoperation

cycle immediately and return ofcutting tool to its owncompartment. Even the emergencystop buttons are headed by anelectronic redundant interlocktechnology system.Industry-proven heavy duty drum

Vermeer WC2300XL


BIOMASS

The versatile MDM450 from Pinosa

The MDM450 combines sawing and log splittingtechnology



BIOMASS

www.venturamaq.com

MulcherTFMF

MulcherTFVJ

The Castor

Ctra. Vilablareix no18-20 – Pol. Ind. Mas Aliu17181 Aiguaviva GIRONA (Spain)

Tel. +34 972 40 15 22 • Fax: +34 972 40 01 63E-mail: [email protected]

MulcherTFVJH

MulcherTFVH2

MulcherTFVMF

chipper company, Pezzolato, has used itsyears of manufacturing experience toconceive the PTH 1200/820 Hackertruck – aspecial drum chipper that has evolved fromthe drum chipper upgrade project networkthrough the combined contribution of theEuropean Community, the Italian Governmentand the Region Piemont, in cooperation withlocal municipalities.

The project mainly focused on engineeringand constructing a drum chipper prototypethat’s features had never before beendeveloped for the Italian market. The aim wasto improve the performance and profitabilityof large scale portable drum chippers.

To meet this challenge, innovative deviceswere incorporated in the final design:• Black-box: this is the first device able to

register all process parameters with asecond device able to send parametersrecorded in the forest to the operativeexchange. The parameters capable of beingcollected are: date; time and place (GPSgeoreference); RPM of the truck engine andfuel consumption; chipper working and non-working hours; with continuous monitoringof chips humidity; and the monitoring of thechipper inner temperatures

• Chips evacuating system: enhancements tothe traditional fan discharge chute allow an

extra tube to cast chips in front of the truckcabin. This allows operation in narrowcorridors

• Automatic fire extinguish in the initial stage:chipping processes are a heavy dutyactivities that may overheat the equipmentin certain conditions. In addition, wood dustcan create a potentially explosiveatmosphere. This innovative design addsfire safety protection to the unit

• A truck chassis-mounted unit with a 336 kW(450 hp) motor, 6x6 all-wheel drive, and a2.3 m reduced gauge. The machine can nowbe driven through narrow openings, onsteep slopes and on twisted forestry roads

• The integrated forestry crane and a C-shaped wood splitter with chain saw finishoff the package.

The closed 820 mm diameter by 1,200 mmlong chipping drum is fitted with two blades,each 1.2 m long. ‘Quick & Smart’ blades, fixeddirectly to the drum, allow easy access formaintenance and quick blade replacement,and are 30% cheaper than traditional blades– resharpening up to three times is possible.

Major blade damage is controlled with acollapsible counter-blade mounted on arunning slide and secured with adjustableshear bolts. This allows shearing of bolts,

which reduces extremedamage when a foreign bodyis accidentally consumed bythe chipper. The designallows the counter-blade tofall down, so that the foreignbody exits before causingmajor damage. IFI

The Pezzolato PTH 1200/820 HACKERTRUCK


www.venturamaq.com


BIOMASS

British poleclimbingchampion andlumberjackeventcompetitor, IanFlatters, hasrecentlyacquired aGreenMech

Arborist 19-28 wood chipper for his Norfolk-based tree surgery and arboriculturalconsultancy business, Target Trees, which wasestablished five years ago.

Target Trees offers a complete service, fromhedge cutting to full site clearance and hadlooked at a range of options over a threemonth period for this major purchase. Flattersfound the GreenMech product “to have asuperior build quality,” which contributedgreatly to influence his decision to settle onthe Arborist 19-28 – that and “the helpfulnessand interest shown in our business by thecompany”, he said.

“The performance is far superior tocompetitor machines, resulting in a markedincrease in our productivity,” Flatters said.“The rollers are very aggressive and material iscrushed before it reaches the flywheel. As aresult, the process is much quicker and ourtrimming time has been reduced.

“The ability of the Arborist 19-28 to copemore easily with larger branches has alsosaved us man-hours and reduced the numberof operator visits back and forth to themachine. Basically it can cope with whateverwe throw at it and its versatility has alsoincreased the range of work we can offer. It is avery manoeuvrable and easy to transport pieceof kit. I would say that for productivity andperformance it is one of the best purchases wehave made.”

Powered by a 50 hp Isuzu diesel engine, the

Arborist 19-28 wood chipper has a 190 mm x280 mm throat capacity, fed by twin hydraulicfeed rollers and utilises a four disc-bladechipping system. The in-feed chute openingmeasures 1,200 mm x 840 mm while thechipping flywheel is 600 mm x 25 mm. Rotorspeed is 1,500 rpm. The ability to drag in moredifficult material with minimal trimming meansfaster more cost effective working thancompetitor machines.

The Arborist 19-28 is very operator friendly

thanks to its low noise emission levels and aslightly lower in-feed hopper at 580 mm (23in). This takes it into the H&SE’s (B) category,requiring only a top and side safety bar,eliminating the need for the bottom bar thatcan cause nuisance roller stops. Couple thatwith the large, 46 litre fuel capacity that onlyuses 5 litres/h at 60%, plus its compactdimensions, and you have a very competitiveproduct.

The Arborist 19-28 is also equipped withstate-of-the-art combined ‘no-stress’ electronicfeed and engine controller with an hour meter.Standard items include full road lighting; fullybraked chassis; storage flap on the in-feedchute and locking tow hitch. The ability to haveyour own livery colours and turntable areoptions.

The rollers are very

aggressive and material is

crushed before it reaches the

flywheel – Ian Flatters on theGreenMech Arborist 19-28 wood chipper

The GreenMech Arborist 19-28 wood chipper

Pole climber prefers Greenmech


It was really by accident thatEsben Hegelund got into thechipping business. In 1999 a

once-in-a-century storm causedmassive treefalls throughoutDenmark. Hegelund was therewith his first small chipper. Today,14 years later, he’s the biggestbiomass producer in Denmark.

It might sound strange, butDenmark needs more waste. Thecountry has a long tradition ofincinerating household waste andusing the heat to generateelectricity and feed the extensivedistrict heating network. Denmarkimports substantial quantities ofwaste from neighbouringcountries, but there is still ademand for woody biomass ofhigh calorific value to keep

incinerators burning hot. Thisevens out the varying heat valueof different kinds of waste andensures continuous heat delivery.

EHJ Energi converts waste to biofuelMany of these thermal powerplants are customers of EHJEnergi. The company producesover 1 million m3 of biofuels a yearfrom wood trunks, forestryresidue, rootstocks and greencuttings.

Demand has grown steadilyover the years, and so has thecompany and the number ofKomptech machines it uses. Itstwo Crambo 5000 low speedshredders, Stonefex 3000 stoneseparator, Mustang tracked drumscreen and two Chippo 5010 Hchippers bear witness to thecompany’s specialisation as abiofuel maker. They are alsoevidence of trust in the machines’manufacturer and its Danishdistributor Aksel Benzin, whichhas proven to be a capable

partner in all areas.

Somebody has to be first“One of the reasons for oursuccess is certainly the fact thatwe have more experience becausewe were the first,” Hegelund said.“We had the first truck-mountedchipper, although lots of peoplesaid that was the wrong way to go.Now it’s the only thing anybody

uses in ourbusiness.”

It’s theflexibility thatHegelundappreciatesmost withKomptech’s

mobile chippers. “With the Chippos I can go

anywhere, including in the forest,and can work in tight spots and onsoft ground with no problems.”

The company has a competitiveedge in its knowledge of chippingand also in working withrootstocks.

“If you remove the soil andstones from rootstocks, they’regreat for making a fuel with highcalorific value,” Hegelund said.“You just have to know whatyou’re doing, and have the rightmachines for the job.”

From rootstock to fuelBefore the rootstocks end up inthe incinerator as ‘root chips’,they have to be shredded andcleaned of impurities. The twotough, low-speed Crambos shredthem down to the desired chipsize. The Mustang drum screenremoves earth, sand, stones andother foreign matter. Its trackedchassis makes it mobile ondifficult ground. The fines that it

separates out are not waste, but a“bonus material” that makes anutritious topsoil. What’s left afterscreening is the biofuel. If thereare still too many stones in it,Hegelund runs it through theStonefex to get them out, andends up with a high-quality, highlypure fuel.

Chipper by chanceBack to 1999, it was literally aforce of nature that got Hegelundinto the chipping business. At thetime he worked as an earthworksservice provider for drainagecanals, but due to the severecompetition he was alreadylooking around for something elseto do. On the morning ofDecember 3, after a gale blew

through the country, Hegelundsaw opportunities where otherssaw just destruction and chaos.He bought his first chipper and setto work.

“My idea was to make biofuelfor grate firing systems,” he said.“I got a contract with a heatingplant, and things took off fromthere faster than I expected.”

And there was plenty of workout there. According to officialestimates, there were 3 million m3

to be disposed of, equivalent toseven years of normal woodharvests.

A decade later, 22 motivatedemployees take care of over 750customers throughout the country,making EHJ Energi Denmark’sbiggest biofuel supplier. Thesedays, Hegelund spends most ofhis working day on customerrelations and management tasks,but he still knows exactly how touse the machines.

“In the early years I would beout from early to late, running thechipper or the front loader, and ifneed be I still get behind thewheel,” Hegelund said. “After all, I have to keep Denmarkwarm.” IFI


BIOMASS – OPERATION FOCUS

Keeping Denmark warm

Komptech Crambo 5000 low speed shredder

Komptech Chippo 5010 chipper unit



EWD’s 17° slanted

EBB_1800R-17° bandsaw

headrig with 3D

scanning,

forward/backward sawing

and new Combimes BNK

Edging and resawing

system, has paved the

way into the future

In 2011, German sawmiller,Holz Resch, completed arebuilding and expansion

program using cutting edgetechnology. A 3D true-shapescanner for the bandsawheadrig EBB providesoptimised sawing withmaximum recovery and valueand the Combimes BNKsystem processes andoptimises the sideboards aswell as flitches and cants intothe respective products.

Holz Resch is located nextto the Dreisesselbergmountain in the midst of theBavarian forest. It is a familycompany, headed by the fifthgeneration miller, BaptistResch. With its 20 employees,the company processes the

local high quality spruce intospecialist products. Theselocal logs from the highaltitudes of Lusen andDreisesselberg mountainsgrow slowly to largediameters with narrow growthrings that give them greatstrength.

The mill has an intake of25,000m3/year and produceslive-sawn flitches; finger-jointed lumber; scaffoldboards; core-free or core-splitsections; timber sections;construction timber DIN 4074;customer specific products;panelling floor; and wallboards.

Holz Resch is a long-termEWD customer with a loggrading yard and sawmill,

complemented by a Springerlumber tray sorter withstacking. Dry kilns and aplaner mill give added valueto the basic products. A CHPplant has recently been builtand is fuelled by chips andsawdust to provide heat forthe sawmill and adjacentfactories, as well as for thelocal community.

In 2007, the Resch familystarted to consider therebuilding of its existingframe sawmill, exploringlayouts and concepts. Then,in 2011, the work on the newmill concept became moreconcrete and by year’s endthe layout and concept hadbeen finalised. Following acouple of mill visits with EWD,

Production up withEWD innovation

EBB_1800 slanted headrig operator cabin with large PC-screen and Microtec optimisation

SAWLINES – EWD

IFI_PG38_41_SAWMILLING EWD_01 21/01/2014 11:25 Page 38

the family was assured that the 17° slantedheadrig was the way to go to complement theframe saw. In early 2012, the civil works for thenew saw house marked the start of the project,which was done in three steps.

First, a new roundlog infeed with an S+Smetal detector unit was built to maintaincontinued feeding of logs to the frame saw andkeep the mill operating. The new saw housewas built in parallel with the 17° slanted EBBheadrig. The mill was only stopped for a shortperiod, once the headrig and saw house wereready, to disassemble the two existing DKVedgers and install the new Combimes BNK

edger/resaw system and a new waste handlingsystem from Rudnick & Enners. Following ashort stop time, the new equipment wascommissioned and, since October 2012, thesawmill has been successfully sawing with thenew technology.

Within six months, the old frame sawmill wasupdated and brought in line with state-of theart-technology. A very flexible sawmill was builtwith a small foot print to fit the available space,which is able to react to time-sensitive andcustomised orders. The young team of operatorstook to the new technology very quickly and isimproving its skills on a daily base.


EW2_1000 with-17° Carriage and DiSCAN scanner

The sawn lumber slides off smoothly onto

the belt with the narrow face upside due

to the 17° slant and is then transferred

via two decks for side boards and

for flitches/cants to the Combimes

SAWLINES – EWD



EBB_1800R-17° slanted bandsawheadrig … for higher productivityThe log bandsaw headrig processes logs of 3 to10 m length, with diameters from 0.15 to 1 mand more. The 17° slanted EBB 1800R headrigwith 1.8 m (6 ft) wheel diameter and carriageEW2 1000 is receiving logs via a log loader. Thedriven loader conveyor achieves smooth andfast loading of the logs onto the carriage EW2.

The 17° slanted headrig works moreefficiently, especially for the loading androtating of the logs. A skilled operator achieves10 to 15% higher production per shift,compared with a conventional bandsawheadrig.

