All posts by Jo English

MaxiFleet

New more user-friendly interface when you sign in to Komatsu MaxiFleet

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The new design in the Komatsu MaxiFleet now provides a better overview of the machines and how they perform. In the machine overview you can choose what information you want to see, and you can more clearly see the machine’s position, key figures and warnings directly in the machine´s detail page.

The administration is simplified, and you can easily create and follow up on a harvesting area, all in the same place. Additionally, the mobile customization provides you with a better experience on all devices.

Juho Nummela

Ponsse’s President And Ceo Juho Nummela Named Business Person Of The Year

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Ponsse Plc’s President and CEO Juho Nummela was named businessperson of the year (Vuoden Liikemies) in an annual event held by Suomen Liikemiesyhdistys in cooperation with Kauppalehti and Aalto University.  This marked the first time when the second person from a single company has received the recognition. Ponsse’s founder Einari Vidgrén was presented with the recognition in 1997.

The choice for the businessperson of the year (Vuoden Liikemies) was published last week at an event held in Helsinki. The criteria for the recognition mentioned that Juho Nummela combines the characteristics of modern sustainable leadership. According to the jury, Juho Nummela implements principles in which responsible operations, transparency and the engagement of stakeholders have produced both financial success and success measurable in employee experiences.

“Juho Nummela’s leadership exhibits a simultaneous respect for the company’s roots and the creation of something new. These new things are created in cooperation with every Ponsse employee, which allows Nummela himself to be inspired by a common drive to develop the company, regardless of the organisational level.  Nummela is a manager who engages his employees in genuine dialogue and sets an example when it comes to the leadership capabilities of a new age,” said the statement given by the jury.

Juho Nummela’s time as the President and CEO of Ponsse has included some major turning points. He took up his position right before the international financial crisis, which also had a strong impact on Ponsse’s operations. Right now, the people working at Vieremä are busy taking the company’s biggest factory investment into use.

Juho Nummela has a doctorate in technology. He has been Ponsse Plc’s President and CEO for ten years, since 2008. He began his career at Ponsse Plc as a thesis worker in 2002, and continued as the company’s Quality and IT Director in 2005–2006 and as its Factory Director in 2006–2008. Nummela received the Future CEO of the Year recognition in 2017.

Established in 1896, Suomen Liikemiesyhdistys is an organisation aiming to promote the interests of the business entrepreneurs’ community. During the course of its history, the association established Kauppalehti’s and participated in the establishment of School of Business’s, for example. The association’s Vuoden Liikemies recognition has been awarded since 1980.

breweries

NZ – Foreign buyer saves Kawerau jobs

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More than 160 jobs at the Kawerau pulp and paper mills will be saved as a result of a US majority-owned buyer picking up the assets. The Overseas Investment Office has given approval for NS Norway to buy Norwegian company Norske Skog’s Kawerau assets for $29.9 million.

The OIO said Norse Skog was financially distressed and owned the freehold interest in 351 hectares at Fletcher Ave, Kawerau where the mill is located, and 48ha at Springs Rd Kawerau.

“We consider that without this Investment, the Tasman mill and New Zealand- based business of Norske Skog Tasman are likely to be closed down in the short term,” the OIO said. “This Investment is likely to enable the business and Tasman mill to continue operating while it is economically feasible to do so.”

Norske Skog’s New Zealand subsidiaries have assets valued at more than $100m, but the OIO consent refers to the “sensitive land” that requires OIO consent.

The buyer, NS Norway, is an international newsprint and magazine paper producer that has been operating for about 50 years.

NS Norway intends to continue to run the business from New Zealand in conjunction with its international paper mills and product supply chains across several countries including Austria, Ireland, Poland, and Australia.

“We note that the international paper market is experiencing aggregate oversupply issues and there is generally expected to be on-going decreasing demand for paper products over the longer term,” the OIO said.

Government ministers were satisfied that the investment would be likely to achieve a number of benefits, including saving the 160 jobs, maintaining export receipts of more than $65m a year, market competition in the chip and pulp log processing industry particularly in the central North Island, maintaining productivity on the land, and continuing to produce approximately 140-150 kilotonnes of newsprint.

