shortcuts no.1, 2011
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In the year’s first issue of ShortCuts we take up the eternal issue of productivity. How can we reverse the trend after several years of declining productivity? We show five ways in which productivity could be improved. Multi-tree handling in final felling and other exciting innovations, such as partly-automated forest machines, are just a few of the topics covered in the 8-page magazine.TRANSCRIPT
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PrOFItABLE FAST-GROWERS | FOrESt FUEL – PRICE STATISTICS
BEttEr dAtA – GREATER PROFITS | PrEvENtINg GROUND DAMAGE
”Ett“ – LONGER & SMARTER | AUtOMAtION – MAJOR BOOST TO PRODUCTIVITY
5 PrOJEctS TO SAVE PROFITABILITY
SKOGFORSK TESTS:
MULTI-TREEIN FINAL FELLING
FROM SKOGFORSK. NO 1 | 2011 | RESEARCH FOR TOMORROW’S FORESTRY
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PROFITABLE FAST-GROWERS By 2020 half of all the energy producedin Sweden is to be based on renewablesources. Focus on fast-growing tree spe-cies can be part of the solution accor-ding to a study carried out by Skogforskand the Swedish University of Agricultu-ral Sciences (SLU).
Higher production, shorter rotations,greater returns and better risk-spreadingcompared with traditional agricultureand silviculture encourage a greaterfocus on hybrid aspen and poplar. This isshown in a new study “Preliminary Studyfrom a Swedish Research Programme forPoplar” that Skogforsk and SLU havecarried out, commissioned by the Swe-dish Energy Agency.
”the trial plantations have shown a re-turn of 5–13 percent. This is an encoura-ging result as the average requirementfor return in agriculture and silvicultureis usually six and three percent respecti-
vely,” says Lars Rytter, researcher atSkogforsk.
The study identifies two obstacles togreater use of fast-growing tree speciesin Sweden – a lack of knowledge and,where there is knowledge, it is not wi-dely-known and applied.
”Very few people are aware of whatwe already know, which is why Skog-forsk and SLU will be focusing on trai-ning measures,” says Lars Rytter.
READ MOREwww.skogforsk.se/poppelrapportContact: Lars Rytter, Skogforsk.0418-471304,[email protected]
250 cubic metres in17 years. Martin Larsson of SvenskaSkogsplantor showsan experiment north-west of Stockholm.He is one of themany people helpingthe researchers withexperimental plots.
3 KEY FACTS ABOUT FAST-GROWING SPECIESThe best types produce 20 cubic metres ofwood per hectare and year – considerablymore than the best spruce types.
Final felling after 20–25 years on agriculturalland.
Today, there are approximately 2,000 ha.For large-scale energy production, 25,000-50,000 ha would be needed.
Ahead of the spring thaw and dif-ficult logging conditions, a joint wor-king group comprising representa-tives of the forestry sector, the Swe-dish Forestry Agency and Skogforskhave defined what ground damageis acceptable – and what is unaccep-table.
Eight types of serious ground da-mage were identified, e.g. damagethat affects streams and rivers orconservation, damage that makesaccess to paths difficult and reducesexperience value in recreationalareas, and damage to ancient relicts.Damage on solid ground away fromstreams and rivers is regarded asless serious.
”We’re proposing ’good practice’recommendations for transport inforests,” explains Skogforsk’s EvaRing, who led the working group.Operating machinery according togood practice assumes that there isa clear and considered strategy wit-hin the logging organisations abouthow to prevent ground damage.
”Naturally, forest machinery ope-rators play an important role be-cause they are the ones actually onsite. At the same time, they are thefinal link in a chain of decisions andprocesses that determine whether alogging project is environmentallydetrimental or not.”
READ MOREwww.skogforsk.se/markskadorContact: Eva Ring,018-188545,[email protected]
PREVENTINGGROUND DAMAGE
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Maria Nordström has a simple message.”There is valuable information about thewood – use it!”
Data about each individual log is sto-red in the harvester’s computer. Betteruse of this data could greatly improveprofits in the forestry industry, becausethe raw material produced would moreoften be the raw material that is required.