The carriage is automatically ‘parked’ in theloading area according to log length before theoperator releases the log for loading. Theoperator rotates and dogs the log based onquality and sweep, then the automatic modetakes over. The carriage moves forward and theMicrotec DiSCAN scanner reads the true-shapelog contour with a combination of Lasertriangulation and cameras.

The optimisation system uses the lumberproduct data to calculate the optimum sawpattern and the right alignment for the log andautomatically feeds it to the bandsaw. Theoperator sees the selected pattern on his 550mm (22 in) computer screen and can stilloverride if needed with a different pattern to

ensure log quality. The visualisation of the sawpattern is done by the OPTiLINE system in realtime with two cameras. The operator sees thesaw pattern on the log shown on small andlarge end diameter.

The bandsaw headrig works in double cutmode, forward and backward sawing, and istherefore quicker, even without slabberbecause there are no unproductive returnpasses.

The sawn lumber slides off smoothly ontothe belt with the narrow face upside due to the17° slant and is then transferred via two decksfor side boards and for flitches/cants to theCombimes.

An automated transfer of flitches to theframe saw allows that machine to be used forspecial products. For live sawing of boards andflitches, two manual stacking places or twotrays of the Springer sorting system can beused. This lumber outfeed is also used by theHDN 600 Esterer frame saw. Waney sideboardsare sent to the sideboard deck of theCombimes, while lumber and scaffold boardsare sent to the sorting system.

The Combimes BNK Combinationedger/gang circular sawThe Combimes system is installed in this mill asa combination edger/gang machine. Waneysideboards can be sent back for edging. TheBNK circular edger/gang is fitted with six

moveable saw heads with servo-hydraulicsetworks and can process boards as well asflitches up to 225 mm thickness.

Boards are brought to the infeed table viathe S-shaped unscrambler QFEZ_S. Theoperator then decides if they want to trim backa fish-tail end and also on the quality and gradeof the board. The Combimes then moves theboard through the laser scanning system, whichscans the open board face from top andbottom. Because of the top and bottomscanning system, the boards do not have to beturned waney face up.

With scan data and grade assignment, the PCoptimises the edging/resawing solution, whichis then executed by the ARS infeed table to feedthe lumber to the BNK. The operator standsnext to the infeed table, however, this

The bandsaw headrig works in

double cut mode, forward and

backward sawing, and is

therefore quicker, even without

slabber because there are no

unproductive return passes

The EBB_1800R-17° bandsaw headrig with double cut mode, facilitates smooth slide down of the lumber

SAWLINES – EWD


workplace has been designed to make it asergonomic and safe as possible. All the maincommands are given by a joystick, which can beeasily adapted to fit the operators size andpreference. The optimisation solutions aredisplayed on a PC screen on thegrading/operating panel. Product data andvalues or other parameters like number ofspecial pieces on order can be fed to thesystem via an office PC. Data transfer to theCombimes machine is then done by USB stickor Ethernet. Thus, work preparation does notinterfere with the sawmill’s production.

Operator safety is achieved by a safety PLCand special rubber mat with sensors. With theoperator stepping on the mat, the machine isautomatically released and locked again whenthe operator steps off. This enables theoperator to safely climb onto the infeed table,for instance to clean a laser sensor withoutneed to lock out his machine. The unscramblerdanger area is blocked by safety photo eyesand the O-crosscut saw is automaticallylowered if somebody steps in front of it. All

these features make for a very safe work place. The ASV tailing system behind the BNK

separates edgings from the board/s and sendsthem to the waste handling system. Lumber issent to the sorting and stacking system viatransfer system. All cants and flitches to theCombimes are automatically aligned to an evenend and then fed piece-by-piece to theCombimes, following the same process as theboards. Waney sideboards from thicker cantsare automatically separated from the mainproduct and sent back for edging via the

sideboard transfer deck. The Combimes systemprovides a high yield and recovery for the Reschsawmill.

The one-stop, saw shopSaw sharpening is done in house with a newVollmer grinding machine. A new saw shop wasbuilt above to enable easy changing andservicing of the bandsaw blades. A saw shopand equipment for the circular saws alreadyexisted on site. IFI

Combimes BNK view of thetwo deck transfer system

on the right side with ARSinfeed on the left


SAWLINES – EWD


www.holtec.de


Heinola sawline impresses close to home

Heinola Sawmill Machinery

has delivered a circular

sawline with optimising

profiling to a mid-tier

Swedish mill

Forest owners association, NorraSkogsägarna, is owned by its some 10,000private member forest owners in the

counties of Ångermanland, Västerbotten andNorrbotten in northern Sweden. The associationhas two sawmills – one in Kåge and the other inSävar. The new Kåge sawmill specialises inproducing high-quality pine and spruceproducts (the top end diameter varies between105-550 mm) in a two-shift operation with anannual production of about 200,000 m3 sawntimber.

When choosing the new sawmill it was important to fit the line functions into a rathershort space between the recently renovateddebarking plant and the existing green sortingplant. There was about 50 m available for thenew profiling sawline in the existing building.

The primary breakdown is based on Finnishmanufacturer Heinola Sawmill Machinery’s newdesign where the log pattern is optimised andthe first side boards are profiled straight on thelog to the position received from the logscanner calculation.

The necessary data for sawing of logs andsquares is also received from the log scanner.Mainly due to these new solutions, thetraditional profiling line could be shortened byabout 30 m so that the sawline fits in the spaceavailable.

The Heinola sawline is equipped with a 3Dlog scanner and automatic log rotation. Therotation is carried out accurately with a rotator.According to the log scanner data, the square

The traditional profiling line

was shortened by about 30 m

so that the sawline fitted

in the space available

The carriage is craned in

SAWLINES – HEINOLA

IFI_PG42_43_SAWLINES_Heinola_01 21/01/2014 11:26 Page 42

The new sawlinedelivered is equippedwith a completeHeinola automationsystem including a logscanner, line controlsystems, patternsupport system, sideboard optimisation,servo systems andelectrical installations. The logscanner is a Swedish Sawcoscanner and a Siemens S7 PLC isresponsible for the controls. Thelower sawmill was delivered byHeinola’s sister companyNordautomation.

The implementation of thesawline was carried out at the endof summer 2010. The basicfunctions of the new sawline weretested while the customer sawedproduction with the old line justbeside the new one. Theimplementation was conductedvigorously and the requested production level was achieved as planned.

www.heinolasm.fi

IFI

Sideboards and the centrepieces are sawn with a double-

arbour circular saw

curve is also chipped on the square. The secondarybreakdown side boards are profiled on the curved square,and finally the sideboards and the centre pieces are sawnwith a double-arbour circular saw. The chain width of therotary gang’s outfeed conveyor is adjusted so that the sawnpieces are outfed from the rotary gang as required by theircurvature. The side boards are dropped on the board sortingplant and the centre pieces go on to another sorting plant.


The Norra Skogsägarna team oversee installation

3D log scanner, Sawco

Automatic log rotation

Rotator

Chipper canters, 2 pcs

Double-arbor circular saw, 2 pcs

Profiling units, 3 pcs

4 free optimised side boards in primary breakdown

4 as a pair optimised side boards in secondary breakdown

Modern covers for main machinery

Line length circa 50 m

Line’s connected load circa 3 MW

Line weight circa 200 t

Lower sawmill, Nordautomation

Heinola sawline equipment

Annual capacity 200,000 m3

Production time 2 shifts/day

Personnel 2 operators

Sawing speed 70-150 m/minute

Curve sawing H = 100 mm, R = 100 mH = 150 mm, R = 150 mH = 200 mm, R = 200 m

Skew edging with side boards 10 mm/m

Log rotation accuracy S = 6º

Measuring accuracy S = 0.35 mm

Saw kerf, first saw 4.6 mm

Saw kerf, second saw 3.7 mm

Chips from line, fractions 7 >45% to circa 80%

Sawline features

3D log scanner, Sawco

Sawmill pattern support system

Pattern optimisation

Line control, Siemens S7

Active, controlled curve sawing

Servo automation

Real-time production statistic and reports

Real-time disturbance statistic and reports

Real-time remote control connection

Sawline automation

Log entry

SAWLINES – HEINOLA

IFI_PG42_43_SAWLINES_Heinola_01 21/01/2014 11:27 Page 43


Handy technologyeases end-of-linesortingTaking the control of end-of-line sorting

operations with PDA technology can

enhance an operation’s efficiencies

Mobile computing ispushing the boundariesin industrial

environments and USNR hasbrought the tools of wirelessmobile computing into the woodprocessing world utilising mobiledevices for controlling lumbersorting operations. This is one ofmany areas that mobile devices,or personal digital assistants(PDAs), will be used by operatorsto control processing functionsfrom the palms of their hands.

A lumber processing operationin the US south-east regioninvested in major upgrades to itsplaner mill with a new trimmer,sorter and stacker line. Theexisting PLC5 programmablecontrols system in the new area ofthe mill was changed to the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 5000platform with Ethernetcommunications protocol. As partof the improvements, USNRprovided a controls system thatutilised PDAs to control the sorterprocesses.

To control the mill's new 70-binsorter, USNR supplied five mobiledevices. These devices effectivelyreplace 11 consoles (each consoletypically controls six bins). Inaddition to the mobile devices,USNR supplied a human interfacetouch screen monitor situated atthe stacker operator's area, and

another in the control room. Oneof the PDAs is carried by the sorteroperator, the quality controlperson carries a unit, and thesorter supervisor has another unitin his office. At all times the sortercan be controlled by the sorteroperator, and monitored by thestacker operator, QC , sortersupervisor, and anyone else whocarries one of the devices.

The mobile devices offer anoverwhelming abundance of realtime data in the palm of the hand.Through communications with thePLC, the devices allow the operatorto remotely control all the functionsof the sorter. They also provide apowerful communications tool sothat anyone with a device can tell ata glance the status of any of thefunctions of the sorter, and of itscomponents. From one worker toanother on the same shift and oneshift to the next, the devicesprovide reliable information andmessages through the messagecentre.

Safety features have beenaddressed in the implementation.To perform a function such asjogging the discharge deck, theoperator must hold his finger on abutton on the screen until thedesired jog is accomplished. If heremoves his finger, the deck stops.Also, if communications from adevice are lost even momentarily,

the PLC immediately disregards allinputs from that device. That way,if there should be a drop in thesignal for any reason, the devicein question cannot inadvertentlycontrol the sorter's functions.

Operation at the sorter hasbecome much more efficient,reducing downtime andmanpower. An operator no longerneeds to walk hundreds of metersto perform routine operationsthrough the HMI, because he canaccess all sorter functions fromhis current location. Managementof bins is enhanced because the

operator can access bin functionsfrom the floor chain elevation,where he can also manage thedischarge decks. The operator hasthe ability to discharge anynumber of bins while standingadjacent to the floor chains, ratherthan having to be at one of theconsoles on the walkway above.This also improves packagestaging to the stacker.

Operators rapidly embraced thistechnology. Today PDAs in societyare so common, and in the millenvironment the informationavailable at a glance is so

The bin summary screen shows the current status of each of the bins

This screen shows the Discharge Decks as viewed in the operator's mode

SAWLINES – USNR

IFI_PG44_45_USNR_01 21/01/2014 11:27 Page 44


FINISHING TECHNOLOGY

From one worker to another on the same shift, and one shift to the next,the devices provide reliable information and messages through themessage centre

The system offers the operator full control of the sorter's functions

abundant, that training is muchsimplified compared with usingconsoles.

The system operates on adedicated wireless infrastructureon a secure in-plant network. Thewireless access point allows arange for the devices of up to 215m (700 ft) with a clear line ofsight.

Benefits of wireless machinecontrol through mobile devicesinclude:

• Real time data in the palm ofyour hand

• Mobile machine monitoring andcontrol

• Powerful information andcommunications capability

• Replaces consoles, reducescapital cost

• Easier troubleshooting andmaintenance

• Reduces downtime • Built-in safety features• Dedicated wireless

infrastructure, secure in-plantnetwork

• Device range – 215 m line-of-sight

• ControlLogix operating platform(or similar)

• Ethernet is required• Available as an upgrade to USNR

or on new installations.

Mobile computing devices arebecoming commonplaceextensions of industrial networks

and have made their way into thewood processing realm. For USNR,this new use of mobile computingtechnology has garnered muchinterest and will soon be used tocontrol many more processes inthe mill. It is currently beingoffered with new capital projectsor as an upgrade to existing USNRcontrols systems. IFI

SAWLINES – USNR

IFI_PG44_45_USNR_01 21/01/2014 11:28 Page 45

www.halcosoftware.com


SAWLINES – WOOD-MIZER

Pushing thin-kerfautomatedprocessing further

Acompany best known forpopularising its standalonemobile sawmills, Wood-

Mizer has steadily been making animpact farther up into industrialwood processing for over a decade.

Putting its experience with thin-kerf, low waste concepts to use inmore industrial environments withbreakdown headrigs and multiheadresaws, among other products, theWood-Mizer speciality has beenalternative product choices thatfocus on maximising the advantageof thin-kerf processing – providinghigher log yields at a loweroperating cost.

In 2007, the company debutedits first SLP thin-kerf processingline at Ligna in Hanover, Germany.The modular line was designed tobe a low-cost, low-maintenancesystem that installed quickly andincreased profits from low-valuelogs. The successes achieved bythe SLP line since its launch havesilenced some who initiallydoubted its abilities and Wood-Mizer reports that the line hasmany units running throughoutthe world, utilised especially bypallet producers.