Axtor

The little “two in one” Komptech Axtor

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With the new Axtor 4510 Komptech is offering an all-purpose wood chipper that is the smallest in the Axtor series, but like its bigger brothers is perfect for both chipping and shredding. It’s the perfect entry-level machine for small to medium-sized plants as well as contract service providers.

The new Axtor 4510 rounds out the proven Axtor series at the bottom end. Like its big brothers the Axtor 6010 and 8012, this new machine can shred as well as chip, and is designed for wood and green cuttings. In shredder mode with free-swinging teeth it makes composting material, while in chipper mode with fixed blades and lower speed it makes biomass fuel that is ideal for heating plants.

With 456 HP and the same rotor dimensions as the Axtor 6010, the new Axtor is a balanced package with exactly the performance and economy that its target group is looking for. With its small dimensions and its total weight of 19 tonnes in the two-axle trailer version, not only is it very easy to move around, it’s also right-sized for small to medium-scale facilities. Naturally, the easy transportation makes it likewise ideal for contract service providers, who need to react flexibly in terms of work sites as well as in their service offerings, from shredding to chipping.

Chipping and shredding – flexible and fast conversion
Conversion from shredder to chipper is fast and simple: In three hours or less, the free-swinging shredder blades can be replaced by fixed holders with precision-cut chipping blades or tough shredder blades. Conversion using fixed teeth is even faster, going from shredder to chipper mode in under one and a half hours. There are few limits to the flexibility of the Axtor 4510.

The machine can be very precisely configured for the intended use. Whether waste wood, trunks, forestry residue, bark or green cuttings, with different blades and the right screen basket it can deliver astonishingly high throughput with excellent fuel efficiency. For example, with woody green cuttings as a structuring material for composting, throughput of up to 150 m³ per hour is possible.

Well thought out, well executed
Komptech didn’t just downsize one of the big machines to a smaller scale, but instead put customer needs first, like it always does. One example is the Axtor 4510’s outstanding maintenance access, with hydraulically lifting engine cover and roomy service platform with integrated folded ladder.

The same goes for the massive sectional steel belt intake system, the continuous discharge conveyor with a cone height of four and a half meters, and the hydraulic tilt hopper. Everything is designed with the user in mind, from avoidance of leakage during material transport to the tough components to the clever details that help work go smoothly on-site.

organics

Komptech – New Organics Processing Machines

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High-end organics material prepping is gaining in importance – given the strict requirements of natural fertilizer laws and other quality guidelines, going forward only high-quality compost or fermented products will be marketable.

One major factor is the removal of contraries and foreign matter, which will unfortunately continue to find their way into the organic waste stream in higher amounts. Plastic, glass and metal are the major culprits. They are visible in the final product and reduce its public acceptance. This has given rise to some quite rigid limit values, which place high demands on feedstock preparation. We offer a range of machines ideally configured to deal with those issues. New developments have made these machines even more powerful.

Focus on optimizing preparation processes
The material prepping process is the first step, because the quality of the output depends on the quality of the input. One way to facilitate the process is to use a low-speed machine to shred the input. Examples are the Terminator single-shaft shredder and Crambo dual-shaft shredder, both of which are offered in mobile and stationary versions.

The Crambo has proven very effective with severely contaminated organic waste. In its extra-large shredding chamber, two 2.8 m counterrotating toothed drums ensure positive feed. They open up the material to expose foreign items and contraries, but don’t shred them smaller than necessary. This makes these materials much easier to deal with downstream in the treatment process. With the very heterogeneous and packaged material typical of organic input, only the Crambo can greatly reduce oversizes and reliably open packages, greatly facilitating downstream processes. Another approach is to pre-screen input prior to shredding, to remove contraries like packaging right from the start.

