Multi-product forwarder-based timber extraction : time consumption and productivity analysis of two forwarder models over multiple products and extraction distances
Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology
Abstract
Accurate predictions in forest operations can be used towards effective planning, costing, and
maximizing the productivity of machines in mechanised cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting. There
is a general and substantial gap in forwarder productivity data available for pine sawtimber in
South Africa at present, and as the number of product assortments being harvested increase
there is a need for more work to quantify the effects of extracting products of different dimensions. The aim of this study was to calculate the time consumption and productivity of two
models of Ponsse forwarders (15 t and 20 t capacity) to consider and compare the effects of
multiple variables including machine capabilities, product assortment, load size, extraction
distance, and fuel consumption. Productivity averaged at 34.08 m3
per productive machine hour
excluding delays longer than one minute (PMH1) for the smaller machine, and 55.94 m3
/PMH1
for the larger machine. Productivity and average log volume were strongly positively correlated. Regression models were created for each machine where load volume and extraction
distance were both significant factors for predicting productivity. Average fuel consumption of
the smaller machine was 15.55 l/PMH1 and 0.47 l/m3
, and 20.57 l/PMH1 and 0.43 l/m3
for the
larger machine. The product with the largest volume was found to require the least fuel per m3
.
The models developed could aid in predicting system productivity and potentially carbon emissions under similar conditions in a South African context of industrial plantation forestry.
Description
CITATION: Gagliardi, K., Ackerman, S. & Ackerman, P. 2020. Multi-product forwarder-based timber extraction : time consumption and productivity analysis of two forwarder models over multiple products and extraction distances. Croatia Journal of Forest Engineering, 41(2):231–242, doi:10.5552/crojfe.2020.736.
The original publication is available at https://crojfe.com
The original publication is available at https://crojfe.com
Keywords
Logging, Harvesting machinery, Forest productivity, Timber -- Harvesting time, Pinus patula
Citation
Gagliardi, K., Ackerman, S. & Ackerman, P. 2020. Multi-product forwarder-based timber extraction : time consumption and productivity analysis of two forwarder models over multiple products and extraction distances. Croatia Journal of Forest Engineering, 41(2):231–242, doi:10.5552/crojfe.2020.736.