Keeping with the theme ofreleasing new products at Ligna,the new version of the line, theSLP2, was debuted in 2013 inHanover. The line processes logsthat are 100-400 mm in diameterand 1.2-3.6 m in length intoboards and cants as required.Designed to require as few as twoworkers, the line features severalimprovements that allow such asmall crew to operate itsuccessfully.

“The demands of ourincreasingly modern globaleconomy require that allbusinesses make decisions toincrease efficiency, and see howthey can reduce costs in a smartway,” Wood-Mizer Director ofEngineering Roman Frontczak,who believes the compactnessand modularity of the line are adistinct advantage, toldInternational Forest Industries.“The automated SLP2 line givesour customers an additionalbenefit by greatly reducing thenecessary manpower as labourcosts continue to rise.”

SLP2 advancements werefocused in several key areas:

centralised controls; increases inmaterial flow automation;comprehensive slab removal; andadditional measures for dealingwith odd-shaped and stressed logs.

Thin-kerf blades are the keyAlthough wide band and circularmills have traditionally ruled theindustrial wood processinglandscape, the SLP2 is designedto take advantage of the inherentadvantages of the narrower cut ofthin-kerf blades in order tomaximise the profitability of theoperating company. Marko Koscal,Director of Operations at agrowing pallet and briquette plantin Croatia shares their experienceswith the thin-kerf recovery.

“We benefit in several ways,”he said. “The narrow band sawswood with a 2 mm kerf, so I get anextra board from each log. Labourcosts are down since we nowproduce more cubic metres perworker. Productivity has increasedby 2.5 times and even by threetimes if the diameter of the logs isabout 30-40 cm.”

Gone are the days when thin-

The SLP2 makes use of low waste cutting, automated features, and a compact layout to be an attractive, self contained processing option

Wood-Mizer’s new

SLP2 line is a

systematic log

processing line that

uses thin-kerf

technology to

reimagine how

narrowband blades

can boost profits

from logs, while

reducing

operating costs

IFI_PG46_49 Sawlines Wood-mizer_02 21/01/2014 11:29 Page 46

kerf blades could only cut alimited range of species. Wood-Mizer’s wide range of bladebrands and profiles cover thewhole range of sawingapplications – from knottysoftwoods to dense and abrasivetropical hardwoods. SLP operatorsgenerally use Wood-Mizer’sSilverTip blade – an economycarbon steel blade designed forcontinuous production. Fortropical hardwoods and extremelyabrasive species, Wood-Mizer alsomanufactures premium qualityStellite-tipped RazorTip blades.

Compared with otherautomated lines on the market,the SLP2 is smaller and lighter.However, Frontczak is quick topoint out that this is intentional.

“Shorter log lengths requireshorter conveyors which meansless metal is used and theequipment is then less expensive,features a more compact layout,requires less maintenance and

therefore uses less energy,” heexplained.

The point about less energy iskey to Wood-Mizer’s efforts todecrease operating costs. TheSLP2 draws less power thanconventional equipment due tosmaller motors required to powerthe thin-kerf blades.

The new SLP2 line –overviewAlthough often adapted indifferent layouts, the basic lineconsists of:• Central operator control station:

new to the SLP2, the centraloperator station consolidates allline controls into one place,where machines can be startedand stopped, line speedadjusted, and more. Thepedestal can be placed wherethe main operator has the bestview of the whole line, whilekeeping a close eye on incomingraw logs

• Log loading ramp: logs arestaged first on the ramps andthen advanced automatically ormanually onto the in-feed chain

• Twin Vertical Saw (TVS): the TVSis the first saw in the line andremoves two vertical sides of thelog in one pass. The two offcuts

In its simplest form, the SLP2 line is designed to require as few as 2-3 operators

A new SLP2 installation in Indonesia

In 2007, the company debuted its first SLP thin-kerf

processing line at Ligna

PowerTVS-SC2.4L 2 x 11 kW Electric (E15)SHS-L 15k W Electric (E20)HR500-2H 2 x 11 kW Electric (E15)Power supply 400V/50Hz, 3PhBlade (length & width)TVS-SC2.4L 4.67 m x 32-38 mmSHS-L 4.67 m x 32-38 mmHR500-2H 4.01 m x 32-38 mm

Cutting capacityMinimum log diameter 100 mmMaximum log diameter 400 mmMinimum log length 1.2 mMaximum log length 2.4-3.6 mMinimum cut width 70 mmMaximum cut width 250 mm

DimensionsLength 28 mWidth 8 mHeight 2.15 m

SLP2 Specifications


SAWLINES – WOODMIZERSAWLINES – WOOD-MIZER


drop to a cross conveyor, andthe cant continues through theline. The TVS, designed to run inthe SLP line, is commonly usedin other lines as well. Itscompactness and low cost makeit a viable option for initial logbreakdown in a variety ofprocessing environments

• Computer-controlled sizingprovides quick and preciseadjustments to the cut width.Two industrial strength 11.2 kW

electrical motors power thebelted blade wheels. Beltedwheels are ideal for thin-kerfblades – they do not requirecrowning and result in less bladefatigue. The twin sawmill headsare set at an angle to the in-feedchain, which reduces the initialimpact on the blade as it makescontact with the timber. Theblade stays sharper longer andlimits damage to the blade body

• Three options of in-feed and out-

feed tables are available to carrythe timber through the TVSheads. Standard is a dog feedchain where the spacingintervals can be adjusted to suitthe sawmiller’s standard loglengths. A flat feed option isavailable for timber with analready flat cut surface

• The latest feed option is a spikychain system with spiked toprollers which add greaterstability to the log as it goes

through the TVS. The spiky chainfeed also increases productivitydue to the ability to load logswith little or no gaps betweenthem onto the chain. “The spikysystem is a continuous spikedfeed chain with overhead spikedrollers before the saw,”Frontczak explained. “Theserollers grip the log as soon as itis loaded, which means logs canbe fed butt to butt with no gapsbetween them. Depending onthe length of logs, the spiky feedcan increase productivity by 10-20%. A second factor behind thedevelopment of the spiky chainwas to assist with short logsthat are not straight – ‘bananashaped' – as well as logs that



A SLP line equipped with a spiky chain TVS at work in South Africa

I think that thin-kerf is definitely going to be a big part of the

lumber industry in thefuture – Ed Robbins, owner

of Ohio Valley Veneer



The original SLP line newly installed in Thailand

have significant taper.”• Offcut removal is handled in one

of two ways, via spiral rollers thatcatch and then drop the offcutsto the waiting cross conveyorbelow, or by using the newpneumatic spiky side discs thatsecure and release the offcut onlyafter it has been fully cut

• Single Horizontal Saw (SHS):another newly designed part ofthe line is the Single HorizontalSaw. Here, the third slab is cutoff the bottom of the log,resulting in three-sided cantwith a flat bottom. The bottomslab is removed for furtherprocessing, whilst the cant isguided by special fences androller conveyors into clamps thatpneumatically position the cantfrom both sides. The removal ofthe bottom slab eliminates the

need to turn the cant before itreaches the resaw

• Multihead Resaw (HR500): theHR500 resaw can be fitted withup to six cutting heads,depending on productivityrequirements. Each head isequipped with an 11kW electricmotor. In its maximumconfiguration, this resaw willproduce six pallet boards plusone slab in a single pass. Thematerial is positioned preciselyby side pneumatic clamps andtop pneumatic rollers thatoperate together to keep thethree-sided cant secure duringsawing. The powered metalconveyor has an adjustablespeed of up to 20 m/min. “Asstandard, each HR500 head hasa single top roller of 200 mm or300 mm diameter, which is

suitable for many applications,”Frontczak said. “However, forshort cants with lots of tension,such as rubberwood, the heavy-duty option has two rollers foreach head, one either side. Thismeans that cants are held downonto the bed before and afterthe blade.”

• Next year, the HR500 will featureseveral new features andoptions – including computersetworks

• Offcut management conveyors:throughout the line, crossconveyors catch offcuts and movethem to centralised collectionareas. Once the finished boardsreach the end of the line, a greenchain moves them to where theycan be stacked.

Results and ApplicationsIn summary, the SLP2 line seemswell situated for new ventures anddiversification of existing mills.New ventures can take advantageof the lower capital required toinstall and maintain the line.Existing mills can think whetherthey could be better utilisinglower-value logs by increasingyields, and increasing capacity todiversify end products morequickly to match market demand.Stephen Sufferin, owner of S& JContracts in Northern Irelandshares his reasons for installing aSLP line several years ago.

“In 2007, we had difficultysourcing locally sawn pallet woodso diversification was in order,” hesaid “We decided to mill our owntimber to guarantee supply andcut production costs.”

Meanwhile, Ohio Valley Veneer(USA) owner Ed Robbins usesthree thin-kerf Wood-Mizerheadrigs in his walnut productionfacility. His opinions are clear.

“I think that thin-kerf isdefinitely going to be a big part ofthe lumber industry in the future,”he said. “The kerf is what it isgoing to be all about. The oversawdifference is tremendous. [But] it’snot only the kerf; it’s your electricbill, it’s your parts bill, it all comestogether at one big savings.”

One message is clear: thin-kerfprocessing is offering more andmore attractive options for higherproductivity and profitability thanever before, and it is a productsegment to watch and to considerwhen looking to take advantage ofnew opportunities. IFI




Bill Briskey, LucidyneTechnologies Salesand MarketingDirector

Christopher Smith,Bandit IndustriesMarketing andCommunicationsDirector

Mark Maleta, LMITechnologiesBusinessDevelopmentManager

Martin WilkinsonJohn DeereConstruction &Forestry, VP of Forestryand BusinessDevelopment

Ola BostromMarketing Director,Komatsu Forest

Tigercat InternationalSales Manager, Gary Olsen

Jan Hennberg, RottneIndustries ExportManager

Gero Springer, CEOSpringerMaschinenfabrik,Austria

IFI_PG50_57_Industry Voice_03 21/01/2014 11:30 Page 50

Stability on the cards for 2014


INDUSTRY VOICE

Once again, International Forest Industrieseditor Chris Cann taps into the leading brains

in the business to investigate how markets,

technologies and trends have evolved

over 2013 and what’s in store for 2014

International Forest Industries: How havemacroeconomic factors affected your sales figures?John Deere: Economic conditions in many partsof the world have remained volatile anduncertain for several years. As such, the effecton forestry customers is largely unchangedfrom recent years. Experts do predict positivemovement in the years ahead with worldwidesales of forestry equipment forecasted toincrease. These gains reflect further economicrecovery and increased housing starts in the

US as well as expected equipment salesincreases outside North American markets.Continued economic recovery and higher salesin European markets are expected. Chinacontinues to be a primary driver for severalmarkets as it expands its timber consumption.

We see a rising global population and morewidespread economic prosperity, which in turnpoints to an increasing need for food, shelterand infrastructure. The forestry industry is sureto play a key role in providing that shelter andinfrastructure. John Deere will be there,

listening hard, and working even harder, tomake the important work loggers do a littleeasier.

LMI Technologies: LMI Technologies developsand builds 3D scanning solutions for OEMs inmany industries around the world. Increaseddemand for materials from the constructionindustry resulted in positive changes in lumberprices, which in turn fuelled a demand for newequipment. We could have seen an even higherdemand for our 3D solutions for the wood


industry if not for the dampening effect ofhigher finished product output by lumberproducers. Frankly, with the increasedequipment sales activity this year, LMI and ourmajor wood industry OEM customers were at orbeyond capacity to deliver and commission anymore systems for 2013.

Much of this increased demand for ourproducts was the result of the wood industry’scontinued interest in infrastructure investmentfor increased efficiency. More specifically, ourcustomers were showing more interest in smalllog merchandising and log breakdown scanningsystems, scanners for veneer lathe chargers, aswell as lumber grade scanning systems forsawmill and planermill applications. The upshotfor LMI was a modest increase in sales of 3Dgeometric sensors for log breakdown andlumber optimisation applications. We alsoexperienced very significant increases in salesof vision sensors for appearance and structuralgrading applications.

Tigercat: 2013 was a record year in unit salesand revenue for Tigercat. We experienced highsales volume in a number of regions. NorthAmerica, particularly western Canada was verystrong as well as the Pacific Northwest and NewZealand. These three regions areall heavily and positively affectedby a strong market for lumber inChina, Korea and India. Demandfor equipment in the SoutheasternUS is being fuelled by increasedhousing starts, a healthy pulpmarket and a number of new woodpellet manufacturing facilities thathave come online in 2013 and areconsuming millions of tonnes ofroundwood for pellet export toEurope. (It is estimated that by2020 the European demand forwood pellets will be 50 Mt.) Despite the fragileglobal recovery as reported by mainstreammedia, world demand for pulp, lumber andengineered wood products seems to beapproaching pre-recession levels and fuel chipsand pellets are an entirely new outlet.

Springer Maschinenfabrik: Macroeconomicfactors have not really affected our salesfigures. Since we act worldwide, we are able toperform with relative stability.

Bandit Industries: We’ve observed that thecontinuing expansion of wood pellet andbiomass facilities around the world iscontinuing to help drive sales of our biomassequipment, without question. 2013 has been arecord sales year for us, and we can attribute atleast a portion of those sales to the growth ofthese facilities. We are also seeing a slightrebound in construction markets.

Komatsu Forest: The forest industry generally issensitive to economic fluctuations, but if there

is something that is known in this industry it isthat it goes up and down in this business. Atthe same time, it is well known that the basicindustries in the world continue to grow andthat there is always a demand for raw materialsfrom the forest.

