Event Tigers and other beasts in the woods A new-generation of forest owners is emerging focused on managing their assets for more than a capital return on investment. As important is how forest operations are done. That was clear among visitors and exhibitors at this year’s SkogsElmia in Sweden. attracting 314 exhibitors and over 26 000 visitors from Europe the focus of this three-day in the woods demo-show is on the Nordic forestry market with its own specific conditions. These include the high proportion of private forest operations, the high degree of mechanisation and the intensive silviculture with multiple thinnings. Forwarders, hybrids and trailers A number of “world” premieres were had. For instance Austrian company Pewag GmbH launched its new-generation forest machine tracks, whereas Finnish harvesting machinery manufacturer Sampo Rosenlew unveiled the FR28, its first ever forwarder. – Our harvester customers have been asking for a forwarder for years as it’s simpler and more efficient to have everything from the same manufacturer, said Harri Uusi-Rauva, Marketing Manager with Sampo Rosenlew adding the show has generated a lot of interest. Finnish compatriot Kesla presented its C860, an electric hybrid truck-mounted chipper which has been undergoing testing. 52 Bioenergy International No 81, 5-2015 A hybrid mini-forwarder was launched by another Swedish company, Woodtiger AB. The load space is dimensioned for pulpwood in lengths of up to 5 m and capacity is about 2.5 m³. – Woodtiger is a professional forwarder for the DIY forest owner on a larger scale. On road the forwarder functions like a normal tractor and can be driven at 30 kilometres per hour, said Åke Johansson, designer and owner of Woodtiger AB. The six-wheeled Woodtiger GJ30 has dual transmission, all-wheel hydrostatic drive for offroad and mechanical drive of the front pair only for on-road. – The engineering design is simple, which reduces costs. Mechanical transmission also cuts on-road fuel consumption significantly without the risk of overheating and means the forwarder can be used for other tasks, said Johansson, the man behind Kranman AB, a sensation with a hydraulic crane for ATVs in 2001. – This year’s fair was a trend break. Forest owners are demanding that the big forest companies and their subcontractors use gentler methods to reduce ground damage and other environmental impacts, remarked Magnus Wallin, Founder and Business Development Manager of Malwa AB, one of a growing number of manufacturers of small forest machines for professional use. Malwa presented a forwarder and trailer concept that increases total forwarding capacity to nine tonnes. The idea is not new, it was launched several years ago by the well-known Swedish forestry figure, Jan Eriksson, the man behind Skogs-Jan harvesters, but it didn’t gain market traction back then. – About 70 percent of our sales are to professional contractors, our machines are seen as a complement to the existing machinery fleet. With the trailer concept we are closing in on the established players in terms of capacity, Wallin noted. On the topic of truck trailers American CBI, now Terex, launched a European road specification, truck-trailer mounted, 765 hp Magnum Force 5400 Multiflex, a 140 tonne per hour capacity grinder with the ability to rotate both the infeed and radial discharge in both directions. “American strength combined with European trailer expertise” as frontman Anders Ragnarsson described it. The crane is mounted on the truck itself and the rear wheels can also be moved by remote control, which reduces the turning radius and makes it easier to drive the entire rig in the forest. This means trailer can stay in one place and grind all the material from both sides of the road in one go without having to turn the unit. – There’s a spirit of drive and ambition in the forestry world that spurs innovation. SkogsElmia is a fantastic source of knowledge ‘on tap’, with products, services and expertise at one and the same spot. All you have to do is walk around and listen, and you realise that this is a big social and professional event for many people, commented Torbjörn Johnsen, Project Manager, SkogsElmia aptly summing up what it is all about. Text & photos: Bioenergy International BI81/4882/AS CBI demostrating its truck-trailer mounted, 765 hp Magnum Force 5400 Multiflex, a 140 tonne per hour capacity grinder.
Bioenergy no 5 September 2015
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