Rottne Industri now presents the next generation of its H8, the harvester which is specialised stand-operating thinning.

The new Rottne H8D features the well-known swing arm system, now in the company of, among other upgrades, a completely new motor and stepless transmission with anti-spin.

The Rottne H8D has a narrow and compact chassis with a swing arm system that gives the machine unique terrain handling qualities. The four wheel arms have large swing movements, which can balance out both longitudinal and latitudinal inclines. This enables greater ground clearance and facilitates working deep inside the forest, in steep and difficult terrain, which reduces the risk of damage to standing forest. Space requirements are minimised and weight distribution improved so that processing can be performed at full reach even laterally with maximum stability.

The Rottne H8D stepless transmission with automatic anti-spin gives a versatile operating experience with maximum torque and ground contact.

“This is a completely new base machine compared to the H8B. Everything is new or re-engineered, among other things the transmission and engine bay which now houses an FT4 engine” In addition the hydraulic system and hose routing have to a great extent been re-worked. The engine bay and cooling are closely related to the F11 D and are a major step forward compared to the previous machine”, explains Christian Ohlin, Design Manager at Rottne Industri.

The Rottne H8D will be premièred at the Elmia Wood exhibition in June. The first machines are estimated to come off the production line during the first quarter of 2018.

About Rottne H8D

• FT4 engine that requires only a 2-3 percentage additive of Adblue
• Swing arms on all four wheels
• Variable transmission with anti-spin
• Updated hydraulic system and re-engineered hose routing
• Variable transmission with anti-spin
• Only 205 cm width
• Electrically operated cab-tilt and engine hood
• Larger fuel tank and large water tank for stump spray application
• Reinforced crane with updated lighting and hose routing
• Two power aggregates: Rottne  EGS406 and Log Max 3000
• Fitted with a reversing camera
• Low fuel consumption
• New cylinders on the crane and aggregate

Further information and contact:

Ronny Östling, Communication Manager, +46 (0)470-75 87 88, ronny.ostling@rottne.com

Jörgen Ivarsson, Sales Manager, Nordic Region, +46 (0)470-75 87 13, jorgen.ivarsson@rottne.com

With high operational reliability and flexible application possibilities, conveyor belts are indispensable for the transport of bulk goods in industry today. Transportation lines and material streams are important aspects of every production plant. They need to be cost-effective, efficient and above all reliable in continuous operation. A true all-rounder in transport systems for bulk materials is the VecoBelt pipe conveyor from Vecoplan.

The VecoBelt is ideal for conveying bulk materials over long distances either horizontally or on a slight incline. The components transport all kinds of bulk materials such as wood chips, refuse-derived fuels, meat and bone meal or wood shavings. The forward-moving VecoBelt conveyor runs inside a tube and not on rollers like with normal conveyor belts. The belt runs on cushion of air. Low friction losses and quiet operation are therefore guaranteed. The fully enclosed system is particularly suited to the safe transportation of dust-laden materials.

In recent years, Vecoplan has made some optimisations to the components and further developed the technology of the VecoBelt series (500/800 and 1000 belt width). The return belt now also runs in an enclosed housing, supported by a return air duct. This gives customers 100% certainty that no material can fall or trickle down, for example in the area of the return rollers.

Another new addition is that Vecoplan equips the VecoBelt with two scrapers at every drive station. The pre-head scraper and hard metal scraper can be adjusted from the outside, and tensioning the scraper with the ratchet is quick and easy to do. The pre-head scraper is flexible, yet stable enough to remove impurities on the belt. The hard metal scraper prevents substances such as resin from sticking to the belt.

A further technical improvement has been added to the weight tensioning stations. Additional scrapers on the drive stations have been added here too to prevent impurities from adhering to the belt. For customers, these measures mean fewer maintenance costs, fewer downtimes and less material carry-over on their conveyor line.

Tigercat recently announce that Woodland Equipment is the new dealer in the upper Great Lakes region of the United States.

Based in Iron River, Michigan, Woodland Equipment will cover the upper Great Lake states including northern Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the northern portion of lower Michigan.

Woodland Equipment owner Ron Beauchamp comments, “We are excited to introduce Tigercat to our customers in the upper Great Lakes region.  Tigercat is a proven forestry-focused company with a passion to build rugged and durable equipment.  For us, Tigercat is about better serving our customers with the best solutions we can find.  For our customers,  Tigercat offers the broadest portfolio and the highest quality in forestry – more productivity, less downtime, longer lasting equipment.”

