Eco Log has tried to solve the problem of high payloads while reducing ground pressure.The forwarder concept is called ELGP (Eco Log Ground Pressure). A conventional forwarder has most unladen weight over the front bogie due to the position of the cab, engine and crane. When laden, the opposite is true, with most weight over the rear bogie. The ELGP concept evens out ground pressure when laden and unladen. This is due to the crane and the engine being situated at opposite ends of the forwarder. The crane is located in front of the front bogie, while the engine is located behind the rear bogie. Fuel, the hydraulic reservoir and other technical items are located in front of the engine and underneath the load.
The Eco Log ELGP has double load carriers. The rear load carrier can be moved one metre hydraulically lengthwise to optimise ground pressure and facilitate loading. The crane therefore does not have to work at maximum extension which allows it to grab more logs with each cycle, reducing loading times. The two carriers enable more logs to be extracted, without increasing ground pressures. Eco Log indicates that when the ELGP carries a 20 tonne load, it has 20% lower ground pressure than a 14 tonne forwarder.
The ELGP has a double articulation point that allows 25 degrees of slewing in each direction, giving a total of 50 degrees, and in doing so providing excellent manoeuvrability. It is even possible for the rear bogie to not run along the same track as the front bogie, which can be useful when the underfoot conditions are very soft. The cab is levelling (15 degrees in each direction), can be lowered and raised, and is free of vibrations. Because the cab is situated far from the engine, sound and exhaust fumes are not a problem. Source: www.eco-log.se