From a macro perspective, forest industryeconomic activity goes in several differentdirections. A fall in global demand fornewspaper affects the forest sector negatively.At the same time the demand for wood as anenergy source in some parts of the world isincreasing.

But Europe is the main market for CTLmachines and the long recession in Europe hasundoubtedly affected us, and the entireindustry, with declining sales of new machines.However, the market in Russia and SouthAmerica is growing as mechanisation increasesin Russia and there are large, established millsin Brazil and Uruguay that need muchequipment. During this period, we havelaunched four new forwarders that helped us tokeep up the interest for our machines amongcustomers in different markets in the world.Moreover, an increased activity in theaftermarket and higher used machine salesslightly counter weaker sales of new machines.

Lucidyne: We have increased R&D expendituresin both manpower and materials. It is ourintention to continue our efforts to understandwood fiber better than anyone, offeringscanning systems that take producers to thenext level. Two reasons drive this: 1.) The betterfiber can be utilized, the more profit ourcustomers realize, with the naturalconsequence that Lucidyne is also kept healthy;and 2.) Competition – other suppliers in ourbusiness offer a wide variety of machinecenters and material handling equipment alongwith scanning systems, where we are focusedintentionally on scanning-related equipmentand the control systems surrounding them. Wehired PhDs and physics, math, material science,electrical, computer science, and mechanicalengineers to design optical systems, notmaterial processing equipment. This puts us ina unique position to solve problems related tomachine vision and not get diluted with othertasks.

If one were to investigate the effects ofmacroeconomic changes on the various sectors

of the economy, they would discover that eachsector varies independently and further,prediction formulas are early in theirdevelopment. The businesses in our lumberprocessing sector also seem to follow a varietyof indicators, some global and some regionalwhen they make major financial purchases.Lucidyne’s sales activity reflects that variability,although the general impact today is that we

are close to capacity and areexpanding in anticipation of takingon even more business.

Rottne Industries: Themacroeconomic factors haveaffected the whole forest industryand of course also our sales figuresat Rottne. The domestic forestmachine sales in Scandinavia havedropped dramatically, Europe hasbeen very weak and other overseasmarkets have come to a completestandstill. Rottne has kept, or in

some markets even gained, market shares and Ithink that’s a result of being a smaller company.Rottne Industri as a smaller company can easilyand quickly adapt to this type of situationcompared to our competition, which are mainlymultinational companies. Important for Rottnein tough times is, and has always been, toprepare our organisation, production andmachine program during the difficult times tobe ready when the market turns around andcustomers are ready to invest again.

IFI: Do you see uncertainty in forestry marketscontinuing in 2014 or has the improvement inthe US signalled something of a stablerecovery?JD: Industry forecasting indicates continuedeconomic uncertainty in the US and globally,but from a North American forestry perspective,we are more confident in the prospect of growthin 2014.

When the economic environment isuncertain, confidence is fragile among forestrycustomers. This is why John Deere continues to

INDUSTRY VOICE


The continuing expansion of wood pellet and

biomass facilities around the world is continuing

to help drive sales of our biomass equipment,

without question – Bandit Industries


focus on ways to help customers weather thestorms and continue to be profitable. Duringdifficult economic times, maintainingprofitability is always most critical, and JohnDeere is making significant investments todifferentiate ourselves from the competitionwith innovative technology and solutions forour customers. We are always looking for waysto help our customers take cost out of theirbusiness, whether it’s through keeping theirequipment running longer, more efficiently, orincreasing production.

LMI: I think to an extent there will be a degreeof uncertainty in 2014, considering the USFederal Reserve policy changes continue to be abig question for many people. We expect globaland US markets to continue to expand, just at aslower rate than originally expected. However,as demand increases and producers get closerto capacity in 2015-2016, we maysee prices increase at anaccelerating rate.

Our sensor sales are primarily tothe major OEMs based in Europeand North America, but they deliversystems to the global market. Weare seeing major lumber producersanticipating expanded production.In response, they are planning theirinvestments in new plants andequipment in place ahead ofdemand in order to be more costefficient and competitive. With aportion of the sensor products wedelivered in the latter part of 2013not seeing service at our OEMcustomers’ sites until early 2014,our first quarter sales could be affected. But,beyond that, we are optimistic for furtherincreases in sales for the wood productsindustry throughout 2014.

TC: The uncertainty that we have observed ismostly localised in specific geographic areas

and related to certain local issues, rather thanthe health of the world economy. The vastmajority of our dealers forecast further growthin 2014.

SM: We see positive trends for the coming year

and a strong increase in interest for ourproducts from the North American market.

BI: From our perspective, the markets seemstable and growing. We’re expecting to see thattrend continue.

KF: Uncertainty still covers the global market,but we are finally starting to see more activityin the forest and in our sales, both of whichsuggest the beginnings of a recoverythroughout the forestry industry. We expect tosee a continued gradual recovery of theEuropean forestry business as the economyimproves during 2014.

Komatsu Forest sees positive signs in manyplaces right now, particularly in North America,Australia, South America and emerging marketssuch as Asia. In Asia, where Vietnam is anexample, it is a higher standard of living thatincreases energy requirements. Part of theenergy requirement can be covered by usingforests as raw material.

Another positive sign is that we now haveincreased orders and by experience we knowthat the industry cannot lie low forever.Investments in new machinery must comesooner or later. We see a clear increase in 2014,

but the true peak of the cycle will most likely bein 2015.RI: I am pretty sure the situation in worldwideforestry has already bottomed out. Today wecan see the light at the end of the tunnel inseveral markets, with the North American

market as a front runner. Several ofthe big forest companies around theworld have realised that they haveto give out logging contracts to theentrepreneurs enabling them toinvest in new equipment. We cantoday read in newspapers and inmagazines like IFI more positivearticles than just a year ago. We cannotice a slowly growing optimismfrom our customers. So yes, Ibelieve in a stable but slow recovery.

L: There is certainly some cautionexhibited by late adopters, thoughsome are testing options with a ‘toe-in-the-water’ approach beforecommitting to large capital projects.

I'd say that the majority expect steady marketgrowth and are jumping in, starting largeprojects that will increase profitability when themarket ramps up to previous levels. Some haveexpressed a position that taking a productionhit now for installing machine centre upgradesis far preferable to losing productivity laterwhen the market is even better. An indicator ofgood health in sawmills seems to be having atleast one project at some stage of completion,beyond the ‘thinking about it’ stage.

IFI: Have you seen any changes in globalmarkets: in either key markets or potentialemerging forestry markets?

JD: As previously noted, market data suggeststhat global forestry sales are expected to


INDUSTRY VOICE

2013 was a record year in

unit sales and revenue – Tigercat

Product development does not necessarily

mean great leaps in technology. Equally

important is to develop machines that

continually becomes more efficient and can

produce more and more at lower

and lower cost – Komatsu


increase due to general economic growth inmany parts of the world, including higher salesin important European markets. China isbecoming a primary timber buyer and that ispositively impacting the market.

Key forestry markets have remained largelyunchanged for several years. Key SouthAmerican and particularly Asia-Pacific marketsare experiencing economic growth, fuelling ademand for forestry products. These growingeconomies in turn help drive markets in otherareas, even those that are experiencingeconomic uncertainty.

Additional examples of emerging markets to watch include: RussiaWith the world’s largest harvestable forest areaand untapped timber resources, Russia hasenormous potential. Russia is very attractive interms of long-term prospects for manufacturersof forestry machinery. The nation is home to20% of the world’s forests, and has potential tobe the largest producers of forest products.However, this potential is not being fullyleveraged today as currently it has just 3.5% ofglobal production.

For the Russian market there will need to bea continuation of modernisation andmechanisation in this market. John Deere is

playing an important role in helping Russiaadopt the latest forestry innovation andtechnology and will continue our efforts in thisimportant region. New Zealand/Australia It is expected that New Zealand and Australiawill harvest 30 Mt or more of wood over thenext few years. The forestry export market hasseen sustained growth for the last three years,driven primarily by the export of logs to China.Exports are expected to increase further due tostrong economic growth and infrastructuredevelopment in countries such as China andIndia, and rebuilding efforts in Japan after theearthquake.

On the domestic front, the increasing price oflogs has created a sustained demand for newharvesting machines. As loggers are becomingmore safety conscious, the demand forpurpose-built swing machines has increasedover the traditional standard excavator. Inaddition, landowners expect loggers to be fullymechanised, including felling on steep slopes,which creates an opportunity for steep-slopemechanical felling. With increased demand andmechanisation, the future of the forestryindustry in New Zealand and Australia islooking bright.

LMI: There have been significant increases inglobal demand for automated grading systems.The demand for new 3D geometric scanners forlog breakdown and board optimisation hasincreased as well, mainly due to the largenumber of existing processing lines that havescanners with sensors that are no longer

supported and were not replaced during thepast recession. Fortunately for LMI, our 3Dsensor technology has positioned us well to bea preferred supplier to most of the major NorthAmerican and European OEMs providing thesetypes of systems.

TC: A positive change that we are observing inmany emerging markets is increasingmechanisation. Many of the large forestrycompanies have a strong desire to get peopleoff the ground with the aim of minimisingaccidents and workplace injury and improvingquality and productivity.

SM: While the North American market seems togrow, Central Europe is developing ratherslowly due to the very high log prices.

BI: Demand for biomass outside the UScontinues to help drive demand for biomassexports in North America, even while biomassmarkets within North America continue to grow.The decline in construction markets the lastseveral years seems to be reversing, bring somedemand back for timber.

KF: Europe is Komatsu Forest’s main market,and it requires no great improvements there toaffect the business positively. We see thisahead of us in the next year.

For Komatsu Forest, the Russian market hasbeen quite active 2013 supported by a steadymechanisation trend and high motivation forinvestment. That is also expected to continue in2014.


INDUSTRY VOICE

Over the course of the last year, we have seen

a wide variety of changes in global and local factors

that affect suppliers and manufacturers world-wide – Lucidyne

Innovation and

European quality are

the key to added value and

productivity – Springer


In South America and especially Brazil, themarket remains active thanks to the strong pulpexport industry. Large established businesseswith huge plantations require much equipment.

The Oceanic market has recovered strongly in2013 and is now enjoying one of the bestbusiness environments in its history following along recession.

The North American economy is becomingincreasingly stable, and the forestrymarket is also recovering thanks tostrong demand for housingconstruction.

Overall, we believe the globalforest machine market is currentlyrecovering, but at a slow rate. Even ifEurope is recovering much of thegrowth is dependent on what ishappening in emerging markets suchas China, Indonesia, India, andRussia.

RI: There is an evident trend inseveral of the traditional ‘track-based’ machinemarkets, which are switching to ‘wheel-based’harvesters. This is the result of the clear fallbeing done earlier when the trees are youngerand smaller to produce more consistent sizedlogs for sawmills without overgrown lumber.With high fuel prices, it is also more importanttoday to avoid the biggest track-basedmachines with huge heads. I can also notice agrowing interest of thinning operations both innatural forests as well as in plantations, andagain with a focus on wheel-based smallharvesters.

L: There's a saying in Oregon: ‘If you don't likethe weather, just wait a minute and it willchange.’ Over the course of the last year, wehave seen a wide variety of changes in globaland local factors that affect suppliers andmanufacturers world-wide. Just name a largecountry and their economic picture changes willaffect a producer in another part of the world.

China, Russia, and Japan are examples wherelog, financial, and construction needs havedirectly impacted North American lumber mills.The improved economy in the US positivelyimpacts Australia.

IFI: Has your allocation of capital to research &development changed over 2013 and what areyour plans for 2014?

JD: One of John Deere’s core values isinnovation, and our aggressive pursuit ofinnovation drives us to maintain and improveour focus on our customers’ current and futureneeds. Staying true to this value, we havesustained our investments in innovation, andhave also been willing to increase them as ourcustomers’ needs require it.

We have increased our research anddevelopment investments steadily over the lastfew years to improve the quality andperformance of our existing products and areactively developing new products.

The immediate future will be both an excitingand challenging time for John Deere Forestry askey product lines receive updates to meet FinalTier IV emission requirements along with manyother enhancements to improve productivity,uptime and lower operating costs.

LMI: Our research and development investmentremains at a steady 10-12% of sales. LMI iscommitted to continuous improvements andinnovations to remain a leader in 3D geometric,vision, and tracheid scanning. In 2014, we willbe introducing a variety of 3D products basedon laser triangulation and structured lightstereo technologies to diversify our businessinto various markets. As well, we will beleveraging our Gocator sensor platform todevelop further presence within the woodindustry.

TC: Tigercat has spent vast engineeringresources in the development andimplementation of a Tier IV emissions solutionsin 2013 and will continue to implement the newengines in 2014. For North American andEuropean forestry contractors, this is veryrelevant as the effort has put Tigercat wellahead of the curve with respect to Tier IV

technology. The Tigercat FTP Tier IV enginefamily uses the simplest and most reliable SCRbased emission control technology to meet thestringent Tier IV requirements. In addition, theinstallations are clean and neat providing betteraccess to engine service points than anythingelse we have seen. Even with all the resourcesdedicated to Tier IV, Tigercat still managed thesuccessful release of a number of new productsincluding the 615C six-wheel skidder, the 875logger, the 470 mulcher and the 5195directional felling head, which in combinationwith the LS855C shovel logger is set torevolutionise harvesting operations in steepslope southern hemisphere plantations. Newproduct development for 2014 will be equally ifnot more aggressive as our customers and

potential customers continue toask for enhancements and entirelynew models.