All modern harvesters can store dataabout every log that is produced in theforest. By linking this data to calculationprograms, the deliveries from the forest
and the properties of the wood can bedescribed in much greater detail.
”If the mills can then place specified or-ders, the forestry companies can delivera raw material that is more comprehensi-vely described and is better suited to theend user’s requirements,” explainsMaria Nordström who carried out theanalysis.
”The mills can raise product value andreduce costs by reducing the proportionof waste and the need for buffer stocks.”
In Skogforsk trials, the new 90-tonnetimber truck ETT (En Trave Till = OneMore Stack), which is 30 metres long,has been shown to consume 20 percentless fuel per tonne than a conventionaltimber truck. Over two years, the truckhas been driven 525,000 km and hastransported over 110,000 m3sub.
ETT is more efficient because it trans-ports an extra stack on the trailer. Trans-
port accounts for one-quarter of thecosts in the forestry sector from stumpto mill, so major benefits are possible,both for the sector and for the environ-ment.
Road safety issues are now being ana-lysed – these involve studies of filmedsequences of overtakings, as well as in-terviews with other road users and thedrivers of the test vehicles. Skogforsk’s
project manager, Claes Löfroth, hopesthe project will be extended.
”We’d like more test vehicles. Thiswould give us more experience of howthe vehicles function in the traffic envi-ronment in large-scale use. We wouldalso be able to test new logistics solu-tions, not least transports that combinetruck and rail.”
LONGER & SMARTER
READ MOREResultat 17/2010.Contact: Claes Löfroth,018-188507,
FOREST FUEL How much does it cost?Price statistics for 13 million m3s
READ MOREResultat 21/2010Contact:Maria Nordström,018-188514,[email protected]
SEK 170 per m3s – this is what forest fuel costs to buy, harvest andtransport to the energy plant. Skogforsk’s latest survey showsthat stumps from final felling arethe most expensive raw material for fuel (SEK 174/m3s) while small-dimension trees from thinning costSEK 165/m3s from stump to energyplant.
The survey responses concernedapproximately 13 million m3s. According to the questionnaire, 50 percent of the volume derivedfrom logging residue, just under 40percent from energy wood, and 10percent from small-dimension treesfrom thinnings. Stumps comprisedonly one percent.
READ MOREAll cost items in the forest fuel chainfrom forest owner to end customer canbe seen in Resultat 12/2010, which canbe ordered from skogforsk.se.Contact: Torbjörn Brunberg, 018-188563, [email protected]
Maria Nordström:"Use the data!"
BETTER DATA– GREATER PROFITS
15 YEARS OF HIGH STUMPSEver wondered how high stumps bene-fit conservation? Line Djupström hasbeen studying the effects of high stumpsand presents her findings in two forthco-
ming Resultat publications from Skog-forsk. She also presented her results atthe SLU Flora and Fauna Conference inUppsala on 4 May.
READ MOREin forthcomingResultat.Contact:Line Djupström,018-188508,[email protected]
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Forest fuels – methods, assort-ments and costs 2009RESULTAT No. 12 2010. [email protected]
the Supergrip II A-series ofgrapples – high performance inforwarding logging residues, and competitive perfor-mance with roundwoodRESULTAT No. 13 2010. [email protected]
Low growth in heavily moose-damaged pine standsRESULTAT No. 14 2010. [email protected]
Final felling in Sweden is a minorsource of nitrate to the Baltic SeaRESULTAT No. 15 2010. [email protected]
A comparative study of thinningwith and without harvester corri-dors between striproadsRESULTAT No. 16 2010. [email protected]
two years with Ett: lower cO2emissions and fewer timbertrucks on the roadsRESULTAT No. 17 2010. [email protected]
Better operator seats needed onforest machinesRESULTAT No. 18 2010. [email protected]
chipper truck with container system – a flexible alternativeRESULTAT No. 19 2010. [email protected]
Strong support for regenerationmaterial from seed orchardsRESULTAT No. 20 2010. [email protected]
Harvester data can provide important advance information toend usersRESULTAT No. 21 2010. [email protected]
NEWRESULTSFROM SKOGFORSK
theme | quest for the percentages
5 WAYS TO REVERSETHE TRENDLabour productivity in the forestry sector has been falling forseveral years. Costs are increasing, but production is lagging. At the same time, the saw and pulp mills’ wood andenergy costs are increasing. Consequently, forestry compa-nies are under strong pressure to get their act together.
