InEnglish - Komatsu Forest

Transcription

I N T E R N AT I O N A L M A G A Z IMAGAZINE
NE
No 4 • 2 0 0 5
INTERNATIONAL
New opportunities in Finland
Three Finnish contractors report
how new trends are giving them a
chance to grow in new directions.
Page 11
3x.3
Production boost
When contractor Tomas Samuelsson bought a Valmet 941 his productivity received a real boost.
Page 32
Three new
forwarders
READ MORE
Tougher emission limits .......... 16
Action-filled snow ................... 20
Used machines in focus ......... 31
Jari Alahuhtala ......................... 35
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Just Forest Survey
Thanks for an
extraordinary year
I
’d like to end 2005 by thanking
the customers who bought Valmet
machines and increased our market share and sales volumes. I’d also like
to thank all my colleagues, our employees, and our suppliers for their part in our
success. Komatsu Forest produced a very
good financial result for 2005.
This encourages us and confirms that
we are going the right way to reach our
mutual future goal, which is to provide
our customers with even more productive
machines and high quality service. We
do, however, need to receive more customer feedback about our products.
In our work to prepare for the future
we’ve initiated a project to improve production efficiency at the Umeå plant. The
aim is to increase production capacity by
doubling the production volume, halving the production lead-time from order
to delivery, and improving product quality by engaging independent inspection
teams.
This work has already begun and will
be finalized in the early part of 2006. We
hope to start a similar project at the Shawano plant in 2006. As well as improving our production facilities and production layout, we will of course continue
to focus on overall quality improvement.
The special quality assurance department
we established in 2004 is starting to show
results. Feedback from our dealers and
customers provides very positive signals
of improved quality.
As you are probably already aware, we
are obliged to further improve our environmental performance in order to fulfill
the Tier III regulations in many parts of
the world. We are working hard to introduce all products with Tier III engines
and these introductions will begin in the
new year.
In this issue you can also read about
Valmet’s new .3 (point 3) series of forwarders. These forwarders feature a new
cab interior to provide an even more comfortable and efficient workplace. Some
models have new stronger booms and
new Tier III engines. I hope you will find
this news a good indication of the future
Komatsu Forest.
Let’s hope to see a continued positive
trend in 2006 and I hope you’ll visit the
plant in Sweden and be amazed by the
changes we’ve made. r
CONTENTS
Three new forwarders
4
The operator in focus
6
New forwarder cabs
7
Contractors seize opportunity
11
Bigger is better
12
Many helping hands
14
Like father like son
15
Tougher emission limits
for diesel engines
16
The Web – an important resource 18
Hideki Yamada
Chief Executive
Officer,
Komatsu Forest AB
Action-filled snow
20
Damp, steep, and grueling
24
After rain comes sun
26
New improved hoses
28
Used machines in focus
31
Distinct profile for ProSelect
34
Jari’s expansive market
35
Local plantations secure
raw material
36
INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
Publisher: Roland Lundqvist
[email protected]
Editor: Anders Pauser
[email protected]
Address: Just Forest, Komatsu Forest AB, Box
7124, SE-907 04 Umeå, Sweden
Contact: Telephone +46 90 70 93 00,
fax +46 90 19 16 52
Internet: www.komatsuforest.com
Production: AB Nordreportern
Writers: Gunnar Andersson, Anders Pauser
Photographers: Gunnar Andersson,
Anders Pauser
Layout and design: Fredrik Lundell
Printing: Tryckeri City, Umeå, Sweden
Paper: Gotic Silk 130 gram
Circulation: 33,000
Languages: Swedish, Finnish, English, German,
French, and Portuguese
Contents may be quoted if source is stated
komatsuforest.com
JUST FOREST NO 4 • 2005
3
840.3 860.3 890.3 840
New models
840.3
Three new
Three new forwarders lift forwarding to new heights. Packed with new
features, the Valmet 840, 860, and 890
will take forwarding to the next level
of development and to be launched in
new models.
4
V
almet forwarders
are considered a relatively mature product group that is
already highly developed – the
basic machine systems, the
bunks, and the booms. Komatsu Forest, though, continuously pushes development, and of
course machine improvement
in terms of technology and
operator-machine interaction is
a never-ending process.
THREE OF VALMET’S for-
warders, the Valmet 840, the
Valmet 860, and the Valmet
890, have now been upgraded with so many new features
and improvements that as of
the new year the models will be
designated the 840.3, the 860.3,
and the 890.3 respectively.
“One of the main consid-
0.3 860.3 890.3 840.3
860.3
890.3
dot threes
erations while developing the
new forwarders was to keep
the focus on the operator,” says
Ola Boström, head of product
development at Komatsu Forest. “As the technical side of
the forwarders is well evolved,
it’s of interest to provide operators with conditions that enable
them to perform as effectively
as possible.”
The most noticeable
improvements can be seen in
the cab. The brief given to the
designers and technicians was
to find ways to improve operator comfort and the field of
view. These goals have been
achieved though measures such
as making the trim panels in
the cab more compact and giving them a lower profile.
“These important improvements directly impact the oper-
ator’s ability to increase productivity,” explains Ola Boström.
ALL THREE forwarder mod-
els have also been made easier
to maneuver. The steering and
control system keypad layouts,
for example, have been adjusted to require fewer operator
hand movements. More technical aspects of the forwarders have also been developed.
Valmet LoadFlex, with features
such as production reports with
load volumes and weights, is
now available for all three forwarders. The Valmet 840.3 and
the Valmet 860.3 are equipped
with longer booms with greater lifting capacity, and the
860.3 and the 890.3 have new
Tier 3-certified engines providing increased torque and better
exhaust emission control.r
5
840.3 860.3 890.3 840
New models
The operator
in focus
Skilled operators are
important to forwarder productivity. Being
able to perform well
demands the right work
environment. That’s why
the cab was of central
concern when developing Valmet’s new
forwarders.
A
6
ll contractors want competent operators because operator performance is directly
coupled to forwarder productivity. Just
as important is providing the operator
with the conditions necessary to doing
a good job. In Valmet’s new forwarder series the most noticeable improvements are in the cab, all to ease the
operator’s workload.
THE CAB ENVIRONMENT has been
improved in many areas. The inside,
for instance, is roomier. And this was
achieved not by increasing the outer
dimensions, but by making the internal surfaces more compact. The optimized inner dimensions make more
space for important optional extras.
Visibility is another significant
improvement, and one of great importance to operators. The panels are lower profile and new sunshades are integrated with the panels.
EFFICIENT maneuvering is anoth-
er important aspect for operators. In
the new forwarders control panel button placement is improved. Frequently
used buttons are more accessible. The
result is more efficient maneuvering
and fewer hand movements. All buttons used to navigate menus are now
found on the right keypad to speed
navigation. r
0.3 860.3 890.3 840.3
New cab details
Fuses
Sunshades
THE NEW sunshades are integrated with the lower profile panels.
This improves visibility.
A HATCH makes it easier to check
or replace fuses.
Keypads
Storage space
A SPECIALLY DESIGNED space
for an A4 printer, a practical bin-
der rack, ceiling nets, and a firstaid kit holder.
FREQUENTLY USED buttons
are more accessible.
Floor mats
IT’S now possible to opt for removable floor mats, making it easier
to keep the cab clean.
Hot and cold
NEW OPTIONAL EXTRAS such
as a lunchbox heater and a drink
cooler.
7
840.3 860.3 890.3 840
New models
Longer
and stronger
The boom is an extension of the operator’s arm. In Valmet’s new forwarders the booms have been made longer,
stronger, and more reliable.
B
oth the Valmet 840.3
and the Valmet 860.3
have been fitted with
longer booms. This means
reach is increased to 25.6 feet
with the telescopic boom and
31.5 feet with the combi boom.
Even the moment of force on
the new, longer booms has
increased; from 92 to 106 kNm
on the Valmet 840.3 and from
105 kNm to 115 kNm on the
Valmet 860.3. The slewing
torque has also been increased.
Boom maneuvering has
been improved through the
addition of a limit damper to
the telescopic arm. The result is
smoother and more comfortable
boom maneuvering.