Woodland has been family owned since 1974 with the next generation assuming leadership in 2014. Woodland Equipment has over twenty years of experience with CTL harvesting systems, which dominate the upper Great Lakes region. Tigercat looks forward to expanding its customer base in this region and along with Woodland, will strive to deliver a superior customer service experience.

At the recent B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention in Vancouver, WOOD MARKETS’ president Russ Taylor delivered an overview of the Russian forestry and sawmilling industry, detailing the means by which it has become a major competitive force in log and lumber export markets. Interestingly, much of the information and analysis seemed to come as a surprise to many attendees. The most common queries were related to Russia’s expanding and competitive sawmilling industry, its high profitability, and its increased export market share in China.

Russian Industry Overview: For background, Russia is one of the world’s dominant log and lumber producers and exporters. Consider the following:

– Softwood timber harvest: Russia has a 12% market share of global output and surpassed Canada in 2014 for the #2 spot;

– Softwood lumber production: Russia represents 10% of global lumber production and that level is growing. It is the third-largest country producer (after the U.S. and Canada);

– Softwood log exports: Russia has a 15% global market share and is second only to New Zealand; and

– Softwood lumber exports: Russia represents 21% of global lumber exports and has been growing its share steadily. It is now the second-largest country exporter (after Canada).

The trends in the Russian timber harvest (softwood and hardwood industrial roundwood) reveal steady gains since 2009 (when the Russian log export tax reached 25%). The Russian export tax subsequently reduced log exports to China, and exports to other countries dropped to almost zero. The exception was Finland: pulpwood exports persisted following changes to the export tax (in 2012) when Russia was admitted to the WTO. A summary of total Russian log and softwood lumber exports shows a dramatic fall in log exports and an increase in lumber exports. The Russian log export tax and, more recently, the devaluation of the ruble, have created a high-margin sawmilling industry that is processing more sawlogs within Russia, and exporting more lumber/fewer logs.

Outlook: As we have been saying for more than two years, the Russians are coming. This is a result of competitive costs coupled with major capital investments into logging, sawmilling, value-added processing and logistics. With a competitive advantage, due to the devalued ruble, Russian mills will continue to gain lumber market share in China, especially as they increase their volume of kiln-dried and higher-grade lumber. Also of note, Chinese mills at the border are adding sawmill and value-added equipment to process Russian logs and produce high-value kiln-dried lumber that can be shipped much further afield. Furthermore, with FSC-certified timber and lumber, Russian producers are learning about the economic returns of providing customers with the sizes and grades of lumber they need/want — a big change from ten years ago. The simple fact is that Russia poses a growing threat to all other countries exporting lumber to China. The country’s influx of investment into forestry and sawmill capital improvements has greatly enhanced its cost-competitiveness, and it would be perilous to underestimate the extent of the country’s growing dominance. In next week’s issue we’ll look more deeply into Wood Markets analysis of major cost reductions being seen in Russia and the potential impact that this will have on their log and processed lumber exports.

Source: International WOOD MARKETS Group, www.woodmarkets.com

A simple conveyor belt joins Hyne Timber’s Tuan Mill and neighbouring Altus Renewables. Such is the way for efficient transformation on one plant’s sustainable by-product into another plant’s core business being biofuel.

It is certainly not unusual for large scale plantation softwood processing plants to exist as part of a supply chain hub and while each one of these hubs are unique, the manufacture of timber biofuel for clean, renewable energy production is common place.

In this case, the timber by-product is compressed through a manufacturing process of its own into small pellets which are highly sought after in Japan and some European countries to fuel clean energy production in what were once entirely coal fuelled power stations.

David Knight, Plant Manager of the Altus Renewables’ 100,000 MT capacity pellet facility next to Hyne Timber near Maryborough said their customers want durable pellets with high calorific value.

“We essentially buy all the sawdust and shavings we can get from over the fence at Hyne Timber.

“Our plant then densifies the wood by-product including drying the timber to maximise fuel quality while making transport significantly more cost efficient.

“Pellets are transported to the Bundaberg Port by trucks where they are stored in a dedicated building prior to being shipped to customers in Europe and Japan who will co-fire the pellets in their coal-fired power stations.