SM: We have increased ourinvestment in R&D in 2013 andsuccessfully introduced our newtrimmer E-CUT 200 to the market.Also the screw-log solutions havebeen optimised and we weresuccessful in developing theMicrotec CT-LOG further. Innovationand European quality are the keyto added value and productivity.

BI: Bandit Industries continues to aggressivelylook at better ways to serve all biomassmarkets with products that deliver the specificraw material needed. New drum designs andscreening systems for our whole tree chippersand Beast horizontal grinders were continuallydeveloped at Bandit through 2013. For landclearing operations, we’ve added new forestrymower models and we have additionaldevelopments in progress for our large andsmall equipment lines.

KF: Even if a cloud of uncertainty still covers theglobal market, Komatsu Forest’s focus on andpassion for, product improvement and its desireto listen to customers never change. Productdevelopment for us is not dependent on theeconomic state of the market. With the longprocesses of development, we simply cannotadapt product development cycles to the stateof market. Moreover, the demands of the


INDUSTRY VOICE

Industry forecasting indicates continued

economic uncertainty in the US and globally,

but from a North American forestry perspective,

we are more confident in the prospect of

growth in 2014 – John Deere

I am pretty sure the situation

in worldwide forestry has

already bottomed out – Rottne


market are always the same height. Whetherit's boom or recession there are constantlydemands for efficiency.

We have a passion for technology and alwayswant to be the first with new technology andnew products. But product development doesnot necessarily mean great leaps in technology.Equally important is to develop machines thatcontinually becomes more efficient and canproduce more and more at lower and lowercost.

Komatsu Forest has never had such a highrate of product development. A good example isthe four new forwarders that were launchedover the last one-and-a-half-years. Now manycustomers have focused on the new Komatsu845 forwarder, a versatile machine with highproductivity in most environments.

Our newly designed engine, based on well-proven technology, will be installed in the 845to meet the Tier IV Final emission regulations,which are effective from January 2014.We have also made a majorinvestment in new efficient harvestingheads such as Komatsu C93,KomatsuC144, Komatsu S92 andKomatsu S132.

RI: Rottne Industri is a small companywith consistent financial systems. Wehave our long term plans both fordeveloping our organisation andproduction as well as allocatingcapital for research & development.We are just now building a newbigger office for our design anddevelopment departments with anintegrated workshop/laboratory,which will be ready in March 2014.

We have also started to build a new RottneSchool for training of new operators and ourtechnicians working worldwide, which will beready in the summer of 2014. The Rottne 8-wheel harvester H21D, which we showed as aprototype at Elmia Wood 2013, will be ready fordeliveries during the second half of 2014. Wehave also made different market adaptationsincluding needed equipment for our forwarderprogram, which we will show at the InterforstExhibition in Munich, July 2014.

L: Lucidyne has increased its R&D expendituresin both manpower and materials. It is ourintention to continue our efforts to understandwood fibre better than anyone, offeringscanning systems that take producers to thenext level. Two reasons drive this: • The better fibre can be used, the more profit

our customers realise, with the naturalconsequence that Lucidyne is also kept

healthy• Competition – other suppliers in our business

offer a wide variety of machine centres andmaterial handling equipment along withscanning systems, where we are focusedintentionally on scanning-related equipmentand the control systems surrounding them.We hired PhDs and physics, math, materialscience, electrical, computer science, andmechanical engineers to design opticalsystems, not material processing equipment.This puts us in a unique position to solveproblems related to machine vision and notget diluted with other tasks.

IFI: Have your customers maintained, improvedor decreased spending on new technology?JD: New technology has always been an area offocus for John Deere as our customers continueto be willing to invest in new technology, butonly if it can improve their productivity,efficiency or profitability.

One example is our new option forforwarders – Intelligent Boom Control. This is atechnological milestone and industry first,exclusively available from John Deere. This

intuitive control system can significantlyincrease forwarder productivity while providing

best possible fuel economy andboom lifetime. People have beentalking about this for a very longtime, and a lot of research hasgone into developing IBC. At JohnDeere, our goal is to offer productsand solutions that give ourcustomers the best possibleperformance and productivity.Intelligent solutions and serviceslike IBC are born of a genuinedesire to understand customersbusiness and long term needs.

Other examples are John Deere’sJDLink telematics system, whichgives forestry customers remoteaccess to fleet location, fleet useand diagnostic data. At the basic

level, JDLink can monitor all of the crucialsystems and components of a machine,including fuel use, oil temperature, andhydraulics. This lets our customers see how allof their machines are running, so they canprovide maintenance instructions to theiroperators and technicians. Beyond simplemonitoring, we offer more advanced featuresthat can make machine maintenance andmonitoring even easier. They can help identifypotential maintenance issues so that repairscan be scheduled before problems arise.Dealers can then analyse the data to look forpotential gains in productivity and fuelefficiency. This has allowed customers to bettertrain their operators and to save thousands ofdollars per month in fuel costs.

John Deere also offers software solutions toimprove customers’ ability to manage multiplelogging operations. TimberLink allowscustomers to monitor the performance andcondition of their forest machines at multiplesites from a central or remote office.TimberOffice 5 helps users easily utiliseinformation gained from forestry machines toimprove productivity and efficiency.

The demand for new 3D geometric scanners

for log breakdown and board optimisation

has increased, mainly due to the large number

of existing processing lines that have scanners

with sensors that are no longer supported

and were not replaced during the

past recession – LMI


INDUSTRY VOICE



INDUSTRY VOICE

LMI: Our customers have increased theirspending on new technology. We arefrontrunners in developing and offering new 3Dscanning technology for many industries,especially the wood industry. Our solutions aredesigned to enable our customers to makebetter production decisions and improveautomation processes. LMI’s products offersimple solutions to complex challenges. Thisphilosophy towards our product developmenthas paid off and still continues to expand ourbusiness with existing OEM customers as wellas establishing new OEM relationships.

TC: Tigercat sees its customers constantlypushing the envelope for increasedproductivity, efficiency and ergonomics. This iswhat drives all Tigercat development, whetherit is through incremental improvement orentirely new concepts. As a flexible company,dedicated to the forestry industry, Tigercat is ina relatively strong position to react to thesechanging requirements much more quickly thanother companies operating in the space. Iwould be hard pressed to find anothermanufacturer that can turn a customer’s ideainto working iron as quickly as Tigercat can.

SM: Most of our customers focus on valueadding investments and improve their spendingbehaviour in favour of new technologies.

BI: Our customers are definitely investing innew equipment. There has been some pent-updemand that is beginning to wane, and we feelour customers are more comfortable with thedirection of markets.

KF: Customers are resilient, but when theeconomy recovers, it often does so quickly.Then everyone wants to invest in new machinessimultaneously to improve their operations andprofit. Demand is also slightly different indifferent markets. In new markets it is ademand for technology to increased

mechanisation. In established markets it is ademand for new technologies that makeharvesting more efficient. In that perspective,increased technical reliability is mostimportant. Simply to get high quality.

Forestry machines may probably beconsidered mature products and we believethat the forestry industry's major challenge isprimarily not to take large technicaldevelopment steps. We believe instead that it isimportant to develop products andtechnologies that give customers higher andhigher quality in order to increase the reliabilityof the products. We have comprehensivebusiness understanding and realise thattechnological development that gives easyservice and prompt maintenance are vital tohelp customers efficiently harvest and achievehigher profitability. New technologies, newproducts and new services are alwaysinteresting for customers. Especially in timeswhen profit margins on logging operations aresmall.

An important focus area for us is helping ourcustomers sustain profitable operations. Assuch, a well-established service network issomething we continue to develop everywhereour customers are found. Parallel to this, weinvest heavily in new information andcommunication technology (ICT) to provide ourcustomers with both faster and better supportalongside our continuous efforts to improvespare parts availability, shorten delivery times,and improve service capability. One example ofICT use is MaxiFleet, which visualises alloperations-related forest activity andautomatically sends the reports customersneed to run profitable businesses.

RI: Our Rottne customers are very muchinterested in new technology and we have avery close and good discussion with ourcustomers regarding needed technology. It ishowever noticeable that the requests regardingtechnology are varying a lot between thedifferent markets. Today, forest companies in

some countries moves responsibilities andduties from traditionally their own staff to thecontractor, where there are demands forcommunication, weighing, reporting and otherequipment, which make the machines verysophisticated and expensive. Our customerswant to spend money on new technology, whichprovide gains for the operator, no doubt aboutthat. But for demanded sophistication andincreased duties they also want to becompensated in their logging contracts. Duringthe last few difficult years in the forest industryand still today, the problem is that before thecontractor can spend their money, they need afair and long term logging contract that allowsthem to finance the new machine purchase.

L: Largest benefits are realised fromimplementing new methods to examine thenuances of wood growth and machinedbehaviour. Lucidyne's staff recently developeda sensor that enables our GradeScan system toisolate decayed fibre from fibre that looks like itmight be decayed. Another technology we havefielded generates a three-dimensional pictureof the fibre direction inside a board. We justrecently doubled our resolution to the pointwhere timber break and the tiniest defects canbe consistently identified at production speeds.The more we understand fibre, the betterdecisions we can make for its optimal use.

New technologies are necessary if ourindustry is to continue to evolve. Manufacturerswill be glad to tell you that there is not a largeprofit margin in lumber production. Everypercent of increased volume output with thesame raw material input represents a game-changing bottom-line boost to any mill. Itmakes other valuable capital investmentspossible. It reduces waste and increases carbonuse. The manufacturer stays profitable andkeeps people employed. Yes, our customers areinvesting in our new technologies – what's notto like when doing so can offer so manybenefits? IFI


58 International Forest Industries I DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014

FELLING HEADS

FallingimprovementsThe trend toward greater flexibility through increased

rotation and bunching capabilities has continued into

International Forest Industries’ 2013 Felling Heads review

The Tigercat 5195 bar saw

IFI_PG54_63_Felling heads_02 17/01/2014 12:21 Page 58


Tigercat has made a numberof design enhancements tothe 5702 felling saw aimed

at increasing versatility andperformance in a wider variety offelling conditions. Though the5702 is well known and widelyused throughout the world for bigtimber felling applications, thenext generation 5702 features animproved accumulating armdesign.

The arms are longer with arevised profile to improveaccumulation of small trees,increased accumulating capacityand a reduced incidence ofcrossed trees in the accumulationpocket. For contractors wanting toupgrade older model heads, acomplete set of arms will fit earlierheads using the same link.

Also, in a move to increase

accumulating capacity andperformance, the front saw motorcover, which formerly protrudedinto the accumulating area, is now

a flat cover. This increases theaccumulating area and allowstrees to move into the pocketmore easily.

The left ski and saw housingexit 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 Tigercat 5702 can becounted on for drive-to-tree andtrack feller bunchers. It is weightoptimised and specially designedto control large trees or top heavytrees and, with the latestenhancements, is now better thanin small or mixed diameter stemsbunching applications.

Tigercat 5195 bar saw felling headThe 5195 is a multi-purposedirectional felling head suited tolarge and small trees, shovelling,loading and bucking. Designedwith simplicity and reliability inmind, the valving is simple. Thereis no electrical wiring to the headand no accumulators are required.

Built for big timber andchallenging shovel logging

applications, the heavy-duty reinforced

chassis andgrapple arms arematched to thehigh productivity

and high duty cycleof Tigercat carriers.

The dual-cylinder armdesign with a flow divider

provides the operator maximumcontrol and superior grip of largetrees and bunches of smallertimber and excellent pickingperformance.

With high torque continuous

rotation, the operator commandsexcellent positioning control forfelling and shovelling. Hoserouting through the rotator isclean and fully guarded. The tiltcylinders are protected within tiltframe and cushioned with stoplimiting.

The saw unit is robust andsimple. Bar and chain changes arequick and easy. The saw cylinderis located above the saw bar andwell protected with a clean hoserouting. Bar visibility and serviceFaccess is outstanding. The largecapacity 1,225 mm (45 in) saw baris very durable for big woodapplications.

The chain is 19 mm pitch 11Hchain for maximum performancewith a manual or optionalautomatic chain tensioner and apowerful 60 cc high pressurepiston saw motor.

The standard installationpackage for Tigercat carriersprovides customisable in-cab headcontrol with adjustable tilt,grapple and saw functions thatcan be optimised to suit theoperator and application. The barcan be set for automatic ormanual return.

Bunching headimprovementsTigercat has been an industryleader in the development ofbunching saws and shears fornearly two decades. The companyhas recently developed a newbunching saw for track fellerbunchers, the 5300.

This head is particularly wellsuited to track feller bunchers insouthern hemisphere plantations.

In addition, the 1800 and 2000series shears have been furtherenhanced. Notable improvementsinclude relocating theaccumulating pocket to the righthand side, thereby improvingvisibility for track feller buncheroperators, more bunching capacityfor the 1800, quicker cycles for the2000 and tapered roller bearingsin the shear pivot of both models.

For over 25 years, Gilbert’sforestry division has specialised inthe design 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.