840.3
•
•
•
•
More efficient maneuvering
Faster menu navigation
More stable engine speed
Easy access button for quick windshield cleaning
• Coolant level monitoring
• Production reports with weights
and volumes
• Warning sensor for ladder
• Specially designed space for printer
• New routine for unloading
• Simpler assortment registration
• More flexible differential settings
• Tier 3
• Better exhaust emission control
• Increased torque
• New hydrostatic pump
• New hydraulic tank design
• Electronic limit damping on steering
• Easier lubrication
• Improved outer boom and lift
cylinders
Engine Other
Other
• New hydrostatic pump
• Valmet LoadFlex can be used
• New hydraulic tank design
• Electronic limit damping on steering
Longer reach
Increased lifting force
Greater slewing torque
Easier lubrication
Improved hose routing
Improved outer boom and lift cylinders
• Larger boom valve
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Steering and control
system
Easy access button for quick windshield cleaning
and volumes
• Specially designed space for printer
Steering and control Engine Other
system
Steering and control
system
8
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
890.3
Boom
Longer reach
Increased lifting force
Greater slewing torque
Easier lubrication
Improved hose routing
Improved outer boom
and lift cylinders
Larger interior
Betteroperator environment
Better operator environment
Removable floor mats (optional)
New storage spaces
Easy access fuses
Low profile panels and new spaces
for additional equipment
lift cylinders help increase reliability. To further increase reliability, the number of lubrication
points has been reduced and
centralized on all new forwarder
models, which simplifies maintenance and servicing. r
Cab
Boom
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Boom
Larger interior
Improved storage
Easy access fuses
Low profile panels and new space
for additional equipment
860.3
Cab
Cab
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
On the Valmet 840.3 and
the Valmet 860.3 efficiency has been increased through
improved hose routing, both
between the machine and the
boom and on the boom in general. Improved outer boom and
Larger interior
Improved storage
Easy access fuses
Low profile panels and new
space for additional equipment
•
•
•
•
Easy access button for quick
windshield cleaning
and volumes
• Specially designed space for
printer
• Tier 3
• Better exhaust emission control
• Increased torque
• Electronic limit damping
on steering
FLEXIBILITY
paves way for robots
A low and wide
bunk with broad
dividing stakes
increases forwarding versatility.
This is shown in a
study conducted
by Skogsforsk, the
Swedish research
foundation. The
results pave the way
for robot-assisted
unloading.
F
orwarders with low,
wide bunks and dividing
stakes, such as the Valmet 890 with Valmet LoadFlex,
allow for more flexible forwarding. What’s more, with dividing
stakes several different sorts can
be loaded together yet remain
separated. The low, wide bunk
even enables the forwarder to be
driven faster through the forest.
THE SWEDISH research foun-
dation Skogforsk has conducted a study to analyze how long
it takes to unload single sort
loads, mixed loads with dividing
stakes, and mixed loads without dividing stakes. The study
shows that it takes as much time
to unload single sort loads as
it does mixed loads with dividing stakes. Mixed loads without dividing stakes take the long-
A possible bunk solution suited to robot-assisted unloading using a
center bunk section that automatically rises to provide the grapple
with access to the timber. Once the center section is empty, the
grapple can access the side sections.
est time.
According to Skogforsk, this
opens the possibility to optimize forwarding. The total forwarding time can be reduced
if one forwards single sort
loads in dense stands and two
or three sort loads in thinner
stands. The bunk is fully loaded
sooner in this way.
MOST interesting, perhaps, is
that the results, according to
Skogforsk, indicate that unloading can be automated when
boom tip control by machine
becomes possible. A robot will
be able to unload an unmanned
shuttle or the machine’s regular control system could help the
operator unload with increased
automation.
The Skogforsk study was
conducted under Swedish forestry conditions. The study
assumes that the time to unload
an average forwarder load is
about one-third of the total forwarding cycle. One possible way
to make forwarding more efficient and economical would be
the use of an unmanned shuttle unloaded by a robotic boom.
Researchers at Skogforsk say
that the study results indicate
that such a robot could unload a
bunk as quickly as a skilled forwarder operator.
ACCORDING TO the research-
ers’ proposed model, the robot
would unload the center bunk
section first. If the section is
automatically raised a little, to
free the sides, the grapple can
easily grab a timber bundle.
Each time a bundle is unloaded, the bunk section would be
raised until empty. This process also frees the side bunk sections for unloading. r
9
Valmet ProSelect – accessories and consumables
for professional forestry machines
With ProSelect we’re placing a strong focus on producing accessories and consumables for professional
forestry machines. The product range is based on a selection of items of the highest quality designed for
Valmet and other brands of professional forestry machinery.
The range will be expanded gradually based on customer demand.
komatsuforest.com
There’s a clear trend in Finland for forestry companies to outsource an
increasingly wider range of tasks to contractors. This means greater
responsibility for contractors, but also new opportunities. Just Forest
met a few Finnish contractors that have taken the opportunity
to develop their companies, albeit in slightly different directions.
Contractors seize
new opportunities
11
BIGGER
is better
Simo Kuittinen fulfils customer demands. This means he now has around
25 forestry machines and some 50 employees working in both the Finnish
and international markets.
T
he trend in Finland is for forestry companies to outsource increasingly more aspects of their harvesting work. Today Simo Kuittinen’s contracting company takes
care of everything from harvest
planning to delivering the right
timber to the mill on time.
“The only real questions
remaining are when are we to
take over purchasing and when
will the mills open their doors
and allow us to freely deliver
timber,” says Simo.
THE COMPANY’S main cus-
tomer in Finland is the forestry company Metsäliitto. Simo’s company, Koneurakointi S. Kuittinen Oy, mainly gets assignments in northern Karelia and Savolax, eastern Finland. Larger assignments in this region have enabled the company to grow and
grow. The company is now one
of the dominant players and an
important local employer.
Simo started operating
his father’s forestry machine
already at the age of 15. In 1974
he became his father’s business
partner and since 1980 he’s
been the sole owner of the company. Operations grew slowly
in the 1980s. At the end of the
1980s Simo had eight forestry
machines. At the beginning of
the 1990s he invested in trucks
to transport the machines. In
1997 he took another major step
with his first overseas assignment, in the Czech Republic.
“I’ve simply gone along with
the growing demand for our
services,” explains Simo. “It’s
the customers that develop the
company.”
After the trial assignment in
the Czech Republic, Germany
became his major overseas market. It was really just chance
that led him into the international market.
“One of my operators had
been in Germany and told
me about the demand there,”
recalls Simo. “So we went to
Simo Kuittinen predicts a bright future for forestry machine contractors. He believes that in the future Finnish contractors will broaden
their offerings, taking over increasingly more links in the chain from
forest to mill, thereby becoming total suppliers.
12
Simo can plan harvesting assignments from the office. The computer system is fully integrated with
forestry company Metsäliitto’s
system.
Machine transportation is an important aspect of harvest planning. Here a forwarder has
just arrived for transportation to the next assignment.
Germany with a single forwarder; now we have five there.”
Since then his machines
have also worked in Sweden,
most recently after the severe
storm that hit much of southern Sweden at the beginning
of the year. Simo says that the
risks involved in working internationally are relatively small.
“When I started out in Germany, it was only for unknown
customers, and they were often
small too. Now it’s most often
large, well-known customers
that also provide repeat business,” he explains. “We usually
sign six-month contracts.”
MOST assignments are for for-
warding, but he’d like to see
operations develop to involve
harvesting too. At present Simo
only has Finnish machine operators working on his overseas
assignments, but he’d like to
find talented local operators.
A major advantage of working internationally is the
increased security for the company.
“At home we have relatively
few potential customers.”
Simo’s company also has
trucks for timber transports.
When the forestry company Metsäliitto wanted to wind
down its transport operations,
Simo took the opportunity to
take over some of the work.
“Customers want total solutions – it’s that simple. Someone to take care of the entire
chain,” he explains.
This desire has also led to
Simo’s company integrating its
computer system with the forestry company’s, which means
Simo takes care of all planning
and logistics for the harvest-
In eastern Finland harvesting in the archipelago
is an everyday job. Here’s one of contractor
Esa Majoinen’s harvesters on its way back to the
mainland.
ing work. The system contains
information about the objects
the forestry company has
acquired and the mill’s needs.
This information is used to
plan and prioritize work on the
various harvesting objects.
aration, planting, clearing, and
thinning. In the long term, I
think contractors will even take
care of forest acquisitions.” r
SIMO says that profitability is
limited for contractors working
under the current system used
in the forestry industry. He
believes the future lies in finding new directions for growth.