Text and photo | sverker johansson, [email protected]
Forestry has picked itself up be-fore. With the motor saw in the1960s, mechanisation in the 1970s,the single-grip harvester in the1980s, contract work in the 1990s,and the focus on flows and wood va-lues in the 2000s. Now everybody ishoping for a technology lift in the2010s… but it is not enough to liveon hope.Shortcut has talked with the seven
members of forestry’s own crisisgroup – Skogforsk’s Reference Group for Productivity. We asked them to define the five areas where the sector must improve.
Record level 200528 m3sk/day
201124 m3sk/day
19604 m3sk/day
What is productivity?Productivity is a measure of the return that resultsfrom a given measure (output/input). The outcomemay be, for example, revenue or cubic metres of wood,and the measure may be, for example, time consum-tion, energy or financial investment. In this edition ofVision we focus particularly on labour productivity (m3 per work day) and various ways of increasing it.
THE TEAM DEDICATED TO REVERSING THE TREND:
Magnus Thor, SkogforskMagnus Bergman, SCASten Frohm, SödraLars-Göran Göransson, SmFVegard Haanaes, Stora EnsoUrban Nordmark, SveaskogJan Åhlund, Holmen
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PEOPLEWe must find ways to de-velop the inner efficiencyof the machine crews andtheir clients. We want todevelop leadership, butalso the driving forces thatencourage employees toconstantly improve perfor-mance and quality.
This requires new trai-ning forms and coaching togive the people in the fo-rest more responsibility,thereby allowing them togrow as team players andprofessionals.
FOLLOW UPIn order to improve, thenature of the developmentpotential must be known.This requires more syste-matic measurement, andfeedback to both the teamand individuals.
The forestry companiesmust be better at seeingfollow-up as an encourage-ment rather than a whip.Tools are now also avai-lable in the form of sophis-ticated measurement andforecast instruments, forexample the John Deeresoftware, Timberlink,which developed out ofthe strict rationalisation ofUS agriculture.
In addition, the forestrycompanies are planning acommon operational fol-low-up, where causes ofdisruption can be found atcomponent level in themachines.
OPERATORSUPPORTForest machines becomeincreasingly sophisticatedand even a really motiva-ted operator falls short ofthe machine’s capacity.
The productivity levelbetween different opera-tors also varies greatly –up to fifty percent. Impro-ved decision-support andautomation of some of thestages of mechanical workwill increase productivity –while reducing the strainon the operator, both men-tally and physically, the-reby allowing greater focuson what is necessary.
CULTUREConvert words into actionthrough more efficient in-novation and implementa-tion.
We must strengthen theculture of supporting de-velopment and innova-tions, see their commercialbenefits and implementthem faster. Investments inwell-supported develop-ments must be seen asgood business rather thancosts and, for the largesteps, system analyses areneeded. We must also in-crease the rate at whichnew technology and smar-ter methods are tested, in-troduced anddisseminated – turningwords into action.
TECHNOLOGYHere major innovation in-vestments are in the pipe-line. Forestry companies,machine manufacturersand researchers are plan-ning a national focus ondiscreet, environmentallysound and efficient foresttechnology. At the sametime, there are attempts toestablish a higher profile atthe large universities oftechnology.
But until the next tech-nological leap, it is thebattle for percentages thatmatters – every one per-cent in the logging work isworth SEK 80 million peryear! Machines and theirvarious components canbe developed to maketasks more efficient anddiscreet: everything fromnew machine types like di-rect-loading harwardersand remote-controlled ma-chines, to multi-tree hand-ling, pivoting outer boom(POB) cranes, grip tilts,faster saw motors, dampe-ning, adjustable supportsand levelling.
These are just a few in-novations – but they all represent small steps onthe journey towards to-morrow’s systems.