“Well, at least that’s about 95% of our plants pellets. The other 5% service domestic customers ranging from equestrian bedding, kitty litter to home heating solutions.

“The latter continues to gain popularity in colder climates for the high heat, high efficiency with little ash and fumes, if any. Some heater systems reburn their own fumes for added efficiency and environmental benefits.” Mr Knight said.

With products being shipped off overseas or bagged up for other domestic market needs, it’s hardly surprising that many locals don’t know these two operations exist in the forest, collectively employing around 200 people directly, and hundreds more indirectly.

David joked that he is often asked what he does for a living and when he replies, “we make pellets”, people assume they make timber pallets for transportation.

“Now, I tell people we make biofuel from timber. I might still have to explain that, but it makes for a more interesting conversation.” Mr Knight concluded.

Hyne Timber was established in Maryborough in 1882 with the Tuan Mill, now one of the largest softwood processing plants in the Southern Hemisphere, established in 1985.

The company employs around 570 people, 300 of whom are in the Fraser Coast Region alone, a region faced with higher than average unemployment rates.

Altus Renewables, headquartered in Loganholme, QLD is also in the process of working on a new 500,000 MT pellet plant project in the Green Triangle in South Australia. The plant near Maryborough is an example of Advanced Manufacturing, operating a clean, lean process supported by robotics and technology.

Both Hyne Timber and Altus Renewables also fuel their own heat plants using timber biomass from sawdust or timber shavings.

Wood-Mizer’s sawmill range has continually expanded over the decades, but Wood-Mizer’s new LX450 offers a completely redesigned sawmill that has never been available from the company before. The release of the LX450 twin-rail sawmill makes Wood-Mizer the first and only sawmill manufacturer to give sawyers the choice between a monorail or twin-rail sawmill design in order to accommodate various sawing applications and preferences.

Featuring many of the same benefits of the world renowned Wood-Mizer LT sawmill series, the new LX450 sawmill expands the available cutting width capacity on a professional Wood-Mizer sawmill to 34” (80 cm), and expands the depth of cut to 16.5” (41 cm).

“Wood-Mizer has long been the only sawmill manufacturer of the monorail cantilever design, holding several patents on this technology and trusted by 70,000 sawmillers throughout the world,” said Richard Vivers, Wood-Mizer’s president. “Every sawyer has different needs and preferences which led to the addition of the LX sawmill series. You can now own an LT series monorail or LX series twin-rail sawmill and receive the best support in the industry enjoyed by Wood-Mizer sawmill owners throughout the past 35 years.”

A key innovation of the Wood-Mizer LX450 sawmill is the rigid LX Frame sawhead tower that holds the control panel, engine, and the sawmill head. Designed to accommodate a larger width and depth of cut, the LX Frame travels on parallel hardened steel bars on the bed and allows the operator to have better visibility during the cutting process.

Standard features for the LX450 sawmill include power feed, power up/down, hydraulic log handling with a bi-directional chain log turner, a walk along operator control console with SimpleSet Setworks, six heavy-duty fine adjustment outriggers, dragback board return, powered blade guide arm, hydraulic blade tensioning system, blade lubrication, roller blade guides, and an auto-clutch. Optional features include Debarker, AccuSet® 2 Setworks, and a fixed operator Command Control station located at the end of the sawmill (available features and options may vary by region).

Wood-Mizer Releases Vortex™ Sawdust-Removal Bandsaw Blade

Wood-Mizer’s groundbreaking VORTEX™ sawdust-removal bandsaw blade profile is available now around the world. Wood-Mizer’s new VORTEX™ blade is engineered for pallet and fence board producers who need boards as free from excess sawdust as possible.

The VORTEX™ blade removes dust while sawing in order to minimize or eliminate the need for sawdust removal after the lumber is processed. This extremely unique blade profile has generated positive results in high-production pallet factory tests.

Pallet producer, Jeff Coomer of Coomer & Sons Sawmill says, “The VORTEX blade was getting 98 to 99% of the dust off, so it was impressive on how much dust it took off compared to a typical saw blade.”

Additionally, Paul Smith of Smith Sawmill Service says, “The new VORTEX blade does a great job of getting the sawdust off the wood. It’s going to be an asset for companies trying to produce a clean pallet.”
Wood-Mizer Announces Bi-Metal Turbo 7 Bandsaw Blade

With increased air flow and additional room for sawdust removal while sawing hardwoods, the Turbo 7 profile has received positive reports from high production, high horsepower, and high feed rate sawmilling operations throughout the world.