“At the moment, our harvesting assignments outside
Finland are on the increase,” he
says. “This past year we’ve been
operating three two-machine
systems in Sweden, and our
intention is to become a more
complete supplier. In the
future, for example, we might
offer more forest management
services, such as ground prep-
Info
Koneurakointi S.
Kuittinen Oy
• About 50 employees.
• 10 harvesters, 13 forwarders,
five trucks, and two tugboats.
• 500 harvesting contracts a
year.
• Average cutblock: 25,000 cubic feet (700 cubic meters).
• Total annual harvest: 16
to 17.5 million cubic feet
(450,000 to 500,000 cubic
meters).
• Also harvest in archipelago
and transport timber by sea.
13
Many helping hands
The forestry
company wanted
to concentrate its
collaboration to one
major partner in the
region. Contractor
Jari Myller decided
to subcontract other
suppliers to be
able to handle the
harvesting volume.
I
n eastern Finland it’s
already quite common
for forestry companies
to want to collaborate
with companies that can cope
with harvesting large forest areas. Jari Myller has only a small
forestry machine contracting
company, called Koneurakointi, with just three machines.
But together with two subcontractors he can harvest a large
part of the forests in the region,
which encompasses three
municipal districts in Finnish
Karelia.
“Of course, I could have chosen to develop my own company, but it felt more natural to
make use of the existing knowledge held by other companies in
the region,” says Jari.
He believes the system with
a primary contractor and subcontractors benefits all forestry contractors in the region.
If harvesting volumes should
drop during a particular period,
splitting the work between different contractors will be easier.
“I feel it’s my duty to give
my subcontractors work, so that
everyone has the opportunity to
survive economically,” explains
Jari.
JARI ONLY has assignments
from the forestry company UPM. At present, he harvests about 4.6 million cubic
feet (130,000 cubic meters) a
year, of which 2.5 million cubic
feet (70,000 cubic meters) is
Contractor Jari Myller chose an alternative path when harvesting volumes
increased. He has a relatively small
business, so he works with subcontractors to meet demand.
14
final harvesting while the rest
is thinning. The trend, however, is for harvesting volumes to
be concentrated to fewer contractors.
“I have a two-year contract with UPM with about
six months left to run,” he
explains. “Sometimes I wish
the contract was longer; I’d feel
more secure expanding my
business.”
JARI THINKS it natural to
consider expanding operations when the next contract is
signed. Either in terms of larger harvesting volumes or by
broadening his service offering.
Although this need not mean
that his company will expand
significantly. Instead he’d like
to further develop the organization by engaging more subcontractors.
“Even if I’d gain a slightly
better position in relation to the
forestry company by becoming
a larger collaborative partner,
it’s difficult to increase profitability. That requires reduced
costs through optimization and
improvements in harvest planning,” explains Jari. “And we
mustn’t forget that the type of
harvesting blocks allocated by
the forestry company’s buyers is
also a decisive profitability factor.” r
Info
Koneurakointi
• Jari Myller’s company Koneurakointi has two harvesters and a forwarder, which together employ five operators.
• The two subcontractors have
four machines between them:
a harvester, two forwarders,
and a combi.
• The contract with UPM includes harvesting and transporting the timber to the main
road, but not to the mill.
Esa Majoinen’s company Metsä Majoinen is a family business that truly involves the whole family. His three sons, Timo, Sami, and Niko, all work for
the company and will eventually take over when Esa decides to slow down.
Like father like son
New machines and a new airy machine shop. Forestry machine
contractor Esa Majoinen has made some major investments in recent
years to cope with increased harvesting volumes.
W
hether you
have a large
business of
your own or are
a small player in a network, at
some point the business must
be passed on to the next generation. If this is the case, do you
dare to invest and grow?
“When you know someone
else wants to continue running
the business, it’s fun to make
new investments as you know
the company will continue to
thrive,” says Esa Majoinen.
Esa Majoinen’s company Metsä Majoinen is a family business
that truly involves the whole
family. His three sons, Timo,
Sami, and Niko, all operate for-
estry machines while his wife
Paula takes care of the administrative and financial side.
“It’s only our 12-year old
daughter Mira that isn’t interested in forestry machines – at
least not yet,” says Esa.
IN RECENT years the com-
pany has developed very well.
Increased harvesting volumes
have led to the company accepting an increasingly large part of
the harvesting assignments in
the region around Rääkkylä and
Tohmajärvi. Forestry company Metsäliitto is by far the Esa’s
largest customer. So far Esa has
chosen to keep the harvesting
work under his direct supervi-
sion and allowed the company
to grow. With three harvesters
and two forwarders the company employs five to six full-time
employees and a number of
part-timers.
“With rapidly increasing
costs it’s increasingly difficult
to cover overheads, so eventually we may have to develop the
company in a different direction,” explains Esa.
THERE’S NO DOUBT that at all
three sons want to work for the
company and eventually take it
over. Having grown up with it
they’ve also had the opportunity to grow into it.
“It’s a great advantage as
there are no courses to prepare
you for life as a contractor,” says
Esa and laughs.
HE’S PLEASED his sons want
to take over the operation when
it’s time. This will begin with
them becoming partners and
stockholders in the company.
As a business-owner he recommends his boys enter the industry, but as a father he says he
sometimes wonders whether
it’s a wise choice.
“It’s almost a way of life, and
this company has been my life
project, but I won’t try to sway
them, only support them. They
have to be able to do things
their way,” Esa ends. r
15
The harmful emission limits for forestry machine diesel engines are
to be tightened in several stages leading up to 2014. EU guidelines
require significant reductions in nitric oxide, hydrocarbon, and
particle emissions.
N
O
I
S
S
S
I
T
N
EMIREME es
n
U
i
g
Q
n
e
E
l
e
R
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e
i
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To
I
n the EU guidelines
issued about a year ago,
the requirements for forestry machines with
engines in the 172 to 302 hp
class will be tightened in three
stages, Tier 3, 4, and 5, leading up to 2014. For engines producing less than 172 hp, the
stricter requirements will fol-
low a year later for the first two
tiers. This means that all Valmet forwarders and harvesters,
with the exception of the smaller Valmet 830 and Valmet 840
forwarders, must have cleaner engines that fulfill the Tier
3 requirements by 2006. The
requirements entail substantially reduced nitric oxide, hydro-
carbon, and particle emissions
compared with current levels.
Carbon monoxide emissions,
on the other hand, are affected
only marginally.
The idea is to make it easier for
manufacturers building machines to serve both the European
and North American markets
without modification.
The introduction of the first
stricter requirements, Tier 3,
will take place on January 1 in
2006 for 172–302 hp engines
and in 2007 for sub-172 hp eng-
ONE LONG-TERM goal of the
tiered transition in engine emissions is harmonization with
North American requirements.
Info
Emission requirements for diesel engines
Tier 3
Emission requirements for diesel engines in off-road vehicles in Europe and the US 20062016.
172–302 hp
2006
Tier 5
NMHC + NOx / PM [g/kWh]
4.0/0.20
< 172 hk
16
Tier 4
2.19/0.025
4.0/0.30
2007
2008
2009
2010
0.59/0.025
3.49/0.025
2011
2012
2013
0.59/0.025
2014
2015
2016
Example
measures
to fulfill
Tier 3:
ines. Engines manufactured
after the introduction of Tier 3
must primarily reduce nitric
oxide and hydrocarbon emissions. The previous limits of
6.0 g/kWh for nitric oxides and
1.0 g/kWh for hydrocarbons
will be combined into a single combined nitric oxide and
hydrocarbon limit of 4.0 g/kWh.
The new regulations will not,
however, apply to engines
manufactured before the introduction of the new limits and
held in stock by the manufacturers. These engines may be sold
for a further two years.
Meeting the Tier 3 engine
requirements mainly demands
improved fuel injection. Tier 3
engines are fitted with a so-called common rail, which provi-
des more accurate fuel injection, as well as with electronic
valves to provide more accurate combustion. The combustion
chambers have been improved, and work is underway with
intercoolers, which provide
increased air density, which in
turn contributes to more complete combustion.