Promoter. MagnusThor is leading thetechnology pro-gramme at Skogforskand the group’s workby forcing the produc-tivity issue.
The list is long, andwe must work together in order to reach the target.
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Mikael Söderberg welcomes me tothe cab. He and the 1170 are popularwith visitors in the forests south ofLiden. What attracts people is themulti-tree handling procedure usedin final felling. The stands often con-tain trees with varied diameters, withmany smaller, suppressed trees. Thesecost a lot to fell – unless this can bedone in a smarter way of course.“We avoid a lot of the crane opera-
tion that is the major consumer offuel in the larger machines,” says Mi-kael Söderberg. “We have a large1470 that also has the technology. Ifyou can extend a long boom arm andfeed several smaller trees towards themachine, a lot of time and fuel aresaved.”
You’ve been operating a multi-treeunit for a year now. Would you everswitch back?”Not a chance. It increases produc-
tion, with calmer days and less stress.It means more trees for less craneoperation, and it improves everydaywork, quite simply.”
Are there any pitfalls?”You mustn’t feel under pressure to
use the technology just because it’sthere. If you start looking for trees toaccumulate in the unit – well...there’s the benefit lost immediately!On some shifts, you don’t accumu-late any trees at all. I use the techno-
MULTI-TREE HANDLING– GETTING BIGGER
theme | quest for the percentages
Results from Skogforsk16 percent improvement in productivity at final felling, and fuel consumption reduced by 14 percent(litres/m3sub). These were the results of Skogforsk’s studies of a large final felling harvester (JD1470D)and the JD H480 unit, equipped with extra grip arms and modified feed rollers.
”The study corresponds quite well with experiences from eastern Canada, where around 50 harves-ters are now operating with accumulating units in final felling,” explains Skogforsk’s Torbjörn Brunberg,who carried out the study together with Hagos Lundström.
Later this year, further trials will be carried out using a different machine in a different type of stand.”This is mainly to check that the results from the first study also apply under other conditions.”
Forest innova-tion. Mikael’s col-league FredrikAndersson showshow the team pro-tected the unit’sgrip arms by wel-ding on a steelprotector.
Multi-tree handling is mostly associated with thinning ofsmall trees, but it also gives very good results for harvestersin final felling stands. A new study shows that productivityincreases by approximately 15 percent.”Furthermore, operating the machine is less stressful… andthat’s worth a tremendous amount,” says Mikael Söderbergwho operates forest machinery for Ånge contractor, PelleRönningås AB.
Text and photo | sverker johansson, [email protected]
logy when conditions are right andthat’s something you learn – if not-hing else, we see it in the follow-up.Just now I accumulate 15-30 cubicmetres per shift, out of a total of170-180 cubic metres. Say 10-20percent.
No complicated hand grips?”No, the machine asks if I want to
accumulate more trees when the dia-meter of the stem I’m working on is12 cm. If I accept this by pressing abutton, the extra arms hold the treein place and I can grip the next treebefore I start processing. Often I take
the large ones first and then grip thesmaller trees standing close to oneanother.
And the components are robust?”No problem. We modified it our-
selves – we welded protectors overthe pistons to the grip arms – other-wise there would have been pro-blems. Apart from that, there are stillsome quite basic faults on the machi-nes, and that lowers productivity. Onthis 1170, the back axle broke threetimes in the last year… and a circuitboard seems to have gone in the ma-noeuvring panel.”
RESEARCH FOR TOMORROW’S FORESTRY ShortCUTS | 1 | 2011 7
When I grip a smalltree, the system asks ifI want to accumulate.I respond with a simplepress of a button.
rear-view mirror. Mikael Söderberglooks back on a year of multi-treehandling in final felling. “I wouldnever switch back,” he says.
