10 MAY 2018 FORESTRYJOURNAL.CO.UKNEWS ROUNDUP
ALL THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
New loader
from Ponsse
PREMIERED at the ExpoForest fair in Brazil
in April, Ponsse’s new K121 loader for the
Elephant and ElephantKing forwarders offers
a new level of efficiency and speed for load
handling in tough conditions.
The K121 combines high slewing torque
and lifting power, increased reach, and a
new type of loader geometry that is easy
to control. It enables shorter loading and
unloading times, facilitates working in
conditions where load handling takes up a
large proportion of the working time, and
makes it easier to work on sites where large
trees must be handled and on slopes that
demand great power from loaders.
The improved geometry of the K121 loader,
the easy control system, and the ability to
install a grapple with a surface area that is
16 per cent larger adds up to significantly
increased load-handling performance.
Harvesting on slopes is becoming
increasingly popular worldwide, andKOMATSU ACQUIRES ORYX SIMULATIONS
IN April, Komatsu Forest acquired
Oryx Simulations, based in Umeå,
Sweden. The two companies share a
long history, started during the 1990s
with a project between Komatsu Forest
and Umeå University which was to be
the starting point for Oryx Simulations.
Komatsu Forest sells simulators
developed by Oryx Simulations all over
the world, and this cooperation will be strengthened with the acquisition.
“Oryx Simulations is a very interesting company that we have had the opportunity
to follow closely as a customer. They are a cutting-edge technology company in their
industry and the simulators they develop have received a very good response due
to their high fidelity and lifelike graphics. Training is significantly facilitated by these
simulators and we see great potential for further growth,” says Annelie Persson, press
officer for Komatsu Forest.
Oryx Simulations will continue business as usual as an independent company
and customers will not experience any changes. Both companies consider it a very
important part of the acquisition that Oryx Simulations maintains its independence and
integrity for continued trust among its customers.
http://www.oryx.sePonsse’s forest machines have opened up a
completely new range of possibilities, making
it feasible to harvest timber on previously
inaccessible land. The new K121 loader
further improves the work performance on
slopes by providing the high loader power
that is essential for steep conditions. Such
conditions also demand a large tilt angle for
the crane pillar in order to ensure smooth load
handling. The tilt stand available for the K
has a larger tilt angle, guaranteeing the loader
will work at the right angle even in steep
environments.
The K121 makes it easier to efficiently
handle and move large logs, for example when
loading onto freight trains. Thanks to the high
torque, greater lifting power and longer reach,
trees can be lifted from even further away than
before. This reduces the need to move the
machine closer to the trees, or to bring the cut
logs to the ground next to the machine before
lifting.
K121 loaders have been field tested in
demanding conditions in Canada, Russia
and the USA, where they have been put to
work for thousands of hours. The results of
these field trials have been very encouraging.
The hydraulic system, its hoses and pipes
have been placed inside the boom for added
protection. The extension cylinders are also
protected inside the boom, and the piping of
the rotator has been protected by passing the
pipes directly through the hanger. In addition,
hydraulic end damping has been added to the
lifting cylinder to make the operator’s work
easier when working at the extreme limits of
the cylinder movement, for example on steep
slopes. The overall aim of these new structural
innovations is to maximise the usage rate and
ease of maintenance of the machines.SPANNER Re² GmbH from Germany
is launching a new wood-based
biomass CHP. With around 68 kWel
and 123 kWth, the plant is highly
efficient and generates climate-
friendly electricity and heat from
woodchips.
The new biomass CHP is equipped
with a synchronous generator,
meaning that the plant is started
using wood gas instead of electricity.
This saves costs and ensures safe
plant operation, even with less stable
power grids.
The Re² control system manages
the entire plant operation and
optimises runtime stability. The
menu structure is reduced to the
essentials, which increases ease
of operation and makes the control
system particularly user-friendly.
“We are committed to making
renewable energies competitive,”
explains Thomas Bleul, Director of
Spanner Re². “With the HKA 70, we
are able to demonstrate our many
years of experience,” says Bleul.
With an electrical efficiency
increase of 20 per cent, the plant
is more powerful and converts the
regional energy source wood into
electricity and heat even more
efficiently than before. What is
particularly interesting is that the
plant operates with recycled waste
wood. At present, tree felling is very
frequent due to pest infestation
or storm damage. The demand for
woodchips on the market is very
low so the HKA 70 represents an
attractive solution for this and paves
the way for the operator to achieve
energy independence.
Due to its modular design, the new
smaller CHP plant can be combined
to increase output and several plants
can be cascaded.RE² LAUNCH NEW
WOOD-BASED
BIOMASS CHP