The Turbo 7 profile is now available in the Bi-Metal blade product line for a long-lasting blade. The high-alloy backing material of Bi-Metal blades offer a combination of durability and fatigue resistance, enabling a flex life that is up to 3 times longer than carbon blades. “While Wood-Mizer is the world’s leading portable sawmill manufacturer, we also have a commitment to provide a variety of high-quality bandsaw blades to the market to cut any species of timber anywhere in the world,” said John Storm, Wood-Mizer Blades Manager. “The Bi-Metal Turbo 7 blade is the latest addition in our extensive blade lineup and is ideal for sawing exotic and frozen hardwoods in a production sawmilling environment.”

(The Turbo 7 bandsaw blade is currently available in North & South America)

Jacob Mooney Public Relations Specialist  |  Marketing Wood-Mizer Industries
Nagorna Street 114
62-600 Kolo, Poland
jmooney@woodmizer.com
+48 63 26 26 037
Newsroom  eNews Subscribe

Tigercat releases next generation 480B track mulcher and the brand new Tigercat 4061 mulching head as Tigercat’s off road industrial product line continues to expand.

The Tigercat 480B

The Tigercat 480B tackles the toughest terrain with ease and offers superior durability and high uptime for large-scale, time-sensitive right-of-way and site preparation projects.

With a power rating of 411 kW (550 hp) at 1,800 rpm, the Tigercat FPT C13 Tier 4f engine offers quick load response, low operating costs and high power density, combined with excellent fuel economy.

Best of all, Tigercat FPT engines are backed by Tigercat warranty and support. The efficient, responsive closed loop track drive system delivers powerful tractive effort and performance with greater hydraulic effi ciency in challenging terrain.

The high-lift boom geometry means high productivity in slopes and gullies. The cab interior is quiet and instrumentation has been placed to optimize productivity.

The electronic control system interface uses a high-resolution, 180 mm (7 in) touch screen.

The 480B is equipped with a comfortable, heated and cooled seat with air-ride suspension. Excellent cab insulation translates to reduced noise levels so operators can take full advantage of the Bluetooth® sound system with hands-free calling.

4061 mulching head

The new mulching head offers excellent durability and reliability in a package ideally suited to the capabilities of the Tigercat 480 and M726 series mulchers.

The 4061 is manufactured to Tigercat’s exacting high standards for robustness and quality. The housing features reinforced side covers and abrasion resistant skis.

The housing is optimized with debris door cylinders mounted internally for protection and contains position references to aid in ski alignment. Timing belts eliminate belt slip and provide efficient power transfer to the rotor, lowering maintenance time and costs associated with conventional v-belts.

Service and maintenance are a snap, maximizing uptime. The Tigercat designed tooth and holder system uses a taper lock interface that requires no torque wrenches, greatly reducing changeover time.

The teeth are extremely durable with carbide tips and carbide inserts for increased life. Unlike competing mulching heads, the 4061 wear liner requires no welding and the rotor does not need to be removed when servicing.

There are also reversible and interchangeable shear bars for quick servicing. In addition, a tapered housing shields debris from potential build-up and easily accessible grease points make daily servicing even more convenient.

Contact

Samantha Paul, marketing specialist Tigercat Industries Inc.
tel: 519-753-1539 ext. 4279
email: spaul@tigercat.com

The Tigercat 1055C forwarder represents a major update to the heavy-duty, 14-tonne 1055 model series.

The 1055C now offers Tigercat’s innovative low-wide™ bunk system found on the larger 1075C and 1085C models. Low-wide provides superior line-of-sight to the load and reduces operator strain. The 1055C is also available with a choice of three wagon frame lengths and fixed bunks.

The new Tigercat F135T85 hooked crane means more lift for the 1055C and less chance of the crane contacting the gate. Increased operator confi dence and more lifting power translates to decreased loading and unloading times and increased productivity. The maximum reach of the new crane is 8,5 m (335 in) and it has a gross lifting moment of 135 kNm (99,571 lbf). The 1055C is powered by the Tigercat FPT N67 in Tier 2 and Tier 4 configurations. Tigercat FPT engines offer quick load response, low operating costs and high power density, combined with excellent fuel economy.