THE ENGINES in Valmet for-
warders and wheeled harvesters are made by Sisu Diesel (formerly Valmet Diesel), a company at the forefront of emissions
reductions. In addition to fitting
the engines with common rail
technology and electronic fuel
injection, the injector pressure
has been increased and oil consumption reduced with tighter
piston rings and improved cylinder liners. One advantage for the
forestry machine industry is that
usually the truck industry must
meet the standards earlier, so
the technology has already been
in use and perfected. One general disadvantage of cleaner emissions is that the engines risk losing power, which must be compensated by increasing power
output to begin with. This risks
increased fuel consumption and
increased carbon dioxide emissions. Another disadvantage is
that engine cost increases as the
technology advances.
THE NEXT STAGE , Tier 4, will
apply to 172–302 hp engines
from 2011 and to sub-172 hp
engines a year later. Exactly
1
High pressure for more
exact fuel injection.
2
Common rail for
smoother fuel injection.
3
Electronic fuel injection,
so-called EEM.
4
Tighter piston rings
with cylinder liners.
5
Intercooler to increase
air flow.
which technology will be used
to meet these requirements is
not yet known, but particle filters will most likely be necessary when the particle limit
is dropped from 0.2 g/kWh
to 0.025 g/kWh. The permitted nitric oxide level will be
2.0 g/kWh and the permitted
hydrocarbon level 0.19 g/kWh.
THE FINAL STAGE , Tier 5, will
be introduced in 2014, with very
strict emission requirements.
The only changed requirement is for nitric oxides, to be
tightened from 2.0 g/kWh to
0.19 g/kWh.
As of 2009, sulfur content
must not exceed 10 ppm, which
will place heavy demands on
fuel manufacturers. r
17
www.komatsuforest.com
– an important channel
It’s online and ready to welcome you.
The Komatsu Forest website is bigger
and easier to use than ever.
A
18
user-friendly and content-rich Group website
for Komatsu Forest is
now available on the Internet.
“The changes we’ve made to
the content and functionality
are quite drastic, and the website now has the same appearance as other marketing materials,” explains Pelle Hjelm,
Chief Information Officer at
Komatsu Forest. “As the website is an important channel for
both information and marketing, it’s important to be consistent.”
bal company,” Pelle continues.
The Group site has more
content. There are many information portals on the Group
webpage, and one of the main
goals is for product and contact
information access to be quick
and easy. This is important
because we have many sales
companies dotted around the
globe and need to accommodate
the many languages of our customers and markets. All product brochures can be viewed or
downloaded as PDF files, for
example.
THE WEBSITE structure is
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
rooted in the Group-wide entry
page, which includes general information about Komatsu
Forest. Under this are nine different market-specific websites,
with market-specific material.
“All the sites have a uniform profile and the same basic
structure, but the content varies
to fit each region – we are a glo-
include quicker distribution of
information within the company and more prominent product, company, and industry
news.
“You can also find both current and back issues of Just Forest,” says Pelle. “And the entire
range of Valmet Shop clothing
and gift items is accessible.” r
TREETALK
China
– opportunity and threat
T
here is usually
enthusiasm for the
great opportunity in China as a forest product market: China is
the 5th largest importer of forest products, and the leading
importer of softwood and hardwood logs, hardwood lumber,
and wood pulp. Over the past
decade, China’s wood product imports have increased
at a 13.8% annual rate, with
imports up by over US$2 billion
between 2002 and 2005.
However, for some countries China’s amazing growth is
more threat than opportunity.
China uses its rapidly increasing log and lumber imports to
produce goods for export, and
now leads the world in wooden
furniture and f looring exports,
and is the 3rd largest plywood
exporter. China is the 2nd largest wood products supplier to
the US, trailing only Canada,
and even in paper products the
US now has a trade deficit with
China!
SO CHINA MAY BE both an
opportunity and a threat to loggers worldwide, depending
on the products and sources
involved. For loggers, it is good
to understand the source of
China’s logs, and how this may
be forced to change.
Bob Flynn
Wood Resources International
Source: Global Trade Atlas
Russia is by far China’s
main softwood log source, and
its dominance is increasing
in 2005. From ’99–’03, Russian sources accounted for
85–90% of China’s softwood
log imports. Russia’s share
increased to 92% in ’04, and
to more than 94% in ’05. This
dominance is not surprising,
given the competitive advantages: imports from border countries pay only 1/2 the VAT (Value Added Tax) of overseas
imports; rail freight is considerably less expensive than ocean
freight and 90% of Russian
logs arrive in China by rail; and
Russian logs more easily meet
Chinese phytosanitary requirements.
In 2004, China imported 14.8 million m3 of softwood
logs from Russia, and estimated ’05 imports are 17.2 million
m3. Will Russian logs continue
to f low into China in such large
quantities? Several factors could
reduce this figure: the Chinese
government has passed regulations reducing the “doublerebate” claimed by Russian log
importers in China; the Russian government discussed raising export tariffs on logs; and
there is considerable discussion
of new mill investments in Russia to replace raw log exports.
However, efforts to encour-
age processing in Russia have
been going on for some time,
yet most new investment in
Siberia and especially the Russian Far East appears to be in
new logging equipment, not
new mills. If new processing
occurs, it will be in mills producing lumber for further processing in China. Thus, it
appears likely that China will
continue to be the route by
which increasing volumes of
Russian timber comes to international markets, a threat to
other countries trying to supply
Japan, the US, and other leading import markets. This may
have an especially pronounced
impact on Scandinavian and
Baltic lumber exports, which
target these markets with similar quality wood.
CHINA IS ALSO the lead-
ing hardwood log importer in
the world, and Russia in 2005
became China’s leading single
hardwood log source. Overall,
Southeast Asia is still China’s
dominant hardwood log source,
providing an estimated 52%
of total ’05 imports, compared
with 25% from Russia. Africa
was an important source, but
its share in China has reduced
to 14% and will decline further. China’s role in hardwood
products is mixed: the country
The author is not employed by
Komatsu Forest and the views expressed are those of the author, not
of Komatsu Forest. The contents
herein have no connection to Komatsu Forest.
is now the leading importer of
hardwood lumber from the US,
providing an important market
for that sector, but China’s furniture and f looring exports to
the US have forced the closure
of many US producers. To the
extent that China processes illegal hardwood logs from Southeast Asia or Russia, and exports
those products to the US, it
could have a negative impact on
loggers in the US.
THE ILLEGAL logging issue is
heating up, and China increasingly finds that customers want
assurances that the products
they buy do not utilize wood
from illegal sources. Chinese
processors have resisted calls
for certification, citing the costs
and perceived lack of customer
concern. But the Chinese adapt
quickly, and if major customers insist on wood from legal
sources, this could shift Chinese
demand for logs and lumber to
countries with more robust logging regulation enforcement. r
19
Full throttle at the Snowcross World Championships. Here Finn Janne Tapio took the lead in the largest class and was crowned World Champion.
Action-filled
snow
Many people want more action
in the snow. This is why snowcross and other snowmobiling
events are attracting increasingly more competitors and spectators. In recent years new events
have challenged the popularity
of snowcross and enduro.
20
Things can get rough in one-on-one tussles in snowcross.
F
or anyone working in forestry with
an interest in motor
sports, snowmobiles
are a practical and fun way to
get around. Considering the
large interest in snowmobiling,
it’s not so surprising that different competitive snowmobiling events are growing in popularity. There are four disciplines
in Scandinavia and a number
of classes up to open, with its
modified machines and engine
sizes in excess of 1000 cc.
The most spectacular events
are snowcross and hill climb,
although enduro and drag racing also attract a great deal of
attention. Hill climb and enduro
competitions are generally only
found in Scandinavia, while
snowcross and drag racing are
big in North America too.
SNOWCROSS is a very tough
competitive event that demands
a high level of physical fitness.
The top competitors are welltrained elite sportsmen. With
extremely modified machines
and 30–50 feet high jumps
stretching up to 130–165 feet
in length, this is an extremely demanding sport. In terms of
physical exertion, a snowcross
competition can be compared to
a skiing sprint race. While each
ski race is two minutes long,
each snowcross heat is twenty
minutes. The top drivers most
often compete professionally.
Janne Tapio, the current world
champion of the largest class,
for example, drives for Lynx.
THE FASTEST growing compet-
itive snowmobiling event today
is hill climb. One of the reasons
is the ease with which spectators can follow all four competing snowmobiles in the separate heats as they wind their
way up the zigzagging course.