Separation can take place at the end of the process chain
At the end of the process, in addition to screening with star or drum screens, a wind sifter like the Hurrikan or a stone separator like the Stonefex is an invaluable piece of equipment. While the Hurrikan can remove light contraries like plastic film, the Stonefex separates out heavy and hard items like stones and hard plastic. If the input material contains both kinds of contraries, both machines can be readily combined.

New technology: Practical use counts
One of the most interesting new machines for organic waste prepping is the Metalfex non-ferrous metal separator. Like the Stonefex and Hurrikan, the Metalfex greatly improves product quality at the end of the process chain. An optional ferrous separator can also be installed. Three different mobility configurations make it a very flexible technology. We also updated our screening offerings.

Based on the successful Nemus 2700, the Nemus 3000 is a drum screener that sets a new standard in maintenance and service-friendliness. Longer discharge belts and the ability to use screen drums from competitor machines are further benefits of this thoroughly practical new machine.

Visit: Komptech

farmland

US company snaps up farmland for forestry plantation

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A large-scale land purchase by an American forestry company west of Taupō will see 1148ha of farmland converted into a redwood forest.

The $7 million purchase north of Taumarunui, near Matiere, by The New Zealand Redwood Company was approved by the Overseas Investment Office in July.

The venture was likely to create six full-time jobs and increase New Zealand’s export returns because the bulk of the timber will be exported to the United States in a processed form, the OIO consent said.

Taupō-based NZRC was formed in 2001 by the Soper Wheeler Co of California, a 100-year-old forestry firm.

NZRC specialises in redwoods, which are the world’s tallest trees and are found naturally in a coastal strip in Oregon and California. It has so far planted 3000ha of redwood and intends to keep establishing forests in New Zealand.

In the US, these trees can grow to 110 metres and have an average lifespan of 600 years. However, they can survive for over 2000 years.

NZRC chief executive Simon Rapley said the company plans to plant redwoods on 650ha, retain the 270ha of native forest and leave the balance in pasture on the sheep-beef farm.

“We will plant over 400,000 trees on the property,” Rapley said in an emailed statement.

The trees will be harvested between 35 and 40 years of age and will almost certainly be processed locally.

It will take 100 workers for the log harvest and wood processing.

“The processed wood will most likely end up in California, which is the only existing market until other markets can be developed.”

Some of the wood will also be available for the domestic market.

“New Zealanders will have access to decorative, durable and dimensionally stable wood that is sustainably grown and has had 40 years of absorbing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” he said.

Redwood is an “appearance wood” and is used for interior panelling, cladding, decks and fences.

The planting would also advance the Government’s plan to plant a billion trees over the next 10 years and create a walking access route across the land.

As of August 27, 60.055 million trees had been planted since the policy was announced and a further 67.475m seedlings had been sold for planting this year, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Rapley said NZRC plans to create esplanades to provide public access along the Ōhura River, even though it’s unlikely people would want to fish on the river due to its high sediment load.

 

digital

Precision forestry: a revolution in the woods

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This report by Harsh Choudhry and Glen O’Kelly for McKinsey & Company looks at which advanced technologies for forest management are most promising, and how forestry companies can start their digital transformation.

The authors argue that while digital technology is revolutionising industries around the globe – from manufacturing to healthcare to agriculture – forestry has lagged behind. However, this is finally starting to change. Choudry and O’Kelly report some forestry pioneers are starting to achieve productivity increases and returns on investment similar to other industries, and the size of these gains is comparable to the shift from animal-powered to mechanised processes.

Unfortunately, according to the authors, digital solutions in forestry management science currently confront a system that still operates largely on the basis of fundamentals developed by Hans Carl von Carlowitz more than 300 years ago.

However, inspired by advances in agriculture, some forestry operators have begun pioneering the use of advanced technologies to improve forest management results. Within the industry, this approach is widely called ‘precision forestry’. Precision forestry is enabled by a wide range of emerging technologies, such as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), laser scanning (lidar), and soil sensors.

But precision forestry is not simply the adoption of digital technologies. For forest managers, it involves a paradigm shift from a highly manual and analog system with broad-brush management prescriptions, to a system with digital data capture and planning, granular management prescriptions and tight operational control.

