Here are some simple techniques to increase productivity, reduce fuel consumption and minimise wear and tear on the carrier and processing equipment.
Setup of the harvester head:
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The clamping pressures of the knives affect feeding and braking performance. If the pressures are too high, it results in poor feeding and braking which increases fuel consumption and reduces knife and motor life.
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If the feeding or brake settings are too aggressive, fuel consumption jumps and stress on the head and boom increases
Roadside processing:
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Work close – The log deck and unprocessed tree deck must be as close as possible. Having the machine close to both decreases cycle times as boom movement is reduced. Larger swings coupled with simultaneous use of the processing head will also increase engine load and therefore fuel consumption. The place where the skidder drops the load must also be well planned. The processor will be restricted as to where the resultant logs will be placed. The end result could be the logs being placed in a position where the loader has to travel or reach some distance when loading timber trucks, which will again reduce loading productivity.
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Drop the top – Ejecting the top using the feed rollers (spitting the top) causes premature wear on the roller motors. Dropping the top while swinging to collect the next tree is faster, uses less oil and allows the head to be lined up with the next tree with minimal boom movement. Spitting the top could be unavoidable if there is a large slash build up on bigger decks. In this case it might actually be more productive to spit the top further away, or the head might have to be lifted over the slash pile.
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Don’t move the boom – Swinging from deck to deck is a much more efficient way to process than using the boom as the cycle times will be slower and more fuel consumed.
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Keep your head down – Keep the head close to the ground when processing. Raising the head higher requires extra feed power and increased knife and wheel arm clamping pressures. This consumes more fuel and upsets the balance of the head, leading to instability and lost tree control.
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Move to the deck – Swinging to the deck and then feeding is the most efficient method of processing. If at all possible, feed the tree without swinging, especially when using excavator conversions as the carrier. The head and boom will compete for oil which will slow down the feeding and the boom.
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You cannot make up lost time – Trying to work too fast can often result in trees being dropped or missed during the pickup. The operator must work productively, but must be careful and accurate.
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Look at the big picture – The operation must be optimised as a whole, not individual machines at the expense of the others. For example, the processor is very sensitive to small trees; therefore the feller buncher should try and not include undersize trees in the bunch. Other planning issues such as deck placement, slash management and deck stock control will all contribute to a more efficient operation.
Source: Gary MacDonald in “Between the Branches” Nov 09 – the official publication of Tigercat Industries. www.tigercat.com