The Elephant King forwarder is the most powerful machine in PONSSE’s forwarder range. Possibly the most productive forwarder on the market, offering a superior level of comfort, it is particularly economical and efficient when transport distances are long or transported trees are large.
Forwarders.
When Elephant King is equipped with PONSSE Active Crane, a loader control system for forwarders, productivity in demanding conditions will improve even further. With the Active Crane system, the operator controls grapple movements instead of individual functions, lightening the operator’s workload. Active Crane is easily controlled using two levers, one of which controls the grapple height from the ground and the other controls the direction of movement.
The PONSSE K121 loader offers unprecedented efficiency and speed for load handling in tough conditions.
The Elephant King forwarder with the K121 loader is a powerful combination at worksites where load handling takes up a large part of working hours. The K121 loader also makes working easier at sites where large trees are handled and on steep slopes where the loader needs to be powerful. The high slewing and lifting power, longer reach, new loader geometry and good controllability speed up loading and unloading.
“Elephant King’s technology, tested in extreme conditions in the Russian cold and the Brazilian heat, improves productivity and helps the operator keep going. This forwarder’s cabin offers an enjoyable work environment for professionals who appreciate comfort, safety and ergonomics. The powerful engine and the 20-tonne load carrying capacity guarantee that trees are transported efficiently,” Juha Haverinen, Product Manager.
Using the Perception HEAD enables the Woodtech Division of Wintersteiger AG to precisely detect the structure of defects in wood. This allows chemical characteristics such as blue stain, weak spots, branch decay, galls, and knotholes to be precisely scanned & machined, setting new quality assurance standards in the timber industry.
Changes in the price of wood alongside new material requirements and applications present challenges in the growing, constantly shifting timber market. At the same time, this offers up opportunities for innovative timber processors aided by improved quality control and long-term cost savings. The application of chemical sensing in the timber industry addresses quality requirements, price pressures, and application innovation all in one.
Scanner technology is among Wintersteiger’s core competencies and is applied in systems for timber surface repair as well as in diverse sorting lines. Perception Park now supplies the Perception HEAD, a special solution that uses hyperspectral imaging technology. This innovative technology that enables the “chemical sensing” of the raw material to be identified has aroused a great deal of interest among Austrian machinery and plant engineering businesses.
“Our current scanner technology gives us information on the geometry, position, color, and size of a defect, such as a knot or a crack in the wood. Our solutions from the “Timber Repair & Cosmetics” product group can then automatically clean or machine out the defect and permanently fill it. Hyperspectral imaging will then additionally tell us about the structure of a defect. So, only those defects that would cause problems in the downstream process, such as knotholes, can be pinpointed and removed. That way, you can achieve a more natural look,” explains Markus Weissenbrunner, Head of Strategic Product Development at Wintersteiger AG, as he sets out his vision for how the HSI technology could be used.
Another application example can be found where there is a need to distinguish heartwood from sapwood when cutting green round timber, such as pinewood. Since the color of the heartwood will only change on contact with UV light, production has to be halted to be able to definitively detect the differences. Using the Perception HEAD means the wood can be scanned and classified at the sawing stage.
Wintersteiger is currently testing hyperspectral imaging for other customer requirements, e.g., for moisture measurement to trace signs of decay when analyzing glued joints in multilayer boards or when detecting resin. “In addition to our existing scanner technologies, hyperspectral imaging gives us much more information and is opening up completely new application areas in wood processing,” according to Weissenbrunner, who delightedly points out the potential of the HSI technology.
The cooperation saves costs in later production steps. Variations in quality (in lumber, engineering timber, etc.) can be identified enabling more accurate pricing. Its use also represents a benefit for the end customer – since the quality of timber products can be better matched to the application.
“Fitting wood scanners with a Perception HEAD was pure inspiration! Chemical sensing permits new levels of quality – as yet unseen – that will significantly improve production processes,” believes Ulrich P. Schön, Business Development Manager at Perception Park.
Cooperation driven by innovation.
The outstanding benefits of this new inspection technology will become available to future customers of Wintersteiger AG. This cooperative development between the Woodtech Division of Wintersteiger AG and Perception Park GmbH is set to further strengthen the position of both companies in the market.