3000L Series felling headsThe 3000L Series felling heads arewell known for their exceptionalaccumulation. Gilbertmanufactures a 22, 24 and 28cutting size model, all equippedwith a 350° high rotation wrist,

It saves so much time

by reducing swing and

travel cycles which

will extend the

undercarriage lifetime

of the feller buncher

– Alex Gravel, Gilbert

The 3022L saves time by reducing swing and travel cycles, which willextend the undercarriage lifetime of the feller buncher

• Massive 1,320 mm (52 in) throat opening to easily accommodate buttflare. Especially advantageous on slopes and in swamp applications

• 585 mm single cut capacity

• Three wrist options: 30°, 110°, 340° rotation

• Recessed saw blade reduces throw angle and deflects chipsdownward, decreasing saw recovery time

• Capacity to accumulate and store approximately 8-10, 15 cm (6 in)diameter trees

• 2,625 kg (5,790 lb) base weight (without compromising structuralintegrity)

• Wrist is positioned in the centre of the grab arms for improved controlof large trees

• Heavy-duty guarding throughout.

The 5702 at a glance

The Tigercat5000 bunchingsaw on 860Cfeller buncher

FELLING HEADS


one of the most recognised in theindustry. With its new biomasstype accumulator arms and widerthroat opening, these head can beused in any application.

“Their innovative geometryallows an accumulation of more

trees 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 and

final cut applications.

Key features• Unique and exclusive saw stops

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

• Unique bolted saw drive systemfor 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.

350° high rotation wristGilbert high rotation wrists havebecome a standard in the industry.Gilbert has been promoting thisfeature since the early 90s. Thepowerful 350° 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 twomodels: S1 and V2. The V2 is amore compact version and isadapted to fit smaller heads whilethe S1 model is well suited for 600mm and 700 mm (24 in and 28 in)size head with superior torquestrong enough to handle any sizeof timber. These wrists can beretrofit and are compatible withmost felling heads on the market.

“The high rotation wrist wouldbe the first feature I wouldconsider to add if my head wasnot equipped with it in order toincrease my productivity,” thecompany stated.

High rotation wrist features• Two hydraulic motors on a 6-1

gear ration give a powerful 350°rotation

• Hoses go in the centre of therotator gear for better protection

• Heavy duty ball bearings rotategear.

For tree-length logging,Caterpillar Forest Products offersthe HF201B and HF221 centre postfelling heads which feature a one-piece saw disc with 57.2 mm (2.25in) of kerf. The replaceable sawteeth are available in both


FELLING HEADS

3022L 3024L 3028L

Cutting capacity 546 mm 597 mm 706 mm

Accumulating area 0.43 m2 0.47 m2 0.59 m2

Maximum front opening 1,461 mm 1,499 mm 1,578 mm

Weight

High rotation wrist (350°) 2,955 kg 3,431 kg 3,773 kg

Rotation wrist (40°) 2,636 kg 3,182 kg 3,545 kg

Saw blade 1,346 mm 1,422 mm 1,676 mm

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

Model S1 V2

Weight 864 kg 647 kg

Rotation 350° 350°

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

Dimensions

Height 984 mm 851 mm

Width 1,181 mm 1,130 mm

Depth 724 mm 662 mm

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

The Gilbert 3022L

The Cat 522B fitted with a HF201B head

Though the 5702 is well known and widely used

throughout the world for big timber felling

applications, the next generation 5702 features

an improved accumulating arm design – Tigercat



FELLING HEADS

hardened steel and carbideoptions. The one-piece sawdisc, as compared to asegmented design, improvessaw recovery time. Bothheads are available in partialand full lateral tiltconfigurations.

The HF201B is designed formulti-stem applications andwill cut trees as large as 572mm (22.5 in). This head isideally matched with the CatB Series zero tail swing trackfeller bunchers and performswell in many applications,including plantation thinningand final cut. The HF201Buses the sameproven tapered sawshaft and bearingdesign used inother Cat heads.This design hassealed upper andlower bearingchambers that areindividuallylubricated andvented.

A new top yoke design andquick arm speeds give theoperator excellent treecontrol. The arms arecontrolled through a singlecylinder and link design,which gives them speed andsaves energy. Cylinders arecushioned on both the headand rod ends to increase thelife of the components. TheHF201B also features an opensaw base to reduce debrisbuild up and saw stalling.

With a cutting capacity of620 mm (24.4 in), the HF221on the larger Cat Series 2 fulltail swing track feller

bunchers is a powerful systemin larger trees. Four cylinderson the grab and accumulatearms provide strength andholding power. Trees are keptstraight and organised as thehead is accumulating trees.

The SH-56B high capacitybunching saw, SC-57 centrepost saw and SS-56 fellingsaw are designed for Catwheel feller bunchers. At theheart of each saw attachmentis Caterpillar’s field-provenand patented tapered sawshaft and bearing design. Thetapered shaft supports thecontinual shock loads created

in high cycle applications.Sealed upper and lowerbearing chambers areindividually lubricated andvented from the bottom up.

The SH-56B excels atcutting and handling highvolumes of small stems,mixed stems and large singlestems up to 53.3 cm (21 in).The saw features Caterpillar’spatented Strait Grip bunchingfinger, which keeps bunchestightly compressed andstraight, providing excellentproductivity in thinningapplications. The SH-56B canalso handle single andmultiple large stems. The load

is carried inside the lift armsfor superior balance, and theno-pinch-point tower preventsstems from getting caught inthe pocket, as is the case withother high capacity bunchingsaws.

The SC-57 is designed forlarge single stems up to 57.6cm (22.7 in). It also bunchesmedium and small stems,making it a versatile saw forthinning through finalharvesting. The gatheringarms and tower work togetherto grip and tightly hold largesingle stems and smaller stembunches for better control. A

single cylinderand link controlthe left andright sidegathering armsand bunchingfingerssimultaneously,improvingspeed andholding power.

The SS-56 is a highlyversatile saw speciallydesigned for harvesting largetimber. It features a single cutcapacity of 56 cm (22 in),along with small stemaccumulation. For harvestinglarger diameter trees, the SS-56 features the industry’s onlyside cut door, a uniquesolution for harvesting treesup to 76 cm (30 in) from asingle side on either flat oradverse terrain.

Komatsu’s family of purpose-built XT-series track fellerbunchers, fitted with thedurable Komatsu XA233-2 barsaw, delivers superiormultifunction performanceand achieves high-productionin the most demanding offorest environments.

The XA233-2 bar sawadapts to nearly any carrierand provides big-treedirectional felling capabilities.The dependable unit is anideal attachment for cuttingand handling high valuehardwoods. Komatsu hasmade engineering

Matching the attachment to a carrier

model and the felling job is vitally

important – Komatsu


www.indexator.se

refinements and standardisedmany components in this time-tested and highly proven headdesign.

The head is designed to ideallywork with track carriers in the 20-30 t range. The XA233-2 is ruggedyet lightweight (1,240 kg), whichmakes it very easy to manoeuvre.Its compact frame provides theoperator with excellent visibility to

the tree. The highly productive saw unit

is fitted with a 19 mm chain andprovides fast cutting cycles. Theunit has a standard cuttingcapacity of 711 mm (28 in).Automatic chain lubrication andtensioning system improvescutting performance and reducesmaintenance time. The grapplearms hold the stem tightly to

control trees and there is anoptional accumulator.

The XA233-2 can harveststanding and storm-damagedtimber. There is an optional 30°lateral tilt capability (15° left, 15Cat 522B-HF201B right) to allowgreater head positioning. There isalso an optional hydraulic divertervalve to operate either theaccumulator or lateral tilt utilising

oil flow from the top clamp arms. Matching the attachment to a

carrier model and the felling job isvitally important. Customersexperience a greater return ontheir investment by knowing andunderstanding the limitations oftheir base machine in relation tothe cutting attachment.Performance efficiencies andproduct life can decrease whenfelling timber beyond the machineand cutting attachmentspecifications. In recognition ofthis, Komatsu offers five boomand arm options and ninehydraulic configurations on its XTseries of track feller bunchers tomatch a variety felling orprocessing attachments fromother OEM head manufacturers.

The felling head is one of the mostvital components affecting awheeled feller buncher’s efficiencyand 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 the


FELLING HEADS

The Komatsu XA233-2 barsaw delivers superiormultifunction performance



FELLING HEADS

highly 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 single

stems 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 motorand 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 theFD55 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 opposite

the pocket also allows for easymaintenance.

The ABAB felling head 252 is thelatest machine in the ABAB-familyand is an improvement on thepopular ABAB felling head 251. Ithas several strong new features,like a steadier body and fasterhydraulics.

“With our unique operatingsystem, you manage grapple,cutting and accumulating pushingonly one button,” themanufacturer said. “This makesthe machine very easy to handle.The new hydraulic manifold hasbigger valves and higher oil flowmaking the machine very fast –cutting speed 0.6 seconds – withmaintained precision.”

The strong cutting knife makesit possible to cut very low stumps,regardless of the terrain, making ita suitable machine for effectivethinning, clearing, and accessproviding jobs. The ABAB 252 fitsmiddle sized or small harvestersor excavators. IFI


www.prolenc.com

Owned by Daniel Hermosilla, KBM Chilewas established in March 1994 in LosAngeles, Chile. Initially, the company’s

focus was silviculture and site preparation. In2001, KBM expanded into harvestingeucalyptus. Since then, the company has grownto 90 employees and specialises in infieldchipping. Three chippers are deployed full timein infield operations, each headed by anoperations manager whom in Hermosilla’swords “owns” the system, operating accordingto a budget and guidelines.

Hermosilla sees a lot of advantage in his

organisational structure. “There is no chain ofcommand to work through compared to whenwe had one operations manager. The flattenedthe structure provides better accountability. Itcosts more in salary expenses but in the longrun it is better,” he asserts. “Problems getsolved very quickly and the manager worksdirectly with the client 99% of the time right upto the contract manager.”

In total, KBM operates seven systems. Thefourth system is stationed at a mill, chipping 7m shortwood because the mill was havingissues with high bark content using its own

system. The other three systems operate on apart time basis as required at each of the infieldoperations. When extended maintenance orrepairs must be performed, the back-upchippers go into production, thereby securing aminimum volume for KBM’s clients.

KBM operates two different types of chippingsystems. The older Peterson-Pacific units withthe flail and chipping functions integrated intoone unit produce around 70 t/hour and canload a truck in as little as 20 minutes.

The newer and higher capacity system isbased around a Peterson-Pacific flail and

Chippingin Chile

KBM owner Daniel Hermosilla talks about the equipment

and human resources required to produce chips in Chile


chipper combination that is best suited to largertrees and higher production. This chipper has acapacity of approximately 120 tonnes per hour.But the higher capacity means that the chipper ismore sensitive to workflow issues. “It is thirteenminutes to load a truck, so if a truck is tenminutes late, it is a big deal,” commentsHermosilla.

Many of the plantations that KBM harvests aretypically eighteen-years old with 1,000 – 1, 100trees per hectare. There is currently a lot ofChilean plantation wood in this age range with

average piece size as high as 0.85 m3. It is in thiswood – beyond optimal single grip harvestinghead size – that the large chipper is deployed.The bunchers end up losing production onaccount of the necessity for double cuts.Hermosilla figures that KBM will be in this size ofwood for five or six years. Then the rotation willfall back to a more optimal 14-15 years. Thesmaller chipper works in plantations of 650 m3

per hectare and in some cases the system canproduce 80 tonnes per hour in ideal conditions.

Hermosilla keeps a close eye on chip van load

times. It tells him a lot about the overall efficiency of his operation and he measures thisin three ways: total load time, stopwatch timingthat takes machine stoppages into account andhour meter load time which Hermosilla explains,is basically the total hour meter time for the shiftdivided by the number of loads.

Also important to KBM’s tracking system are the iPads that are installed in the chippers. “We are quite modern in that sense,” saysHermosilla. Ironically KBM first tried industrial computers


These high capacity chipping systems are very sensitive to workflow issues and Hermosilla collects detailed production data to manage and optimise the flow of wood. A 630D can pull enough trees to fill a chip van in as little as two drags


but they wouldn’t stand up to thetough operating environment. “Sowe thought, let’s try an iPad thatis $1,000 cheaper. We wrote ourown software and interface todownload the informationwirelessly to the mobile office.Then it is synced with thedatabase in the main office.”

Using the iPads, the chipperoperators must account for all

work stoppages and have anumber of pause codes availableto choose from. The feller buncherand skidder operators input theirdata into the industrial computerin the mobile office once per shiftand later the information issynced to the main office. “Wecan use the data to improve thenumbers by analysing thedifferent properties such as the

operator, type of wood, the terrainconditions or machine issues. It isbasically a management tool thatties into fuel consumption aswell.”

Of the many facets of KBM’soperations, Hermosillaemphasises the importance ofhuman resource management.Problems related to people mustbe solved very quickly and that is

where KBM’s managementstructure shines. The operationsmanager is empowered to solveproblems without workingthrough a chain of command andthis rapid response keeps theoperators happy. Retaining goodoperators and keeping turnover toa minimum has a measurablepositive effect on production,machine lifespan and safety.

Peterson 7900EL and 6300 debarking rig in Chile

“In general there is a shortage ofoperators,” explains Hermosilla.“We hire and train from scratch.Our system for training was notgreat but recently we have beenfocusing on it and it is improving.Now we have training proceduresin place and [we teach] if/thenscenarios for every conceivablevariable or issue that the operatormay face.”