These events place heavy
demands on technique and
stretch driver skills to their limits. One advantage of the sport
is that a competition only takes
three hours to complete, even if
there are 120 competitors.
Enduro is the oldest competitive event and originates
from the first type of snowmobiling event, the long distance
race, with the first Scandinavian competition held in 1966.
At that time snowmobiles had
8 horsepower engines and competitions were held over a distance of 50–60 miles. Today
enduro events have replaced
long distance races and an
enduro competition can be likened to a modern rally race,
with a number of special routes
can be very long.
Snowcross jumps
that have to be covered as fast
as possible. Each route covers a
distance of 12–25 miles.
Drag racing is a popular
snowmobiling event that can
even be held in the summer,
on grass or sand. This sport is
most popular in North America
and the world’s largest annual
competition, Haydays, is held in
Minneapolis. This is where the
real monster snowmobiles compete in traveling 500 feet as fast
as possible. The G-force can be
phenomenal, accelerating from
0 to 60 mph in one second. r
21
MAY WE ASK…
…CESAR SANCHEZ,
CEO of Hitraf, Spain
Investment in
increased production
How has business
been the past year?
This has been our best year - for
both new and used machines - since becoming a Valmet dealer in
2002. The machines we´ve sold include several secondhand harvesters 911 and 921, and forwarders
860. The Valmet 911 is the most
popular model and we´ve sold several used examples. We´ve even
sold a number of new forwarders,
mainly 840.2 and 860.1 models.
Why has interest in
Valmet machines
increased?
The introduction of various regulations has made it more difficult for
our customers to find forestry workers for manual harvesting. Such
workers were brought in from Portugal and Eastern Europe. Now our
customers must buy more machines instead.
What does next year
promise?
We’ll probably sell more used machines and slightly fewer new machines. The investment support
that buyers have been able to
claim from the EU will be phased
out, so many will choose to invest less. Increased interest in
biofuel also gives us a lot of faith in
forwarders teamed with the WoodPac bundling system, and we’re
currently discussing such packages
with several customers.
22
Komatsu Forest is
expanding production at the Umeå
plant. The result will
be increased capacity and higher quality. More efficient
production will also
shorten delivery
times.
T
he strong demand for
Komatsu Forest forestry
machines inspired company management to boost production capacity by 30 percent.
“The decision evolved
over time,” explains Production Manager Jonas Jonsson.
“In this context having access
to our owner Komatsu’s production and quality assurance
expertise and experience is a
real advantage. Komatsu has
implemented many projects
similar to the one currently
underway at the Umeå plant.”
THE PRODUCTION facili-
ty reorganization should be
completed in March next year.
Moreover, the entire project will
be implemented alongside fullscale production, which places heavy demands on planning
and preparation.
THE EXPANSION includes
moving over to so-called paced
production with set assembly time intervals. Further, the
number of workf lows will be
reduced in machine production.
The new production method
will include three workf lows.
Head production will move to
another building, with similar
production f low changes.
The paced production of
machines and heads will take
place at a number of workstations, with every task to be carried out at a particular station
being completed within a set
number of hours, after which
the machine is moved to the
next workstation.
“Each workstation will be
associated with a number of
pre-assembly stations,” explains
Jonas. “Sub-assemblies will be
better prepared than previously,
and final assembly will include
fewer quality-assured steps.”
Production is to be support-
ed by a strong quality assurance
group that will test and adjust
machines to further improve
quality.
The opportunities to
improve production quality are
one of the major advantages of
the new structure, according to
Jonas. Quality will be enhanced
in part through improved control over material f lows and
in part through the separate
test group that monitors every machine and performs more
systematic tests than before.
THE NEW INVESTMENT will
halve the build-time and shorten delivery times. Simply put,
the investment will raise production efficiency.
“Another result is that we’ll
be able to build larger harvester heads up to five tons,” says
Jonas.
Jonas only sees advantages
in being able to make an investment such as this. The most
recent major reorganization
took place five years ago and
production needs to be moved
forward in order to meet customer demands for quality and
short delivery times. r
TIPS AND ADVICE
Just Forest plans to use this space to publish practical tips and advice for users of Valmet foresting machines.
The editors are happy to publish any ideas you may have. Please submit any tips or questions to [email protected].
Upgrade for improved trunk grip
TRUNK GRIP CAN NOW be further improved on a Valmet 900 series harvester head by fitting an accumulator to the head’s delimbing knives cylinder. The accumulator kit, available for the Valmet 945.1,
960, and 965 heads, includes a 725 psi (50-bar) accumulator, connectors, and assembly instructions.
Retrofitting the kit provides the head with improved trunk grip and thereby improved length and
diameter measurement. The benefits are achieved because the accumulator provides more even pressure to the knives.
Note, however, that even with the upgrade fitted regular calibration remains important to attaining
the best possible measurement results.
00
G
7
13
A Hydrostat
A Hydrostatic
01
Hydraulic oil cooling
increases service life
7
3
00
2
6
B Hydrostat
B Hydrostatic
30
1
8
A. Agg.retur
A Drain head
25
Till hydraultank
To hydraulic tank
M1
12
A HYDRAULIC OIL COOLING KIT is now available for Valmet
921.1 and 921 (.)C machines manufactured during the period 2002–2003. The kit comprises an oil cooler (without thermostat) and an external thermostat unit that’s the same as the one
on the Valmet 911.3.
The oil cooler is very effective and increases the service life
of the oil considerably. The more stable oil temperature, even
under hot conditions, also reduces wear on components such as
pumps. Great savings can be made.
5
B Kylpump
B Coolant pump
23
Heavy rain has hung over the Norwegian fjord where Roar Sollid operates his Valmet 921 almost every day this past summer and fall.
Damp, steep,
and grueling
Deep in the Norwegian fjord a Valmet 921 is busy harvesting. The terrain
is difficult. “When it’s at its worst, we have to fell by hand before processing,” explains contractor Roar Sollid.
24
Norway
Sunndal
Most of Sollid Skog
AS assignments are
in Sunndal District,
located in County
Möre and Romsdal in
Vestland, Norway.
Since Roar Sollid replaced its old harvester head with a new Valmet
360.1, production has increased considerably, much due to the new
head’s technical efficiency.
T
he sky is heavy and
gray, and despite
being an early September afternoon,
it feels as though darkness has
already begun to fall in the forest. With the steep mountainside behind and the Tingvoll
fjord below, Roar is operating
a Valmet 921 with a new 360.1
head.
“This cutblock will produce
about 90,000 cubic feet. It’s
probably split 50:50 between
pine and spruce and I’d say that
about a quarter will become
pulpwood,” he explains.
The company Sollid Skog
AS is owned by Roar and his
brother Björn Kåre. When they
started their firm in 1987 they
offered manual harvesting,
buying their first machine, a
Valmet 902, in 1991. Now they
have a Valmet 921, a Valmet
860 forwarder, an excavator,
and trucks for transporting the
machines.
THE INVESTMENT in their
first harvester gave the company a real lift. The forestry
industry in the Vestland region
has a long history and is among
the oldest in Norway. Traditionally, forest owners in County Möre and Romsdal are quite
small but very active. On New
Year’s Eve 1992, the area was
hit by a storm, with many forest owners suffering exten-
sive damage to their property.
For Roar and his brother Björn,
however, this meant a great deal
of work.
“There were probably ten or
twelve machine teams at work
in this small region alone,”
Roar recalls.
SOLLID SKOG harvests about
700,000 cubic feet of timber a
year, almost equivalent to the
entire harvest of the Sunndal
district. Most of the timber is
taken by boat, either for export
or to Norwegian pulp mills.
The harvester’s old head was
replaced with a new Valmet
360.1 almost a year ago.
“It’s worked very well, and
I’d probably dare to claim that
we’ve increased our production simply by fitting this new
head,” says Roar.
Technically, the head is
highly efficient and well suited
to the final clearing that Sollid
Skog mostly works with. Roar
points out that the head has
many other advantages as well.
“The Maxi System makes
it really easy to select different
head functions and this helps
increase productivity. Being
able to perform simple tasks
from the cab, such as setting
knife pressure, helps a lot,” he
explains.
The harvesters can’t always
harvest everywhere, however.
Really steep terrain demands
manual felling before the harvester can be used to process
the trunks.