VAP-Wintersteiger GmbH as part of the Woodtech Division in the Wintersteiger Group specializes in plant engineering and automation. From feasibility studies to remote maintenance of the overall installation, the innovative plant engineers deliver automation solutions for the production of windows, engineered flooring, furniture, and multi-layer boards, as well as large sawmills.
Perception Park is a world-renowned pioneer in the field of chemical sensing, often enabling solutions to problematic challenges where other technologies miss the mark. This technology allows materials that are very similar visually to be distinguished on the basis of their chemical composition or the concentration and distribution of their constituents – such as in foodstuffs or pharmaceutical products – and to precisely capture this data in real time.
Chemical sensing.
Their chemical properties mean substances reflect completely different spectrums of light. Using a hyperspectral camera, images can be captured outside the visible range, such as infrared. Unlike normal cameras, hyperspectral technology shows a spectral image of the light reflected from the material. Each point is depicted not only by an intensity value, but also by hundreds of spectral wavebands. This ultra-precise spectral measurement allows the properties of materials to be tested and their chemical composition to be visualized. The user gets a unique “fingerprint” or “spectral signature” of the object, which in its turn allows flaws and dirt invisible to the naked eye to be detected.
Chemical sensing is used for applications where materials need to be analyzed and/or sorted based on chemical information.
It is used in the food-processing industry (to identify pressure marks and decay in fruit, ripeness requirements), the recycling industry (material-selective plastics sorting), and diverse medical technology applications.
Defect: raw, repaired, and sanded down (photograph: Wintersteiger)
The results of hyperspectral imaging are shown on the right in each photograph; in this case, a growth defect (knot) (Photograph: Perception Park)
Hyperspectral imaging showing an area contaminated with blue stain (shown in blue)
(Photograph: Perception Park)
Growth rings (heartwood/sapwood detection) Detection of early and late wood within the annual rings (Photograph: Perception Park)
Fully automated timber repair and cosmetic system TRC 3000 with defect scanner (photograph: Wintersteiger)
About Perception Park
Perception Park is a pioneer and innovator in the field of chemical sensing. Their software products are marketed globally by partners. Customer and sector-specific solutions are realized to meet application requirements.
Wintersteiger combines 4 product areas for the timber industry under the umbrella term “World of WOODTECH”: Precise thin-cutting and surface repair of wood, saw blades engineered and produced in-house, mobile and stationary sawmill technology, as well as automation solutions.
Wintersteiger is known for its state-of-art thin-cutting technology, which is used in lamella production throughout the world. The product range includes thin-cutting frame saws and thin-cutting band saws, including upstream and downstream processing. The thin kerf, highest accuracy, a ready-to-glue surface, and processing the lamellas without additional steps are key benefits for users. TRC (“Timber Repair & Cosmetics”) machines for semi- and fully automatic wood surface repair complement this product area.
Wintersteiger Sägen GmbH develops and produces carbide and Stellite® saw blades and offers saw services such as cleaning, straightening, leveling, and sharpening.
With the acquisition of SERRA Maschinenbau GmbH in January 2019, mobile and stationary sawmills were also added to the Wintersteiger product portfolio.
VAP-Wintersteiger (part of the Wintersteiger Group since 2012, “VAP Gruber Automations GmbH” until 2021) realizes automation solutions from fully automatic woodworking machines through to the optimization of production by means of customer-specific automation solutions.
Information about the company
Wintersteiger AG is an international machinery and plant engineering group. Founded in 1953, it has gradually established itself as a leading provider of innovative solutions for customers in technically sophisticated niche markets. The divisions of the company consist of:
Division SEEDMECH:
Turnkey solutions for plant breeding and research
Division SPORTS:
Rent & Service: One-stop supplier for the rental and servicing of sports products
Bike & Retail: Bike Services and custom solutions for feet
Drytech: Solutions for the hygienic drying of sports kit and work clothing, and for active air disinfection
Division WOODTECH:
Solutions for engineered flooring, furniture, and multi-layer boards
Saw blades for wood, food, and metal
Solutions for the sawmill industry
Plants and automation solutions
Division METALS:
Leveling technology machines and systems
Wintersteiger is the world market leader in its SEEDMECH, SPORTS and WOODTECH divisions. The group delivers to no fewer than 130 countries from its headquarters in Ried im Innkreis, Upper Austria, and via 15 subsidiaries and 60 representative offices. Wintersteiger has more than 1000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wintersteiger.com.