Although operators are notresponsible for daily maintenance,they must be involved and arerequired to perform visualinspections, check fluid levels andgenerally must get to know themachines. “But we don’t want toforce them to do maintenancetasks and we do have a separatemaintenance crew,” addsHermosilla.

The initial training period for abrand new operator is three

months. Hermosilla explains thatit takes one and a half years to getto the 80% effectiveness mark andsix to seven years to approach100% effectiveness. As a matter ofnecessity, operators are trained onthe job. While they may beproductive after a short time on aneasy site, if any type ofcomplication is added, suddenlythe wood flow slows down.Learning how to respond tosudden challenges andcomplications makes a goodoperator and this is why theif/then scenarios are so important.

Hermosilla also explains thatless experienced operators aredefinitely harder on the machines.“They have a hard time with pacewhen it is hot and we seeincreased incidence ofoverheating. It is sort of a turtleand hare thing and you can

compare an experienced operatorto the turtle. The new operatorsimply cannot adapt as well fromsite to site and cannot deal withchange. Thankfully we have lots ofseven-year operators now.”

Hermosilla has observed overthe years that when he hiresexperienced operators, theyalmost seem to fit in too well.“They tend to go with the flow anddon’t optimize the machine andminimize the hours. Even thoughthey might be able to work fasterand produce more in a givennumber of machine hours, theyadjust their own pace to thegeneral flow of the operation. Thishas the effect of dragging thingsout and makes it difficult toimprove the productivity of thesystem.

Standard practice has been torun the machines to 30,000 hours.

“Our conditions are easier thansay, Canada,” says Hermosilla.“We find the older machines to beequally productive when they areworking but the downtimeincreases and skidders tend to getbeat up the most.” Hermosillakeeps back-up machines in case ofextended downtime and has beenconsidering reducing the lifecycleto 16,000 hours to keepavailability rates up whilepreserving a high resale value.

Operations manager, MichaelDurruty, took us to a couple ofjobsites, first to see an 860C fellerbuncher opening up a new stand,then to see the extraction andinfield chipping. Durruty explainsthat the 860C opens the stand byfirst cutting the perimeter. Even ona dead flat site where wheel fellerbunchers will perform the felling,it is much more efficient to cut the

The Tigercat 860C cutting eighteen yearold eucalyptus. While track fellerbunchers always open new stands, whenconditions permit, KBM deploys lowercost wheel feller bunchers


Hermosilla says that this timber hasgrown beyond optimal size but thecompany has adapted to it and heexpects to be chipping these olderstands for the next four to five years

The skidder operators build up the main trails with brush to combat wet soil and to soften

the impact of the stumps

perimeter with a track machinebecause it can swing around tothrow the trees behind as itcreates the corridor. In the largeeucalyptus, production rates areabout 250 trees/h.

If the terrain is favourable, adrive-to-tree feller buncher isdeployed to cut the rows. Normalproduction in the rows is 300 treesper hour. In the right terrainconditions, a wheel buncherproduces the same as a trackbuncher, so rubber tyre bunchersare used whenever possible. Thefeller bunchers generally workahead of the rest of the system.How far ahead depends on manyfactors. The most significant isrelated to the optimal drying periodbefore debarking, says Durruty.

Durruty took us to a second sitewhere the chipper and skiddershad just moved in. A single

skidder opens the site initially,pulling the bunches that are veryclose to the deck. Once this woodis consumed and the congestionabates, the second skidder startsup and the two machines alternatebetween long and short skids tokeep the correct volume of woodin front of the chipper. Bark isreturned to the cut block and usedto form a road or mat upon whichthe skidders travel. This isespecially important in muddysites and in rocky terrain wherethe feller buncher cuts slightlyhigher stumps to preserve toothlife. The thick brush layer softensthe effects of the stumps on theskidders and operators. In verylarge wood, KBM’s 630D skidderscan fill a chip van with two 15 tdrags and the 620Ds accomplishthe same with three 10 t pulls.

Hermosilla first recalls seeing

Tigercat machines back in 1998 atthe Atlanta equipment expo. “Iwas with my Canadian partner andthe name stuck in my head. At thetime I was doing site prep with a[Deere] 748.” Then in 2000 asHermosilla was contemplating hismove into the harvestingbusiness, he began researchingmachinery and looked up Tigercaton the internet. “Tigercat lookedlike an interesting brand. I likedthe concept and idea.”

The same year Hermosillatraveled to both Canada and thesouthern US and saw Tigercatmachines working in bothcountries. “I was up in ThunderBay and had the opportunity totalk to a Tigercat dealer salesman.Then I went to the southern USand saw [drive-to-tree] fellerbunchers. Everyone said how goodthey were. I got good information

from operators and owners and Iliked what they said.” At thatpoint, Hermosilla decided Tigercatwas the brand for him.

Upon his returned to Chile,Hermosilla contacted the newlyminted Tigercat dealer, LatinEquipment with an alreadyformulated list of equipmentrequirements. At the time Tigercatwas virtually unknown in Chile butthat didn’t deter Hermosilla. “Iwas not always one to follow thecrowd. It depends on if I agreewith the crowd or not. I don’t try tobe different but I will if I think it isa better way to go. They certainlywere not the cheapest. Overall Iam very satisfied.” This article originally appeared inthe November, 2013 issue ofBetween the Branches, the officialpublication of Tigercat Industries Inc.

IFI



Bandit Industries now offersa Card Breaker System forhand-fed and whole tree

drum-style chippers. The CardBreaker works similar to ascreening system, restrictingoversized material from exiting themachine. The system is optionalfor most Bandit drum-stylechippers, creating an even higherquality wood chip that is wellsuited for use in expandingbiomass energy markets.

“Chips of relatively uniform sizeand shape are much preferred foruse in biomass fuel woodapplications,” said Jason Morey,Bandit Industries sales manager.“By creating a better chip, our

customers can have a betterproduct to sell on the biomassfuel market.”

Bandit’s Card Breaker doesn’tsubtract from Bandit chippers’legendary throwing power – infact, it benefits from it. Chipsleave the drum at an incrediblespeed, with larger sized chipshitting the Card Breaker installedin the discharge. This breaks thechips down further, resulting in amore uniform chip ready forbiofuel applications. The CardBreaker System functions withoutthe need for additional chipaccelerating devices, and overallmachine production is unaffected.

At the most basic level, wood

chips are being used in biomassboilers to produce both heat andpower. These facilities can rangein size from large regional powerplants to small, single-homeheating systems. Outside thisscope, several companies areconverting wood chips into a

petroleum product that couldone day be a commercially viablealternative to fossil fuels. Allaround the globe, people areturning to wood chips to eithersupplement energy production, orto outright replace it. The result isan industry that is rapidlyexpanding.

Many professionals using hand-fed chippers aren’t selling chips

for biomass use. Just theopposite; they often have to payto dispose of their chips.

“Bandit is already a leaderwhen it comes to quality anduniformity of its chips,” saidChristopher Smith, BanditIndustries marketing andcommunications director. “With our Card Breaker System,producers can make a higherquality product that can open upnew revenue streams. Instead ofpaying to dump their chips, theycould be getting paid for avaluable end product.”


The hugely successful 880 loggerhas a new junior companion. The875 logger is a 36,000 kg carrierwith two boom options for loadingor processing applications. It isequipped with the new TigercatFPT 6.7 L Tier 4i engine, producing210 kW (282 hp). Designed forextremely fuel efficient operation,the 875 is equipped with variablespeed cooling and Tigercat'sunique closed loop energyrecovery swing system.

The twin swing drive systemprovides powerful swing torqueand reduced gear tooth loads forexcellent performance andreliability in demanding processingapplications. The new F7-150heavy duty forestry undercarriageprovides a stable base ofoperations, improving performanceand operator comfort.

The operator's cabin is veryspacious with excellent all-aroundvisibility. Floor windows provide aclear view of the tracks. Theengine compartment is open andspacious. Access to daily servicepoints is very convenient andmajor components are readilyaccessible. The engine andhydraulic components areshielded and compartmentalised.

The Tigercat FPT engine seriesTigercat FPT engines meet Tier 4emission levels without the needfor variable geometryturbochargers, an EGR system, ahigher capacity cooling system, anintake throttle body or a diesel

particulate filter. Furthermore, theengine series offers improvedreliability and lower long-termmaintenance costs. The key is theselective catalyst reduction (SCR)which converts the harmfulcomponents of the exhaust gasstream into water, nitrogen, and

carbon dioxide. The biggestbenefit for Tigercat machineowners is that the FPT engineseries is fully supported byTigercat, including all parts,service, warranty and technicalsupport.

www.tigercat.com

Bandit Card Breaker System available for drum-style chippers

Tigercat launches 875 logger

CUTTING EDGE

IFI_PG70_71_Cutting Edge_01 17/01/2014 13:00 Page 70

The Lampe & Malphrus LumberCompany has always been anearly adopter of new technology,but held off when it came toautomated grading and did notinstall a scanning system whenfirst available. The company nowbelieves that the technology andcapability of grading machineshas come of age and purchased aLucidyne GradeScan system for itsmill in Smithfield, North Carolina.

The scanner is scheduled forinstallation in late January 2014and is expected to improve grade-

out making it easier to followchanges in the market. The Lampe& Malphrus design calls forGradeScan to be installed in onebuilding after the planer, then thescanned boards will cross over toa second building where thetrimmer and sorter reside. The millwill take advantage of Lucidyne’sTrue-Q technology to identifyboards, and not have to rely onpaint or ink systems to mark thelumber in case they get mixed up.Lucidyne now has this patentedtechnology working successfully

in several mills.Lucidyne Technologies is based

in Corvallis, Oregon, and hasprovided the wood productsindustry with trimmer/sorter

control systems, ColorScan grademark readers and scanning andoptimisation systems since itsfounding in 1985.www.lucidyne.com

Peterson has released thenew 5710D horizontalgrinder, powered by a Tier

4i Caterpillar C27 1050hp engine. At 88,500 pounds (40,150 kg)

the 5710D was designed foroperations that require frequentmoves between jobs without aspecial permit. An optionaltransportation dolly allows thePeterson 5710D to be easilymoved, and then setup foroperation within minutes.

With a feed opening of 60 x 40inches (152 x 102 mm) combinedwith Peterson’s high lift feed roll;

the 5710D can readily reduce awide range of material including stumps.

The 5710D utilises Peterson’sImpact Release System that canbe set in the detent mode toprovide consistent product sizingor switched to the floating anvilmode for a primary reductionwhere accurate sizing is lesscritical. The floating anvil modeprovides a high productionprimary reduction with moreprotection from contaminatedfeedstocks and reduced fuelconsumption.

The units new generation ofcontrols includes Peterson’s highproduction Adaptive ControlSystem and a fully adjustable feedsystem that can be optimised for awide range of materials.

It also features a large gratearea that enables it to producematerials to exact specifications.The quick-change multiple gratesystem makes it easy to customisegrate configurations to produce awide variety of finished materials.Grates are removed through anenlarged access door it’s side wall.

Another major innovationincluded on the 5710D isPeterson’s Impact CushionSystem. Urethane cushions allowmovement of the compressionroll/anvil housing pivot shaft,cushioning impacts due tocontaminants 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.



CUTTING EDGE

Lampe & Malphrus automates grading process with Lucidyne’s True-Q technology

Peterson introduces the 5710D horizontal grinder

IFI_PG70_71_Cutting Edge_01 17/01/2014 13:00 Page 71

Bandit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7


Barko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

www.barko.com

CLEANFIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

www.cleanfix.org

EWD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F/C – IBC

www.ewd.de

Fecon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

www.fecon.com

Halco Software Systems . . . . . . . . 45

www.halcosoftware.com

Holtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

www.holtec.de

Indexator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

www.indexator.se

John Deere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

www.deere.com/forestry

Jeffrey Rader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

www.terrasource.com

Komptech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

www.komptech.com

Lucidyne Technologies Inc . . . . . . . 15

www.lucidyne.com

Microtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23www.microtec.eu

Morbark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29www.morbark.com

MTU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11www.mtu-online.com

Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFCwww.petersoncorp.com

Prolenc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63www.prolenc.com

Serra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18www.serra-sawmill.com

Soderhamn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21www.se-saws.com

Tamtron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8www.tamtron.fi

Tigercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3www.tigercat.com

USNR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBCwww.usnr.com

Ventura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35www.venturamaq.com

Vermeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25www.vermeer.com

Wood-Mizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17www.woodmizer.com


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 OFFICES ADVERTISERS INDEX

2014 IFI SHOW DIRECTORYMAY 21 – 23, 2014Mogi Guaçu | São Paulo State, Brazil

Join us at Expo Forest 2014

IFI_PG72_ADV INDEX_02 21/01/2014 11:32 Page 1

IFI WEB VIDEO DIRECTORY

FORESTRY

Can Your Tractor Do This in 10 mins?

FTX148L Forestry Mulcher - Mulching Machine - Fecon - Bull Hog

Fecon, Inc FTX600

RTC22/500-8 - Pine Trees

Introducing Fecon’s all-new “FTX 128L High Performance” forestry mulcher! Visit http://fecon.com or call 1-800-528-3113 for more information. This 128 horsepower mulching machine was designed and built from the ground up right here at our Lebanon, Ohio, USA factory to deliver the highest performance and greatest fuel efficiency in its class.

Attached to a Fecon FTX148 Mulching Machine, the Bull Hog Forestry Mulcher is perfect for clearing trees and brush. Bull Hog attachments excel at clearing right-of-way, lines of site, invasive species and fire breaks as well as many other in Forest applications.