“We even used to use winches to work on steep slopes, but
I no longer think that’s such a
good idea,” Roar reveals. r
25
After rain
comes sun
The sun is shining on Per Inge
Löberg again. A
new forwarder and
a new head have
helped productivity
rise 20 percent.
T
he weather gods haven’t
really favored Norwegian forestry contractors this past late summer and
fall. Almost daily rainfall has
soaked the ground.
“It feels as though this is the
first sunny day since July,” said
Per Inge Löberg when Just Forest visited.
THE NORWEGIAN FORESTS
present local contractors with
pretty difficult terrain in some
places, with ground conditions typical of natural forests
and stretches with precariously
steep slopes.
Per Inge, together with Björn
Vongraven, runs the forestry contractor company Gauldal
Skog AS. Operations are based
in Röros and assignments generally fall within a 60-mile radius of the village. The company
works almost exclusively for a
local forest owners’ association
(Skogsägarföreningen Nord).
Aside from Per Inge, who operates the harvester, and Björn,
who operates a Valmet 860.1 forwarder, the company has one
permanent employee and two
part-timers who work when
needed.
IN JULY the company took
delivery of a new Valmet 941
with a 370 head. After just
300 running hours, Per Inge
can say that productivity has
increased compared to the Valmet 911.1 with 360 head used
Röros
Röros is the center of operations for Gauldal Skog. Röros
is located quite high up in
the Norwegian mountains
and assignments at altitudes
of 2,600–3,300 feet above
sea level are not uncommon.
26
before, even though that combination was highly productive.
“I’d say that I’ve increased my
productivity by at least 20 percent,” says Per Inge.
He feels that the Valmet
941 is well suited to the terrain, which often demands the
boom’s full reach.
“With the 941, you have full
power throughout the reach,”
he says.
STABILITY IS another fac-
tor that Per Inge underlines as
important to being able to use
the full reach. He also praises the cab as being greatly
improved in comparison with
his previous machine, in terms
of both visibility and comfort.
“And now I can take my
lunch box along,” laughs Per
Inge.
In Norway, many harvesting sites are relatively small.
The average for Gauldal Skog
is about 9,000 cubic feet . As
a result, a great deal of time
is spent transporting the
machines on rather poor roads.
Despite this, Gauldal Skog harvests some 1.4 million cubic
feet a year.
“Although we do have to
plan our assignments very carefully, which is time-consuming,” says Per Inge. r
300 running hours is enough for Per Inge Löberg. He can
already say the new Valmet 941 with a 370.1 head has
increased productivity.
Björn Vongraven owns
Gauldals Skog AS together
with Per Inge Löberg. Björn
operates the company’s
forwarder.
27
The new hose on top.
New improve
Higher quality and
improved flexibility. New hydraulic hose standard
provides opportunity for increased
service life and
improved performance.
28
A
s previously reported in Just Forest, the
Valmet 360.2 and
Valmet 370.2 harvester heads have been improved
in many ways, all to make the
heads more productive though
increased performance.
One example is the new hose
routing between the boom tip
and the head, which provides
greater hose protection and
makes them easier to replace.
Another example is the hydraulic hoses between the feed roller
motors and the valve set, which
have also been rerouted to minimize the risk of breakage and
to slow wear. The hydraulic
system has also been further
improved to increase the service life of the hydraulic motors,
the cylinders, and other components.
Another detail of great
importance to the head’s reliability is the quality of the
hydraulic hoses. Hose failures
are relatively common. About a
fifth of all machine downtime
is caused by hydraulic hose
problems, and more than half
of this downtime is due to hose
NEWS
Logging does not
worsen flooding
The claim that logging
contributes to flood
disasters is a myth,
according to a report from the
UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. The report
shows that forests do not provide protection during extreme
flooding, such as in conjunction
with Hurricane Stan in Central
America. Critics have previously
claimed that trees can absorb
large quantities of water and
help drain surplus water more
quickly. The report also disputes the claim that forestlands
in lowland river areas function
like a giant sponge and absorb
sufficiently large amounts of
water to prevent floods. The report points out that the number
of floods has not increased
over the past 100 years.
The hose connection points for the feed roller motors have been redesigned to provide maximum protection
to the parts of the hoses most prone to damage.
d hoses
damage at the boom tip.
“The combination of a
new construction method and
improved hose quality dramatically increases overall head reliability,” says Per Hedström,
head of research and development at Komatsu Forest.
Hydraulic hoses are classified according to pressure,
from class one to four. Komatsu
Forest is altering the hose standard for all classes from one,
with the lowest pressure rating,
to four, with the highest pressure rating.
“The new hoses are both
stronger and more f lexible,”
says Per.
The increased flexibility means that the new hydraulic hoses can be curved in a
much smaller arc. Together
with improved wear resistance,
against abrasion, for example,
this reduces the risk of hose
failure and the associated oil
leaks. All components used for
the new hoses are of better quality and the manufacturing process is more reliable. Combined
they provide a good foundation
for increased performance. r
Robin Hood’s forest
preserved
Famous Sherwood
Forest in England,
known to many as
Robin Hood’s home, is to be
made a regional nature reserve.
Work to decide how to implement the protection and conservation work is already underway.
Agreement to prevent illegal logging
Malaysia and Indonesia are taking up
the fight against illegal logging. Both countries have
major problems with trade in
smuggled and illegally logged
timber. The two have now
signed an agreement that requires that Indonesia establish
a number of frontier stations
through which timber exported to Malaysia must pass. Timber that doesn’t pass through a
frontier station will be considered illegal.
How flowers know
when to bloom
It’s taken seventy
years of research,
but scientists now
know how flowers know when it’s
time to bloom. This
discovery may even
prove important to
the forestry industry.
R
The researchers have used
the small model plant
Arabidopsis thaliana in their
research. The findings of Ove
Nilsson’s group show that
these results apply to completely different plants too,
such as aspens.
30
esearchers at the Umeå
Plant Science Center
at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,
SLU, have made a breakthrough
in our understanding of how
plant f lowering is controlled.
An article in the prestigious
international magazine Science
reports how a small molecule
that forms in plant leaves can
be transported to the top of the
growing shoots where it stimulates the formation of f lower
buds. This knowledge will provide new opportunities to control when plants f lower, something of central importance in,
for example, forestry.
“Armed with this knowledge, plant breeders gain new
opportunities to control and
adapt plant f lowering, which
is of great interest within agriculture and which can be of
importance in optimizing forest tree breeding,” says Professor Ove Nilsson, who led
the research group publishing
these pioneering results.
Ove explains that forest tree
breeding lags behind in comparison to agricultural product
breeding.
“Take, for example, corn
and tomatoes and the way they
look now compared to the original species. But when it comes
to trees that aren’t planted, in
principle they look identical to
the trees found in the ice age,”
he says.
THE PROBLEM WITH for-
est tree breeding is that trees
belong to the group of plants
that bloom the latest, and as
breeding is achieved by crossing species, every step of the
breeding process takes a very
long time and as yet no one has
had the perseverance required.
“Now, however, we may be
able to produce tools that can
shorten the tree breeding process by a factor of about twen-
ty,” says Ove.
We’re all very aware of the
fact that different plants bloom
at different times of the year.
It’s extremely important to the
plants’ survival that they bloom
at exactly the right time during
the season to ensure that they
can cross with other individuals
of the same species. The leaves
produce a substance called florigen that is transported to the top
of the growing shoots where it
stimulates flower bud formation.
Now the research group
headed by Professor Nilsson
has identified a messenger molecule formed by a gene, and the
activity of this gene is determined by the length of the
day. When the gene is activated, the messenger molecule is
produced and then transported
to the shoot tips, where it very
effectively stimulates the formation of f lower buds. r
Info
Umeå Plant Science Center
UPSC is a center for experimental plant research and was founded in
1999 in a collaboration between the Department of Forest Genetics
and Plant Physiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
and the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University. UPSC is a
center of excellence and one of Europe’s foremost research environments for plant research. UPSC is the workplace of about 170 people
of 25 different nationalities.
Joerg Dinkelaker is responsible for Valmet’s European center for used machine sales.
Used machines
in focus
Chemnitz
Chemnitz in eastern Germany will be a new European center for
Komatsu Forest GmbH’s used forestry machine sales.