Each of the precision forestry technologies offers improvements to forest management through one or a combination of four ways:

  • Tighter control of operations with improved data collection.
  • Increased selectivity of prescriptions to match site and needs, for instance, soil nutrients and the genetic material of seedlings planted.
  • Automation of operations, from nurseries to wood logistics.
  • Optimised decision-making with advanced analytics.

The report details 15 precision forestry technologies or practices the authors believe show the greatest promise to transform operations and improve forest management results.

Choudry and O’Kelly found that many leading forestry companies globally are adopting precision forestry technologies and there has been a noticeable proliferation of technology suppliers seeking to develop this space. While many precision forestry technologies remain in trial phases, some are already established and increasingly gaining traction. The availability of these technologies, even of those being trialled, signals a major shift in the industry.

The authors advise that the key to capturing the potential value will be a holistic digital transformation that brings together the disparate applications of new technologies. They say companies will need an end-to-end digital transformation in terms of the four Ds:

  • Discover – understand where you are and where you want to go, create a road map.
  • Design – design and deliver first at small scale on limited projects and/or single site.
  • Deliver – deliver at a larger scale with a broader project portfolio, potentially at all sites.
  • De-risk – implement structure to reduce operational and financial risk over the long term.

In addition, they offer these five practical pointers to ensure a company is well aligned at the start of its precision forestry digital transformation:

  • Start now, don’t wait for the technology to fully mature. For instance, use manual reading of UAV images while algorithms are being built. This helps narrow down the exact problems to solve and the requirements for doing so.
  • Begin with your business needs. Many precision forestry technologies are used for data collection, which is only the starting point and should be followed by analytics, and only then decision-making.
  • Combine technologies to address specific problems. The new technologies are most powerful when used in combination. For instance, for forest re-establishment, use UAVs to collect stocking data, analysis to identify low stocking hot spots, and decision-making to prioritise areas to replant.
  • Make the best of use of existing data. This, if cleaned and integrated into one unified data set, may be enough in itself to run predictive analytics and drive improved decision-making.
  • Consider the full set of enablers. Don’t look at just the new technologies – consider the IT backbone, business processes, capabilities, and organisational setup as well.

The report concludes: “The advent of these new tools and capabilities offers potential beyond raising the efficiency of practices handed down from the 18th century. It heralds the start of a revolution in how we manage the health and the performance of the world’s forests.”

The full report is available online.
Photo: McKinsey
Source: FWPA R&D Works

funding

Funding for NSW forestry projects opens Oct 1

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The NSW Government are funding new innovative forestry projects aimed at improving profitability, opening up new local and international markets, and preparing for future opportunities. Minister for Lands and Forestry Paul Toole said applications would soon open for the first round of the AU$34 million Forest Industries Innovation Fund.

“As part of the 2018-19 Budget, I announced an AU$71.8 million forestry package across four years, aimed at supporting the industry and keeping jobs in our regions,” Mr Toole said. “The Innovation Fund will provide loans of up to AU$3 million for a range of projects such as timber mill infrastructure upgrades, development of new products, or initiatives that open new markets.

“We want to see industry take control of their future and develop new programs that support their local businesses. “The AU$2.4 billion NSW forest and wood product industry is an economic driver for the regions and I am pleased to be delivering this support for jobs.”

Applications will be open for six weeks from 1 October, with successful projects able to access concessional loans of 2.5 per cent for up to 20 years. The Forest Industries Innovation Fund supports the objectives of the NSW Forestry Industry Roadmap and will be administered by the Rural Assistance Authority.

Eligibility guidelines, application form and other information will be available on the RAA website ( www.raa.nsw.gov.au) from 1 October.

export

NZ log export fallout from US trade disputes

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New Zealand’s export log market took a hit from the trade dispute between the US and China as the declining value of the yuan crimps the buying power of the country’s largest log market.