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RESEARCH PROGRAMMESWOOd UtILIzAtION Lars [email protected]. Phone: +46 18 188555FOrESt tEcHNOLOgy Magnus [email protected]: +46 18 188596LOgIStIcS Gert Andersson, [email protected] Phone: +46 18 188567
FOrESt BIOENErgy Rolf Bjö[email protected]: +46 18 188509trEE BrEEdINg NOrtHBengt Andersson [email protected]: +46 90 2033358trEE BrEEdINg SOUtH Bo [email protected]: +46 418 471305
SILvIcULtUrELars-Göran Sundblad [email protected]: +46 90 2033369ENvIrONMENt Jan-Olov Weslien [email protected]: +46 18 188505
UPPSALA (Head Office) Uppsala Science Park,SE-751 83 Uppsala, Sweden Phone: +46 18 188500
EKEBO Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, SwedenPhone: +46 418 471300
UMEÅ P.O. Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden.Phone: +46 90 2033350
www.skogforsk.seEditor in chief: Jan Fryk | Form: Pagarango | Editor: Bitzer | ISSN: 2000-2726 | Photos: Sverker Johansson unless otherwise statedPrinted by: Gävle Offset, 2011
Automation of crane work is avery efficient way of increasing theproductivity of logging. This isshown by several studies at Skog-forsk – in fact, this could be amajor revolution, a considerablepercentage increase in producti-vity.
Skogforsk’s harvester simula-tor 2007: Some forestry studentsfirst operate the simulator like anormal harvester, where everysingle boom movement must besteered by the operator.
Then they get to operate themachine in automated mode. Theunit swings automatically in theright felling direction when it app-roaches the tree to be felled, liftsitself automatically when the treefalls and, after felling, the cranemoves automatically to the rightposition for processing.
Productivity increases dramati-cally. These are inexperiencedoperators, in fact almost totally in-experienced. When they operatethe simulator as a conventionalharvester, their productivity is onlya quarter of that of professionaloperators. But in automated mode,they almost reach the productivityof professionals – just 20 percentless!
”One of really big advantages ofautomation is that inexperiencedoperators, or operators with low
productivity, raise their levels,”says Björn Löfgren. “And the pro-ductivity differences between ope-rators can be as much as 50percent, so there is a lot to gain!But the study also showed somet-hing else – the operators in thestudy felt that work-related strainswere considerably less when thesimulator was in automated mode.
“I think that is the really big be-nefit. The operators get small restsautomatically, when the crane isdoing its work. This helps themstay alert throughout the shift,which increases average produc-tion noticeably. Furthermore, riskof repetitive strain injuries is de-creased.”
Why has the technology notbroken through? Well, it’s not veryeasy to build a crane that thinks foritself, explains Björn Löfgren. Itneeds sensors that can accuratelyread off the positions of the diffe-rent parts of the crane in relation tothe machine. And sensors are a
challenge in a tough environment.”
“We’ve been active in trying tostimulate development, but it’sbeen hard to get any developmentcompanies interested. As far as Iknow, there is only one embryo ofa project, and even that is on holdright now.”
This is symptomatic, he feels,because there are two major ob-stacles to innovation in forestry.Firstly, it is difficult to develop newtechnology because the machineseries are so small. Secondly, nocontractor dares to buy a machinewith unknown and untested tech-nology. And that of course reducesthe drivers for the manufacturers.
”It’s a shame because crane au-tomation is perhaps the strongesttool we have to increase producti-vity in forestry again. Furthermore,if we solve the issue of the sensors,this will open the door to boom tipcontrol, a technology allowing theoperator simply to point, using a
single control, where the boom tipis to go. Then a computer calcula-tes the most efficient combinationof valve openings to get the unit inposition as quickly as possible. Thegains in productivity and work en-vironment would be enormous, asour calculations and studies haveshown.”
AUTOMATION
MAJOR BOOST TO PRODUCTIVITY
Virtual forestAutomation is being analysed in the Skogforsk simulator ‘Troedsson ForestTech Lab’, since the technology has not yet been applied in real machines.In the red field (left) processing is taking place – in this case timber, small-dimen-sion logs and pulp wood are being sorted in the three blue fields.The tests show that automated boom movements allow much better utilisation ofthe machine’s capacity – for example, the crane can reach maximum speed fas-ter. In manual case, such fast operation would make the crane impossible for theoperator to control!
Björn Löfgren, Skogforsk.