W
ith new machine
sales increasing,
over the next few
years we’ll see an increase
in available used machines,
together with a decrease in
demand. This entails a risk
of many good used machines
not being found by prospective
owners.
To make it easier for customers to find the right used
machine, on January 1, 2006
Komatsu Forest in Germany will open a new European
center for used machine sales.
This hub will be in Chemnitz,
Germany, where used forestry machines from several countries will be gathered. Initially there’ll be between 12 and
18 machines on display at the
used machine center, which is
close to the freeway to Dresden,
just 40 miles from the Czech
Republic, and 60 miles from
the Polish border.
“I believe many customers
will benefit from being able to
travel to a central location in
Europe to view a large range
of used machines,” says Joerg
Dinkelaker, who will manage
the used machine sales center.
In addition to German, Joerg
also speaks English, Spanish,
and Russian.
“We’ll be very active in the
Eastern European markets,”
explains Joerg.
Information about all
of Komatsu Forest’s used
machines will be available on
the Group’s website, with various search functions to help
prospective buyers.
“Buyers will be able to view
all the used machines we have
throughout Europe,” explains
Christer From, coordinator of
the used machine venture at
Komatsu Forest’s head quarters
in Umeå, Sweden.
CUSTOMERS CAN SEARCH,
for example, according to
machine type, price range,
equipment, or brand, with the
information available in most
languages.
“The more a customer knows
about the machines, the easier it is to find the right machine
for their needs,” says Christer.
“So there’ll be technical descriptions, photos, and equipment
options for every machine –
all in a number of languages.
If a customer finds a machine
of interest, they simply contact their local dealer, who will
contact the seller in the relevant country. Customers can of
course contact the appropriate
sales company directly.” r
MEETING PLACE
Current equipment shows, conferences, and other
events can be found at www.komatsuforest.com
and the country and region-specific pages.
m
tsuforest.co
www.koma
31
Tomas Samuelsson has seen increased productivity since he bought a new Valmet 941 with a 370 head.
Valmet 941 raised
production
When Swedish contractor Tomas Samuelsson bought a Valmet 941 for his company,
productivity experienced a real lift. Now two forwarders are normally required to keep
up with the harvester.
T
omas Samuelsson was clearly pleased when
we met him in an
area of windthrown forest outside Växjö in southern Sweden. Tomas was busy harvesting with his Valmet 941, togeth-
32
er with a hand cutter equipped
with a chainsaw. Straight-talking Tomas stresses the increase
in productivity he saw when he
invested in Valmet machines
a few years back, although the
real increase came with the Valmet 941 bought in July 2004.
Tomas owns the company TS Skogsavverkningar AB
based in Mariannelund in
southern Sweden. The machine
lineup includes a Valmet 911.3
from 2003, now fitted with a
brand new 350 head, and a Valmet 941. Forwarding is provid-
ed by subcontractors.
“Previously we also had a
forwarder, but we wanted to
reduce our overhead as the forwarding work wasn’t as profitable as the harvesting,” Tomas
explains. “So in 2004 I sold a
forwarder to an operator who
now follows our Valmet 911.
We use completely independent subcontractors to forward
for our Valmet 941. And we
most often need two forwarders there.
TS Skogsavverkningar AB
has four operators including
Tomas, as well as two hand cutters to be able to offer clients
better service, mainly in clearing and planting. Having hand
cutters on the payroll was a
real advantage in the clearing
work carried out after the heavy
storms that hit Sweden in January 2005.
TOMAS has had his own firm
since 1990 and as early as 1991
he bought a Valmet 828. The
company’s first Valmet 911 was
acquired in 1994, followed by a
Valmet 840 in 1997. After the
initial Valmet machines, however, Tomas decided to give Timberjack a try.
“But as soon as Valmet
launched a 36-foot boom, I
bought a Valmet 911 again [in
2003]. I’m extremely pleased
with the driving style, the leveling, and the fact that the
boom rotates with the cab. This
takes some of the strain out of
the work; I’m not as tired after
a day’s labor,” says Tomas.
In August Tomas bought a
Valmet 350 head for his 911,
and already feels he gets even
more out of the machine. He’s
not yet got the exact figures
together as he’s only had the
head for a short while. The goal,
however, is to increase productivity by 15–20 percent.
“I have a feeling that
we’re on the way towards that
goal,” he says. “The head and
machine seem to be more synchronized since we bought the
350. The head runs and feeds
well.”
HE ALSO SEES an advantage in
the head being more of an allrounder and therefore even able
to cope with broader trees when
thinning.
Tomas is just as pleased
with the Valmet 941, which he
praises heavily. Aside from a
few teething problems with the
computer system, the machine
has run perfectly during the
3,500 hours clocked up so far.
“The Valmet 941 is a surprisingly nimble machine, and
it doesn’t have a much bigger footprint than the 911 on
inroads,” says Tomas. “The cab
is fantastic, with a great deal of
space.”
Productivity has increased
significantly since the 941
joined the machine lineup.
Tomas can agree with the figure suggested by the Skogforsk
research institute, which is a
productivity increase of some
20–30 percent. In Sweden’s
windthrown forests the company’s production is currently
running at 700–900 cubic feet
an hour.
THE STORM HAS led to con-
siderable revenue for TS
Andreas Andersson clears by hand for TS Skogsavverkningar AB.
Skogsavverkningar AB, primarily because the company
received assignments on a continual basis. Another explanation is that the service provided
by Komatsu Forest has worked
well and spare parts have been
readily available, despite strong
demand due to all the machines
clearing forests after Sweden’s
January storms.
“I’m also strict about
planned service,” Tomas
emphasizes. “We book a service technician at least once a
month for a thorough servicing.
This, together with good spares
availability and reliable and productive machines, has provided
us with good earnings.” r
33
Distinct profile
highlights ProSelect
ProSelect, Komatsu Forest’s accessories and consumables brand,
has been given a more distinct profile. New displays will highlight the products in service shops the world over. The idea is to
make it easier for forestry machines contractors to find the right
high-quality accessories.
T
he launch of the ProSelect brand at this year’s
Elmia Wood has been
followed by rapidly increasing
sales. Komatsu Forest’s latest
marketing campaign involves
the launch of a distinct display
strategy for ProSelect brand
products. The strategy is based
on a well-designed display system for all dealer locations,
intended to make things easier
for end-customers.
“We want to create a clear
profile that our customers can
recognize,” explains Jörgen
Nilsson, in charge of the venture. “We’ve designed a new red
sign to it easier for customers
to spot.”
The core ProSelect products
will be displayed in a number
of different groups, including
saw bars, lubricants (greases
and hydraulic oils), and original filters.
According to Jörgen, the
ambition is to install the new
displays in all 26 dealer locations in Sweden by the end of
the year, followed by the rest of
Scandinavia and Germany by
June next year.
“We’ll allocate plenty of
resources for training sales personnel,” emphasizes Jörgen.
“With ProSelect behind them
our sales teams can broaden
their offering. They’ll be able to
listen more to customer needs
and opinions, while the ProSelect products are the natural choice for all customers whether or not they operate Valmet machines.”
He especially highlights
that the ProSelect brand signifies quality and that these
high-quality products are carefully selected to help contractors increase productivity. This
will be achieved by making the
products easily recognizable for
customers everywhere. The red
sign and display structure will
be used in all service shops.
“ProSelect has already been
well received by sales personnel, who gain broad support in
their sales work,” says Jörgen.
“Customers will understand
that the products have been
selected by professionals,” he
continues. “And we’ll gradually
expand the range.” r
Tenth Anniversary in Germany
Komatsu Forest’s German sales company
Komatsu Forest GmbH celebrated its tenth year
as a subsidiary on September 24. The celebration
included music and machine demonstrations in
Oberthulba.
O
berthulba is centrally located in German and was chosen to enable as many customers as possible to attend the
celebration. In all, some 700–
800 visitors came to the sports
field that played home to the
machines and a huge party tent. During the day, two
34
folk musicians and a juggler
entertained the visitors. Come
evening it was time to dance to
a six-piece band.