The average price for New Zealand A-grade export logs dropped to US$133/JAS from US$141/JAS in August, and US$145/JAS in July, and is now the lowest since June 2017, according to AgriHQ’s Forestry Market Report for September.

“The Chinese log market has again dominated talk in the NZ forestry industry amid its sudden depreciation these past two months. Purely from a data perspective August and early September don’t make for pretty reading,” AgriHQ analyst Reece Brick said in his report. “All of this weakness is directly related to the reduction in Chinese buying power, itself due to the depreciation of the CNY:USD.”

The yuan has depreciated 7.5 percent since mid-June, recently trading at 6.8763 per US dollar. Still, Brick said that despite the fall, market sentiment has stayed “quite positive” as factors such as port-level inventories, offtake rates and shipping rates otherwise point towards healthy fundamentals for New Zealand log trading in China.

“Consensus among the majority of traders is that we’ve settled at the bottom of the market for at least the time being,” he said. Chinese demand for New Zealand logs has been strong over recent years after Asia’s largest economy clamped down on the harvesting of its own forests and reduced tariffs on imported logs to meet demand in its local market. However, trade tensions between the US and China have dented the value of the Chinese currency and traders fear rising tariffs will hurt economic growth and dampen demand.

“What the future looks like will largely be dictated by the actions of the Trump administration,” Brick said. “The latest round of 10 percent tariffs covering US$200 billion of Chinese products is yet to be felt within the log industry. The main headache, however, is that there’s no end in sight for the trade war. It’s expected the latest tariffs will be lifted to 25 percent by Christmas, while Trump has threatened to extend these tariffs to another US$267 billion worth of Chinese products.

“Given log demand is so closely tied to economic growth, we can only hope these two power-houses can settle their differences sooner rather than later. Just don’t count on it,” he said.

Brick noted that neither India nor South Korea, New Zealand’s other major log markets, have provided any significant relief for exporters either. However, he noted the weaker New Zealand exchange rate against the US dollar had offered some protection for local export traders against the depreciation within China.

Source: BusinessDesk

HarvestTech

EOI to Present – HarvestTECH 2019

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Very popular when last run in 2017 HarvestTECH 2017 SOLD OUT  well in advance of the event even running. Over 450 harvesting and wood transport contractors, harvest planners, forest managers and equipment and tech providers met up at one place, Rotorua, New Zealand over a couple of days. It was the largest gathering yet seen in New Zealand.

In addition to having most harvesting contractors from throughout the country attending, the FIEA event drew in a large contingent of contractors and forest managers from throughout Australia, as well as attracting key equipment suppliers, researchers, forestry companies and international contractors from Europe, the US, Canada, Papua New Guinea and Asia. As well as the two-day conference and over 40 displays, two one-day field tours ran for HarvestTECH 2017 delegates.

So, the two-yearly gathering has been scheduled for next year. Mark the dates 26-27 June 2019, Rotorua New Zealand for the two-yearly harvesting event, HarvestTECH 2019. Early details on the programme can be found on the event website. At this early stage, Expressions of Interest to present at the harvesting event are being sought.

If you are keen to be a speaker at the conference and you are an early adopter, developer, innovator, contractor, technology or equipment supplier, service provider or researcher involved in wood harvesting operations, they would like to hear from you.

 

What’s being covered?

– Recent innovations in steep slope and winch assist harvesting

– Getting the best out of existing hauler & ground-based operations

– Harvest planning – new systems really making a difference

– Effective use of collected data from your harvesting operation

– Options for eliminating log sorts and reducing landing sizes

– Tools & Systems for harvesting smaller woodlots

– Remote sensing technologies for harvest planning and operations

– Solutions for improving in-forest communications

– Increased automation and mechanisation – new R&D

– Remote control, robotics, virtual reality and automation in the bush

– Filling the skills gap in harvesting

Interested speakers or exhibitors – or others who’d like to look at building in visits, tours or meetings in and around this major harvesting event, please contact Brent Apthorp (Tel: (+64) 21 227 5177) or brent.apthorp@fiea.org.nz BEFORE Friday 19 October.