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New Zealand’s Future Forests Research is making good progress with their new steep slope machine.
The July issue of “Four Corners”, the newsletter of New Zealand’s Future Forests Research (FFR) contains an information update on the new steep slope machine being developed by Kelly Logging/Trinder Engineers, with support from FFR and the government. ClimbMax, the beta prototype machine is currently being tested on steep slopes in the Nelson area. A North Island contractor has already ordered the commercial version of the ClimbMax, which contains modifications to the winch hydraulic system. FFR hopes that this research will be able to be exported once commercialised. The ClimbMax helps achieve FFR’s harvesting theme of:
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Safety – “no hand on the chainsaw, no worker on the slope”
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Productivity – bigger payloads and reduced cycle times
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Cost reduction – harvesting and transport, especially on steep slopes, make up 40% to 60% of the delivered costs of logs.
Another exciting research project is the evaluation of a grapple carriage powered by a hydraulic accumulator, which is charged as the grapple moves down the skyline. The grapple is much lighter than a motorised carriage and is fitted with a Trinder Vision System. The grapple carriage was developed by Alpine Yarders of South Africa. Source: www.ffr.co.nz