Blanca Forestry Products has purchased a GradeScan with deep learning artificial intelligence from Lucidyne for installation in their Blanca, CO planer mill.
After closely examining the different lumber scanner systems offered in the market, Blanca was all in for Lucidyne. All new Lucidyne GradeScans come standard with Lucidyne’s patented Intelligent Grading platform, using deep learning artificial intelligence for unmatched defect detection and grading results. Blanca also purchased Lucidyne’s Grade-VU Projector System to integrate with the GradeScan system. This project is scheduled for installation in August 2022.
“We evaluated all the grade scanning systems available and chose the Lucidyne because of the reliability of the GradeScan’s uptime performance and Lucidyne’s willingness to push the envelope in regard to new technology.” Rick Engebretsen General Manager, Blanca Forestry Products
Lucidyne, located in Corvallis, Oregon, is a leading manufacturer of scanning technologies for the wood product industry. As a division of Microtec, Lucidyne provides scanning solutions for the North American market. Microtec, headquartered in Italy, is the world’s most trusted scanning and optimization provider for the sawmilling and wood processing industry.
North America – Komatsu 931XC 8WD harvester & 855-3 forwarder offer forestry customers enhanced productivity in most terrains
Forestry equipment operates under difficult and demanding conditions. Engineered for the rugged terrain of forestry and logging work, Komatsu now offers two new machines, the 931XC-3 8WD harvester and the 855-3 forwarder.
931XC-3 (eXtreme Conditions) harvester
Designed for extreme conditions from smarter thinning to heavy-duty final felling, Komatsu’s 931XC-3 8WD harvester is exceptionally maneuverable in most types of forests and terrain. With an effective mix of power, torque and fuel economy, the harvester’s system has been optimized for low working speeds, including a broad powerband and high torque backup for challenging operations.
Unique 8WD system For excellent handling, the 8WD unique double Komatsu Comfort Bogie drive system follows the terrain more closely than other 8WD machines with a fixed rear-axle design, greatly reducing rear ground pressure. It offers high ground clearance and enhanced traction; hydrostatic transmission matching power and traction; and automatic cab/crane leveling.
Powerful parallel crane Promote enhanced production with a single control lever movement that extends the boom/arm on a parallel path. The three-pump hydraulic system enables simultaneous slewing, feeding and maneuvering, plus a ±180° cab/crane rotation with automatic 4-way cab/crane leveling.
Modern, large, spacious cab Critical to productivity are operator comfort and visibility. The automotive-quality cab on the 931XC-3 8WD harvester includes a giant front window, ergonomic seat, automatic climate control, sound-deadening measures, and heated and cooled meal storage, as well as an easy-to-understand machine interface.
855-3 forwarder Help your operator deliver productivity day after day in the 14-metric-ton class, Komatsu 855-3 forwarder. This machine works with your operator to offer power, nimbleness and smart features.
Machine and crane control Operators can monitor and control everything from engine and crane to the transmission and service ladders with the state-of-the-art MaxiXT system. All operator-specific functions can be fine-tuned to achieve the sensitivity and speed each individual operator prefers.
Smooth and fast transport Chassis and suspensions designed to maneuver through even the most rugged forests when fully loaded. Komatsu Comfort Bogie axles with a high portal offset and V-shaped frames provide high ground clearance.
HD stacking blade If your operation requires ground or stump leveling on tough terrain, an optional heavy-duty stacking blade is available. Mounted with a high angle of departure for climbing obstacles, there’s no interference between blade, battery boxes or hood guard.
Loading and moving materials in as few passes and cycles as possible can help increase productivity, and reduce costly wear and tear on machines. Designed to be a three-pass match for loading aggregate and other processed materials onto highway trucks, the 299 horsepower (223kW) Komatsu WA480-8 yard loader can also be adapted for use in infrastructure, forestry and non-residential construction applications.