The engines are backed by Tigercat warranty and support. The Tier 4f configuration is rated at 159 kW (213 hp) at 2,100 rpm and delivers a peak of 165 kW (221 hp) at 1,900 rpm. The Tier 2 configuration is rated at 159 kW (213 hp) at 2,100 rpm and produces a peak of 165 kW (221 hp) at 1,900 rpm.

Tigercat forwarders have unsurpassed service access to all electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems. All parts in the forwarder can be lifted out as opposed to dropped from underneath the machine. Thoughtful component arrangement and access makes servicing Tigercat forwarders easier than competing machines.

The engine hood flips forward for great access to both sides of the engine and the entire engine compartment. The strong steel engine house cover forms a comfortable, spacious work platform in the open position.

As with the rest of the Tigercat forwarder line-up, the operating environment is expansive and comfortable with optimized sight lines and ergonomics. Sound levels are very low. Lighting, operator controls and interface and the climate control systems are well engineered, contributing to high productivity and reduced operator fatigue during long shifts.

Tigercat has extended the release of the D-series shovel loggers to all markets. The Tigercat FPT powered S855D and LS855D can be configured for Tier 2 or Tier 4f. Tigercat FPT engines offer improved reliability and lower long-term maintenance costs. Best of all, the engines are fully supported by Tigercat and the Tigercat dealer network.

The S855D series shovel loggers are a uniquely versatile solution for steep slope and sensitive site logging applications. The LS855D is a quick, nimble and powerful carrier — well suited to felling, pre-bunching and shovel logging on steep terrain. The LS855D is commonly equipped with a feller director boom and the Tigercat 5195 directional felling head for felling and shovel logging.

Alternatively the carriers can be equipped with a live heel boom system and grapple for pure shovel logging. Along with the high flotation undercarriage, this is an excellent configuration for southern US style log mat-based lowland logging applications. With the patented Tigercat ER boom and energy recovery swing system, the S855D series shovel loggers can cost effectively forward wood to roadside in steep or wet soil conditions up to distances of 80-100 m (260-330 ft). A shovel logger can be strategically located in challenging parts of the cut block to forward trees to the skidder or fell and bunch for a yarding system.

Unlike excavator-based shovel loggers with add-on forestry packages, the S855D and LS855D are purpose-built for heavy duty forestry applications. The efficient hydraulic system is optimized for shovel logging and felling with a directional felling head.

The LS855D is equipped with Tigercat’s patented leveling system, providing exceptional stability in steep slope applications. It uses two massive hydraulic cylinders and heavy steel sections for a solution that is both simple and robust. The unique geometry of the leveling system promotes balance, poise and stability on slopes.

In addition, the ramped undercarriage allows the machines to easily drive up over rocks and stumps.

Tigercat has swapped the Tigercat FPT C87 engine for the N67 to more closely match to the duty cycle of this series of harvesters and feller bunchers.

Models on offer with the N67 engine will include the 822D, L822D, H822D and LH822D. The machines will be available with Tier2 or Tier 4f engine configurations for sale worldwide. Tigercat will continue to produce the LX830D with the C87 engine and closed loop track drives for the North American market.

The 822D platform has a higher capacity cooling system and a new engine enclosure profile that improves all-important right hand side visibility. A new cab structure with narrower front posts and larger side windows further enhances visibility with improved sight lines and the skylight has been replaced by the SKYVIEW camera system providing the operator with a much wider field of view. The 822D is now standard equipped with LED lighting for improved productivity in night shift operations.

The cab interior is quieter and instrumentation has been thoughtfully placed to optimize ergonomics. The electronic control system interface includes an easy to use seven-inch colour touch screen for machine monitoring and function adjustment. There are also multiple mounting points for additional electronic devices including an auxiliary input port, Bluetooth^® audio and hands free calling and two 12 VDC power outlets.

At the push of a button, the powered engine enclosure fully opens with side platforms for easy access to critical components including hydraulic filters, the swing gearbox, cooling system components and both sides of the engine. The redesign also allows for a larger standard fuel tank, which increases capacity to 585 L (155 US gal) and includes ground level fueling.

With tight tuck boom geometry and near zero tail swing, the Tigercat 822D platform is powerful, compact and extremely fuel efficient. It is well suited to selective felling and clear felling in bunching and harvesting applications.