IN THE BEAUTIFUL late fall
weather visitors also had the
chance to take a closer look at a
number of machines. The lineup included the Valmet 830.1,
840.2, and 860.1 forwarders
and the Valmet 901.3, 911.3,
and 941 harvesters. A Komatsu
PC 228 excavator equipped with
a Valmet 370E head was also
on display. The machines were
demoed in full action in a nearby forest. r
Jari Alahuhtala
Facts
about Jari
Alahuhtala
POSITION: CEO Komatsu Forest
Oy in Finland
EMPLOYED SINCE: 1988
AGE: 50 years
LIVES: Tampere
FAMILY: Wife, two daughters,
22 and 20 years old
BEST PART OF THE JOB: Meeting customers and working with
the staff. Market challenges are
an exciting element.
LEISURE: Cycling and skiing.
Fishing trips in Finnish Lapland
and Russia.
Three quick
questions
Being CEO of Komatsu Forest Oy in Finland means a great deal of travel for Jari Alahuhtala. Here he is visiting
Elmia Wood earlier this year.
Jari has
a large market
1. Favorite Valmet
machine?
The 911.3, because the 911
model has such a long history. When the concept was
launched in 1984, in the
shape of the 901, it revolutionized the market. Today
it’s a very effective machine
when teamed with the 350
head, especially in thinning.
2. What does the
forest represent
for you?
I grew up on a family farm, so
the forest has always been a
part of my life. I’ve always enjoyed the forest.
3. What does Komatsu
represent for you?
Komatsu is the best owner
we could have. I like the Japanese attitude towards running
a business, with quick decisions. I think Komatsu’s presence bodes well for further
improving our quality. With
Komatsu as our owner, the
future looks very bright.
Jari Alahuhtala,
CEO of Komatsu
Forest Oy in
Finland, travels a
great deal. But then
he’s also responsible for Komatsu
Forest’s largest
single geographic
market. His market
includes Russia and
the Baltic States.
J
ari has been CEO of
Komatsu Forest Oy in Finland since 1992 and he’s
very open about the fact that
this entails some serious challenges. Competition in Finland’s domestic market has
long been hard and the market
relatively static. The battle for
market shares is tough, but Jari
feels that with Komatsu as its
new owner Komatsu Forest is
well equipped to strengthen its
product offering.
An equally large challenge is to
utilize the potential offered by
the growing markets in the Baltic States and, even more so,
Russia. For the time being business is going well for Komatsu
Forest in these areas, although
Jari notes that finalizing deals
demands a lot of travel and a lot
of customer contact.
“Traveling to Russia is
always an adventure,” says Jari.
“Many train journeys to places
that can’t be reached by plane
take about thirty hours.”
Jari does however enjoy
meeting and helping customers
in these more exotic locations.
He benefits greatly from his
extensive experience and expertise in putting together viable
financial solutions.
“Every project is different,”
he says. “Most important is an
understanding of the customer’s situation and needs. This is
why we’ve invested a great deal
in training staff in Russia and
the Baltic States.”
JARI GLADLY points out that
customer contact is one of the
highlights of being CEO.
“Customer contact also leads
to feedback on how we can further improve the machines’
TU [technical utilization],” says
Jari. “And I feel that we can
inf luence the Umeå plant to
quite an extent in adapting the
machines to our customers’
operating conditions.” r
35
Katrina devastated
forests
The first estimations after Hurricane Katrina’s
rampage in the US indicate 19 billion board feet (66 million cubic meters) of windthrown
forest. This is the equivalent of 25
million tons of paper or 800,000
houses. Pine stands on privately-owned land suffered the heaviest damage.
China major hardwood
importer
China is the world’s largest importer of hardwood from the US. The
import volume has increased by
29 percent the past year. The majority is oak, walnut, yellow poplar, alder, cherry, and maple. Chinese manufacturers use the imported wood for furniture and
flooring, among other items.
Canada invests
in suburban forests
The Tree Canada Foundation wants to present
new methods for suburban forestry in Canada. The Foundation has reviewed its national program for suburban forestry and will allocate money to municipalities for demonstrations of
the new method. The goal is to
increase the proportion of suburban forests in order to improve
quality of life for the 80 percent
of the population living in urban
areas.
Japan fights illegal
logging
A new policy will help
prevent the purchase
of illegally logged timber in Japan. The so-called green
purchase law will prevent timber
from illegal logging finding its way
into public organizations.
36
The logging
of plantations
that will supply
the industry in
Heywood does
not start until the
end of 2006. But
in west Australia
Timbercorp
already harvest
eucalyptus with
Valmet 425 EX.
Local plantations
secure raw material
Demand from the
world’s paper and
pulp industry is
increasing greatly. Plans for a new
paper and pulp mill
in Australia include
securing raw material supply by entering long-term
contracts with local
eucalyptus farmers.
P
lanning is underway
for the construction of
a new paper and pulp
mill in Heywood, southeastern
Australia. The long-term plan
is for existing large eucalyptus
plantations in the area to provide the mill with raw material. Mill-owned plantations as a
method of solving raw material
supply is already widespread in
other markets, such as Brazil.
Brazilian paper mills often own
plantations and the machine
parks used to harvest them.
In Australia, however, the concept differs a little. In this case,
the company Timbercorp has
agreed to supply the paper and
pulp mills with raw material. Timbercorp already manages 85,000 hectares of planted Eucalyptus Globulus, which
until now have simply been
exported as wood chips for
use in the global paper industry, primarily in Asia. The idea
now is to use 50,000 of these
hectares to fulfill the needs
of the planned Heywood mill.
According to plans, the plantations will produce a total of
1.7 million tons of wood chips
per year. Calculations indicate
that about 700,000 tons of this
will be used by the future paper
mill in Heywood. The rest will
continue to be exported. Timbercorp does not own the land,
but is contracted to manage
everything from financing and
planting to harvesting, chipping, and sales. r
Info
Eucalyptus Globulus
Eucalyptus Globulus is considered one of the finest species
for the production of high-quality printing and writing paper.
This is because the species is
highly productive, has strong
fibers, and a very white base
color. Moreover, it can be harvested within a relatively short
period - about ten to twelve
years.
ANECDOTAL
Under this heading, Just Forest will print anecdotes and stories from then and now. The editor will be happy to receive
ideas for publication. Send your tips or stories to [email protected].
Personalized
machines
THERE ARE SOME real interesting
characters working in forestry. Why
not personalize your forestry machines a little with custom paintwork?
A bit like Hassela Skogsentreprenad
AB in Sweden has done. They’ve customized the paintwork on their new
Valmet 911.3.
Do you know of any other well decorated machines? Send your pictures
to [email protected].
Driverless
THIS BEETLE-LIKE vehicle could be the driverless
forestry machine of the future. The idea is thoughtprovoking. The photo shows a model made by student Pontus Unger at the Umeå Institute of Design,
a concept vehicle for the possible appearance of a
driverless forestry machine of the future.
Change of address
Is your magazine delivered to the wrong address? Has your magazine failed to turn up? Or do you simply
know more people who wish to receive Just Forest? Please contact your nearest sales office.
Australia
Marina Kirpichnikov
[email protected]
Fax +61 2 9647 2540
Finland
Antero Siuro
[email protected]
Fax +358 32658324
Spain
Cesar Sanchez
[email protected]
Fax +34 986 58 23 89
Brazil
Marilia dos Santos
[email protected]
Fax +55 41 6673100
France
Martine Thuriault
[email protected]
Fax +00 33 130 905 144
Sweden
Veronica Kjellen
[email protected]
Fax +46 171 41 67 80
Chile
Alfonso Solar
[email protected]
Fax +56 41 92 53 55
Italy
Fabrizio da Fré
[email protected]
Fax +39 0438 430115
Germany
Silke Brückner
[email protected]
Fax +49 7454 960218
England
Stewart MacGregor
[email protected]
Fax +44 1228 792388
Norway
Mona Andersson
[email protected]
Fax +47 62572954
USA
Nate Burton
[email protected]
Fax +1 715 524 7833
37
Komatsu Forest AB
Box 7124,
SE-907 04 Umeå
Sweden
ps.pondus:
ADVANTAGE ECO-TRACKS
1
2
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2. ECO OF
Suitable for rocky, hilly and
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3
3. ECO BALTIC
Suitable for very soft ground
conditions.
� Reduced fuel consumption
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ECO-TRACKS from Olofsfors are the world’s most popular tracks for forestry
machinery and a very easy way of optimizing your investment in machinery.
Why dig yourself in when you can float on top?
www.olofsfors.se • Tel +46 (0)930-39600

InEnglish - Komatsu Forest

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