Designed for increased productivity and versatility
The curved side edges of the Komatsu-designed, 7.2-cubic-yard bucket are built to minimize spillage, and the internal space and shape provides smooth material flow. The long bucket jaw and decreased strike plane angle helps deliver easy fill and low resistance during pile penetration. The integrated load meter system in the cab lets operators see how much material is in the bucket.
Additional productivity features on the WA480-8 yard loader include excellent visibility to the pile and surroundings, an easy-to-operate Advanced Joystick Steering System (AJSS) and a comfortable air-suspension seat.
For increased bucket capacity and stability, the yard loader arrangement has more than 1,400 pounds of added counterweight (compared to the standard WA480-8). Further stability is provided by low-profile tires with increased ground contact that are mounted to new heavy-duty front and rear axles.
Collectively, the features on the WA480-8 yard loader enhance its versatility, making it suitable for truck loading, carrying, stockpiling and hopper charging applications.
Maximized brake life
To promote maximized brake life in extended load-and-carry or high-speed applications, the WA480-8 yard loader has a new, highly efficient air-cooled braking system. The dedicated system enhances higher cooling efficiency even in tough environments. Stable cooling performance under high-duty cycle operation helps to reduce the risk of the oil overheating and in severe test conditions, this cooling system demonstrated a 56 to 58 degree Fahrenheit better cooling effect. A sensor on the electric drive pump measures the axle temperature and activates only when needed.
About Komatsu Komatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets.
Napier Port credits log exports for improved results – Napier Port’s revenue for the year to 30 September 2021 rose 9% to a record $109.5 million from $100.4 million in the same period a year ago, driven by increases in bulk cargo volumes and record log exports in particular.
Napier Port, which is a key gateway for central and lower North Island freight, achieved the record despite the challenges from global container shipping disruptions and the absence of cruise ship visits to the region.
Bulk cargo revenue rose 32.7% to $41.5 million from $31.3 million principally due to higher log volumes, which increased 27.6% to a record 3.02 million tonnes. Average revenue per tonne improved due to tariff increases, one off cost recoveries, and an improved cargo mix.
Container services revenue increased by 4.8% to $65.3 million from $62.3 million, thanks to a 2.9% increase in container volumes to 276k TEU[2] and improved average revenue per TEU.
Napier Port’s result from operating activities rose 6.4% to $43.8 million from $41.2 million, with the unwinding of the protective cost saving measures introduced at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and ongoing investment in capability to drive growth, together with costs associated with increased activity, partially offsetting the impact of revenue growth.
Napier Port also invested to improve services to customers including work to deploy an on-port log debarker, which will allow the company to cease on-port log fumigation.
Outlook – In the annual report Chair Alasdair MacLeod said: “Our base-case volume forecast for log exports in FY2022 is in-line with FY2021. We have been a beneficiary of buoyant log export markets for the past year, but we are not complacent about thepotential for a cooling in these favourable conditions to impact volumes through Napier Port.
One of Portugal’s largest pulp and paper producers, the Navigator Group, has ordered a new wood processing plant for its Figueira mill from Raumaster. The parties do not publish the exact transaction amount of the ordered entity, but it is significant for Raumaster.
The ordered plant will process eucalyptus wood as its raw material. Raumaster has invested significantly in the development of eucalyptus debarking and chipping technology over the past 10 years.
The project to be delivered is already the third cooperation project with Navigator Group in the last three years. The new wood processing plant will be commissioned during 2023.
The project significantly employs Raumaster’s planning and project management in Finland. The key devices are produced in Raumaster’s extensive partner network. Local companies in Portugal also play a major role in subcontracting the plant to be supplied.
“This large-scale deal is a great sign of customer satisfaction that we have managed to build on in our previous projects with Navigator Group. At the same time, this confirms that our development contribution to the development of eucalyptus processing technology has also been noticed in the customer base”, says Petri Lounasaho, Head of the Wood Processing Department.
Photo: Wood feeding of a similar type debarking at the Celbi plant in Portugal (Picture: Raumaster)
Ponsse has invested more than €2 million in the construction of a new service centre in Tomsk, West Siberian, Russia. The grand opening of the new service centre took place on 11 November 2021. Large stocks and an efficient logistics system guarantee customers short service times and fast spare parts deliveries.