You will find unmatched versatility, power, and durability from the FeconFTX 148 Mulching Machine. Jobs normally requiring 2 or 3 pieces of equipment can now be completed with just one due to the machines’ high versatility and rate of production.

The FTX600 is Fecon’s flagship tractor. This tractor brings the best combination of cutting performance, track power, ground pressure and serviceability in the 600hp class of mulching machines.

Fecon’s® RTC22 is a purpose built mobile chipping system like no other. This dedicated carrier is specifically designed for chipper weight, center of gravity, and serviceability. The high mobility of the RTC22 is welcomed on remote jobsites that could be hard to get to with other vehicles. With a top speed of 12 miles per hour, the RTC22 is three times faster to the job.

www.fecon.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpiCPKL8hBI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9R-2e5LjH0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARNqZvG2XKc&list=PLuzMwWELZ1qrxnFIjaerMcyf1qBu3t077

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVygSS7i3kA

Bandit visits R.J. Nathe & Sons

Bandit Model 2400 XP (24” Disc-Style) Whole Tree Chipper

Parker Kligerman visits Bandit 2013

Revolution Cutter Wheel

Bandit visits R.J. Nathe & Sons on a job site near Ocala, Florida to see how their Bandit Whole Tree Chipper Model 3590 is working for them.

Operations looking for a high production chipper with a large chipping capacity should take a look at the Model 2400. The Model 2400 is designed for those land clearing operations whose main goal is production, and those loggers looking to produce a high quality, dimensional chip. Like the Model 1900, the 2400 features a five feed wheel system that gives this unit unmatched crushing and pulling power. To aid in this capability, the 2400 features a Caterpillar or Cummins 700 horsepower engine.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Parker Kligerman visits Bandit Industries and gets behind the wheel of a few other machines.

The Bandit Revolution stump grinder cutter wheel is now standard issue for all new Bandit stump grinders, and it’s available as a retrofit for older machines. Don’t have a Bandit stump grinder? No problem—this amazing wheel is also available for a wide range of other stump grinder makes and models so you too can be part of the Revolution.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97imp_Ul-lk&list=UU-WJxJAcN9f-xy4dE2pzXJQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hVuJ7CJslU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7VSs5WeJmk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sSfv8gL-Ag&feature=c4-overview&list=UU-WJxJAcN9f-xy4dE2pzXJQ

848H Skidder

Road Map to Success 2013 John Deere 843K Feller buncher at Forestry First 05-02-13

King of the Hills

With industry-leading axles, super sturdy frames, and innovative options like dual-mode steering, the H-Series skidders continue John Deere’s unwavering dedication to being the leader in the woods.

Fleet management systems have put Mid Atlantic Tree Harvesters “on the map”.

This 2013 model Deere 843K is working in Pine Plantation. We filmed this cutter working on a second thinning job where the stems are 6 inches or so average, many less. This feller buncher is very impressive. The owner has been pleased with fuel consumption and the speed and power of this feller buncher is more than adequate in his thinning and logging operations. The operators are also making positive comments about the cab interior which has recently been much improved. The old steering column is gone and it opens everything up in terms of visibility and space for your legs. If you have not sat in one of these you should do yourself a favour and hop into one.

Neiman Enterprises has emerged to become the leading forest products company in the Black Hills region.

www.deere.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlDXqPESPsE&list=PL22341581BEB62DFF&index=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_jhj09RntA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUxeAYuhwAPAsSP7Gtfeml0g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VImHxzLK9KM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPTtj7BdoC8&feature=c4-overview&list=UUxeAYuhwAPAsSP7Gtfeml0g

6600 Track Wood Hog

Morbark, Inc. I Make America

Morbark 5048 Drum Chipper

3200 Wood Hog Demo Days May 2013

Morbark 6600 Track Wood Hog. Footage taken at the 2013 Morbark Demo Days.

Morbark 5048 Drum Chipper equipped with a 10 knife Advantage 3 drum and a Cat C-27 1050hp diesel engine. Footage taken at the 2013 Morbark Demo Days.

Aimed at wood and green waste recycling applications, the Morbark 3200 Wood Hog is a compact and aggressive unit. A smaller, lighter, and more affordable unit with all of the benefits of our larger grinders, the 3200 can handle green waste, regrind, sawmill residue, pallets, and logs up to 14” in diameter ease. Available as a tracked unit for greater mobility or with electric power, the 3200 can be built with Morbark’s most popular options.

www.morbark.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFBzCPlp-Xk&feature=c4-overview&list=UU_JNRFmksmaTi5-Y4wAKRyQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSgRCP2IaOA&feature=c4-overview&list=UU_JNRFmksmaTi5-Y4wAKRyQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyGI4g50ajQ&feature=c4-overview&list=UU_JNRFmksmaTi5-Y4wAKRyQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olu1BXE6urw&feature=c4-overview&list=UU_JNRFmksmaTi5-Y4wAKRyQ

4300B Drum Chipper Making Micro Chips

6700B Mid-Speed Grinder

s5710C horizontal grinder with Terra Select S6 E Star Screen

5710C Pallet Grinding

The new Peterson 4300B drum chipper has been updated for 2014 with new features that high-volume biomass chippers demand. The 4300B can be equipped with either a 6-pocket (to make standard biomass chips) or 12-pocket (to make microchips) drum depending on your material needs.

This Peterson 6700B horizontal grinder is equipped with our new Mid-Speed C&D package, and is doing primary grind in surplus railroad ties. The second grinder (a Peterson 4710B) is processing the material to meet the product spec which is being used for energy production.

The Mid-Speed C&D package is designed for highly contaminated material and features several new innovations that have not been seen on high-speed horizontal grinders before. This operation is seeing consistent 300+ tons per hour of production in this material.

A Peterson 5710C horizontal grinder feeds ground wood pallets into a Terra-Select S6-E star screen. The three fraction Terra Select S6-E sorts the ground material into fines, accepts and overs. Both machines are ideal for processing mulch, compost, or other organic material.

This Peterson 5710C horizontal grinder is grinding pallets for mulch production in Indiana. The machine uses a cross belt magnet to pull the nails from the material (watch for a follow-up video on this process soon!)

The 5710C is Peterson’s latest generation of high production track grinders. Powered by the Caterpillar C27 or C32 engine at 1050 horsepower, this grinder provides the highest power to weight ratio of any Peterson grinder. At approximately 83,000 pounds (37650 kg) the 5710C was designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qAK2093wjg&list=UUABVD_K-rF7YhqS-6Hyrs9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ORRdkWHuxg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUABVD_K-rF7YhqS-6Hyrs9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2my7y4sMLWs&feature=c4-overview&list=UUABVD_K-rF7YhqS-6Hyrs9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQjcfhMQqtw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUABVD_K-rF7YhqS-6Hyrs9g

Tigercat TH575 mixed stand in Nova Scotia

880 logger in Pacific northwest Bull Creek: LH822C

KBM, Chile: Infield chipping

Tigercat TH575 harvesting head on a Tigercat H855C carrier in a mixed stand in Nova Scotia. E&R Langille Contracting Ltd. owns four TH575 heads. The company cites long-term durability and multi-stemming capability as primary advantages. E&R Langille’s original TH575 was purchased in 2007 and has over 21,000 operating hours.

The Tigercat 880 logger in a high production shovel logging (hoe chucking) application in western Washington.

Montana-based Bull Creek Forestry operating a new Tigercat LH822C harvester in a selective felling application. Get the full story in the July 2013 issue of Between the Branches.

KBM, Chile infield eucalyptus chipping operation featuring a Tigercat 860C feller buncher, two Tigercat 630D skidders and a Peterson-Pacific flail/chipper. Get the full story in Between the Branches, November 2013. BTB is available online, by subscription or at your local Tigercat dealer.

www.tigercat.com

http://youtu.be/QXsJdda1bpo

http://youtu.be/AzqU0PquJtI

http://youtu.be/jSn6tTgsyAU

http://youtu.be/QWmzyCesePQ

IFI WEB VIDEO DIRECTORY

LUMBER PROCESSING

USNR’s Integrated Log Loader is positioned at the last step in the log feeder, and precisely manages the gap between logs.

This mill is located in Ireland.

MyMill is a new software suite developed by USNR that enables mill personnel to interact with mill equipment using mobile devices, such as iPads and iPods. This new mobile functionality will change the landscape of today’s modern mills.

This new 6-deck jet veneer dryer, located at Martco, Chopin, LA, is the largest dryer to date in the southern yellow pine region. This dryer will accomplish the equivalent production of two dryers, reducing labor costs by one-half. At the same time it will reduce thermal energy consumption by 10%, and exhaust fugitive emissions by 15%.

The dryer was erected off-line, and once complete it was towed into place and connected to all services under a projected expedited schedule. This allowed Martco the advantage of choosing the optimum time to disrupt its production schedule to install the additional capacity, and allowed the plant to utilize the existing building structure to house the new dryer.

Integrated Log Loader

Murray Timber 4-sided canting log breakdown line

MyMill™ - Changing the way you work

6-Deck Jet Veneer Dryer - time lapse construction

www.usnr.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quK6lOYeFk0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT2jC7aSyVg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p73QOSZ4LOs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raPMrh9czEc

The importance of cant positioning is often overlooked. Only one infeed position will result in maximum product value. Deviation from this position will result in lower output. With a True Shape optimization system the best position is accurately determined.

Söderhamn Eriksson´s bandsaws offer the highest accuracy, very thin kerf, short built-in length, easy to set and efficient curve sawing of cants.

- High-strain bandsaws with high accuracy at highest feed speed

- Saw kerf 3 mm or less- Reducer band saw combinations with 2,3 or 4 bands- Resaw combinations with 1 to 4 saw bands- Feed speeds up to 180 m/min

Söderhamn Eriksson´s positioning system ensures the correct rotating position is maintained and carries out the side positioning which is calculated by the optimising system.

Söderhamn Eriksson´s edging systems with high capacity and maximum yield generates the most valuable product out of each board.

- Systems for all capacity requirements- Highest capacity on the market- Designs for unmanned operation- High resolution scanning on both sides of the board- Unlimited edging options- Split and reject modules

Sweep reducing

Bandsawing technology

Log positioning

System Edger - versatile and reliable edger optimizer

www.se-saws.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeoW2oTmhBk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLG__k0pAzQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9mBvKjtqj8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD6Ffxg5uLc

M3Scan

CT.LOG and Viscan.XL - Full value optimisation

ViScan-Plus

MiCROTEC CTLOG Virtual Grading

Inline Moisture Meter:- Determines accurately moisture content of lumber- Works in lineal and in transversal transport- Measures contactless and independently of environmental influences and conveyor speed

- Sorts automatically lumber based on individual quality parameters

- Fits in any production line- Features open interface standards for transparent data exchange- Enables easy and intuitive control on touchscreen

Published on Oct 4, 2012Highspeed Computer Tomography (2m/s)For Stems and LogsDiameter up to 650mmDigital stem and log descriptionContinuous, qualitative and 3D log reconstructionVirtual breakdown and gradingValue optimisation

First class Strength (Stress) Grading integrated with inline density meter:- Determines accurately and reliably MOE/MOR of lumber- Grades lumber non-destructively, optically and independently of interfering ambient conditions such as noise- Works at a repeat accuracy of over 99 % - Grades at your production pace in transversal transport- Is a worldwide accredited stress grading solution- Maximizes recovery in combination with other MiCROTEC systems, such as GOLDENEYE

- Complies already to the main grading standards

Full digital stem and log description3D analysis of wood defectsvirtual breakdownvirtual gradingvalue optimisation

www.microtec.eu/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYqq4Y4p2Nk&list=UUEvLr2VEc96r_eyGtn0JeaQ&feature=share&index=3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiae4HtwKhw&list=UUEvLr2VEc96r_eyGtn0JeaQ&feature=share&index=7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oA6vrxxgso&list=UUEvLr2VEc96r_eyGtn0JeaQ&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txj3t7mEHB0&feature=share&list=UUEvLr2VEc96r_eyGtn0JeaQ&index=8

Industrial Sawmill Business Spotlight - Ohio Valley Veneer

WM4000 ENG

SLP2 at LIGNA

WM1000 with new hydraulic system

For six years, Ed Robbins struggled to make his high grade lumber mill profitable. Finally he turned to Wood-Mizer industrial thin-kerf headrigs and his employees thought he was crazy... See what happened in the video.

WM4000 – Wood-Mizer’s latest thin-kerf headrig.

Wood-Mizer debuts the SLP2 (Small Log Processing system) at Ligna 2013, in Hanover. Thin-kerf blades and higher automation result in a profitable combination.

WM1000 – Break down big logs accurately and efficiently with a 1.7 metre (67”) center capacity cut.

www.woodmizer.com

http://youtu.be/GVrmkMDvbx8

http://youtu.be/GQa48WIOIVA

http://youtu.be/YMrLhVWts0Y

http://youtu.be/EMHuKphn29U

EWD ad dec_jan 2014_Layout 1 17/01/2014 12:48 Page 1

www.ewd.de

USNR ad dec_jan2014_Layout 1 17/01/2014 09:43 Page 1

www.usnr.com

International Forest Industries Magazine Dec 2013 - January 2014 Digital Version with Video

Documents

Transcript of International Forest Industries Magazine Dec 2013 - January 2014 Digital Version with Video