The investment aimed to create a modern service centre with a current repair area and a logistics centre with a spare parts warehouse. This training centre offers skills on PONSSE harvesters and forwarders, and an in-depth knowledge of the structure and operation of technology. In total, the centre employs 26 people.
“Ponsse has been active in Tomsk for about 15 years, and our dealer company Zeppelin Russland played a vital role at the start. From the outset, Ponsse has been fortunate enough to work with very active and loyal customers and partners who have supported and appreciated the excellent progress of Ponsse’s operations in the region. Especially good, fruitful cooperation has developed with an experienced local logger and timber processor, Alexei Vasilyevich Maslov, whose company has helped us grow for many years”, says Jaakko Laurila, Managing Director of ООО Ponsse.
“The opening of the state-of-the-art new service center is a natural development, as the client base and Ponsse machine fleet in the area are growing from year to year. Our clients in the Tomsk region are professional and ambitious, and to support the growth of their logging business, Ponsse needs to develop accordingly,” Laurila explains.
“Over the years, we’ve also seen and felt a good creative relationship with the Administration of the Tomsk region, which was one of the main reasons why Ponsse decided to invest in Tomsk”, Laurila thanks.
Today, the Ponsse service network in Russia includes 44 service centres that belong to ООО Ponsse, a dealer company. In total, the network employs about 650 PONSSE specialists, most of whom are technical personnel. All specialists are constantly undergoing advanced training. According to the unified service standards, “ESW – Effective Safety Workshop – Effective and Safe Working Environment”, ООО Ponsse pays excellent attention to the quality of services and maintains them at a high Ponsse standard level in dealer companies.
In addition to employees, the Governor of the Tomsk Region Sergey Anatolyevich Zhvachkin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ponsse Plc Jarmo Vidgren, Managing Director of OOO Ponsse Jaakko Laurila, and other honoured guests and officials attended to the opening ceremony.
Ponsse Group will be in the future be responsible itself for the sales, spare parts and service business in Chile through its newly established subsidiary Ponsse Chile SpA. To this end, Ponsse and its local retailer F.C. Ventas Y Servicios Limitada (hereinafter “FC Ventas”) have on 5 November 2021 signed an asset purchase agreement related to Ponsse’s forest machine operations, according to which Ponsse Chile SpA will purchase FC Ventas’ service centre located in Chillan, including its spare parts stocks and maintenance vehicles, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions. The aim is that PONSSE services in Chile will transfer to Ponsse Group by the end of Q1/2022.
The employees of F.C. Ventas will join Ponsse Group as established employees after the transaction has been completed. Ponsse has prepared a comprehensive integration plan that will ensure a positive continuation of the local business and sufficient orientation for the employees.
The transaction has no impact on the previous guidance, which suggests that Ponsse Group’s operating result is estimated to be significantly higher than in 2020. Currently, Ponsse’s business in Chile amounts to approximately ten million euros. The purchase price of the transaction between FC Ventas and Ponsse will not be made public by mutual agreement. Furthermore, the purchase price has no impact on the valuation of Ponsse. The purchase price will be paid in cash subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions set for the completion of the transaction. Ponsse will fund the acquisition from its cash assets.
PONSSE forest machines have a market share of about 40 per cent of cut-to-length machines in Chile, and there are 150 PONSSE forest machines in the country. Further machine deliveries are expected as cut-to-length harvesting grows in popularity.
Securing service quality and continuity
Juho Nummela, Ponsse Plc president and CEO, says that FC Ventas has built a strong foundation for continuing the development of the service selection.
“We want to provide our customers in the growing Chilean market with the best support possible in the form of excellent products and services that ensure the continuity of their business. We have expanded our subsidiary network with care and always based on customer needs. Our range of products is a good fit for the local conditions, and we believe in the growth potential of PONSSE products and services in Chile,” says Nummela.
This change will not interrupt the local PONSSE services, which include machine sales, maintenance, spare parts services and training for local customers. The FC Ventas service centre in question was completed in 2015 and it operates in Chillan in the middle of Chile’s forested region.
Ponsse first started import operations in Chile in 2014, but the first PONSSE forest machines were already working in the country in the 1990s. The sustainable annual harvesting volume has grown steadily thanks to the trees’ quick life cycle and well-managed forest plantations. In 2019, Chile’s wood harvest for sawmills, pulp mills and veneer industry applications was 47.6 million cubic metres. The country’s forest industry is based on forest plantations, and 28 per cent of their harvesting is currently based on the cut-to-length (CTL) method.
Ponsse’s Vieremä factory currently exports 80 per cent of its production, and PONSSE solutions are sold and serviced by a network of 12 subsidiaries and 44 retailers. In addition to its international subsidiaries, Ponsse Group includes the technology company Epec Oy in Finland. Ponsse Chile SpA will join Ponsse’s other South American subsidiaries in Uruguay and Brazil.
Vieremä, Finland, 05 November 2021
PONSSE PLC
Juho Nummela
President and CEO
The Governor of the State of Pernambuco, Paulo Câmara, Anna-Greta Tsahkna, CEO of Timbeter and José Bertotti, Secretary of Environment of the State of Pernambuco, in participation with the Estonian Minister of Environment, Tõnis Mölder, signed an agreement in Glasgow, on the 8th of November 2021, to start a cooperation project focusing on strengthening legal and sustainable practices for the forest industry in Brazil. This project is called “Implementation of Timbeter technology for environmental inspection and tax control”.
The main goal of the cooperation project between Timbeter and the Government of the State of Pernambuco is to use Timbeter’s innovative technology for measuring timber as an efficient controlling tool for the environmental inspection teams.
Paulo Câmara, the Governor of Pernambuco stated: “I’m happy with this innovative collaboration and I will compromise to take Timbeter’s technology knowledge to the other nine States that are part of Consórcio Nordeste, as these States walk together with development and technology for sustainable future”.
The Environment Minister of Estonia, Tõnis Mölder, was also present at the signing of the agreement and pointed: “The cooperation memorandum signed today between Timbeter and the State of Pernambuco is a clear indication of “act” – there’s not only talks, but also clear steps of action.“
Anna-Greta Tsahkna, CEO of Timbeter, added: “For us, it is important to have this cooperation agreement signed at COP26, because we know that Pernambuco State is bravely changing from talks to real actions. Timbeter has been very well welcomed by the Brazilian private sector and now we are happy to start a collaboration with the public sector as well. We see that in public-private partnerships, we can really make a difference.”
The increase of speed in operations, transparency and efficiency in environmental inspection processes, is the first step in a technology transfer project with the goal to digitalize the operations of environmental inspection, carried out in the national territory of the state Pernambuco.
Several other actions are planned in the project that started in October 2021 which include: government agencies, such as CPRH – State Environmental Agency of Pernambuco, CIPOMA- Independent Environmental Policing Company, the environmental military battalion, Universities and the secretariats of the Environment and Finance of the State of Pernambuco.
The second stage of the project is the roll-out of the Timbeter Tax Control solution for sustainable management of the forestry sector by combating illegal logging activities. Tax control is the first digital solution in the world using AI and Machine learning to integrate Tax documentation and environment inspection and Pernambuco will be the pioneer using this technology.
Timbeter Tax Control will be integrated with the invoice generation and tax processing processes by the state departments of finance. This will help bring digitalization, sustainability, transparency and less disputes to log companies and the State governments, including their Secretaries of Environment and Finances.
Timbeter
Timbeter’s digital solution is changing the forestry sector by enabling sustainable forest management, increasing the safety of employees, maximizing the value of each log, helping to optimize logistics and guaranteeing fair trades. Also, it helps with monitoring and controlling the timber supply chain, supporting governments and law enforcement agencies to prevent illegal logging and keep a better overview on the volumes harvested.
Timbeter has been working with some of the largest companies in Latin-America since 2017 such as CMPC (Chile), Suzano (Brazil), Klingele (Brazil), International Paper (Brazil), Faber-Castell (Brazil) and many others.
Defect: raw, repaired, and sanded down (photograph: Wintersteiger)
