The new system prevents damage to the 3000, 3400, and 6400 series Wood Hog Horizontal Grinders.

The Vtection system monitors rotor vibration to reduce damage from contact with un-shreddable objects or other causes of damaging vibration like an out-of-balance rotor, broken insert, defective bearing, or extremely hard wood. The system features two operating modes; grinding protection mode and service and maintenance mode. When coupled with Morbark's Break-Away Torque Limiter, these devices provide customers with a good solution for hammermill protection.

To use the Vtection system, the operator sets an acceptable operating vibration level through the electronic controller. Since different feedstocks produce different vibration levels, the operator can quickly fine-tune the trip point to match the grinding application. Adjusting the trip point based on the feedstock can help avoid unnecessary stopping of the infeed from normal operating vibration.

If an un-shreddable object enters the grinding chamber while in grinding protection mode, the Vtection system will sense the spike in vibration or trip point and instantly stop and reverse the infeed conveyor. By reversing the infeed conveyor, the Vtection system lowers the rotor's chance of repeatedly striking the foreign object.

Once the Vtection system is triggered, Morbark's Integrated Control System (MICS) initiates several actions to remove the undesired material out of the rotor area. The sequence of these actions includes: reversing and stopping the infeed, bringing the engine speed to idle, disengaging the clutch, and a warning message is displayed on the MICS screen. At this time, the operator can inspect the grinder and remove the object that caused the trip point before resuming operation.

During the service and maintenance protection mode, a user can hook up to the system software and monitor vibration levels during different engine loads (Low idle, High Idle, Clutch engage, No Clutch, etc.). Vibration specifications will vary based on the machine model. The system can be programmed to monitor and extract data. These signals can then be visually observed, and various readings can be recorded to verify that the machine is within acceptable vibration levels. Multiple programs can be used to evaluate the system data.

This system will minimise the potential for damage when non-grindable material enters the mill. Ship-out kits are available for in-field installations on pre-existing 3000X, 3400X, and 6400X horizontal grinders. Source

CMO extracts from the insightful comments of the Ponsse CEO in their 2020 annual report.

The text included below is taken verbatim from the 2020 Ponsse annual report. It gives loggers interesting insight into how the year played out for one of the biggest logging machine manufactures.

“The year 2020 started with growing uncertainties. The first part of the year was characterised by a trade war, unrest in labour markets, bark beetle damage in Central Europe and the impact of the slowing market cycle. Our strong order book gave us an excellent buffer for the early year’s challenges.

The real shock came at the end of the first quarter when the impact of the coronavirus pandemic started to materialise. Our company reacted quickly to the difficult situation, and we were able to alleviate the impact of the crisis. As societies started to close down due to restrictions, it became very difficult to forecast our operations.

Despite the challenging situation, we were able to maintain our net sales at a good level and to achieve a profitability of approximately nine per cent and an excellent cash flow of EUR 74.8 million. In the autumn of 2020, we delivered the 16,000th Ponsse machine made in Vieremä to a customer of ours.

What from our company’s point of view started as problems with the availability of spare parts, soon escalated into a crisis in demand for our products. Uncertainties over the impact of the rapidly worsening crisis slowed the markets considerably during the first half of the year. The uncertainty had a large impact on forestry companies. Our order book nearly halved during the second quarter year-on-year, and Russian markets, in particular, were the first to slow considerably. Towards the summer, our customers started, however, to show more urgent demand for machines, and we were able to return our factory to two shifts in the middle of June.

During the second half of the year, the market situation improved as the operations of our customers started to return to normal. The slow recovery in Asia gave a start to harvesting operations in Russia, and our situation slowly started to improve. During the third quarter, markets started to recover globally, and the availability of components normalized. Market recovery continued until the end of the year. Considering the situation and driven by our strong order book at the beginning of the year, our performance was excellent. Finally, demand for trade-in machines also returned to a good level and, at the same time, our after sales services climbed back to their normal growth track. Recovery from the coronavirus crisis was much quicker than expected.

Thanks to the recovery of the markets, our order books improved slowly towards the end of the year. Our order books amounted to EUR 174.9 (256.8) at the end of the year.

In accordance with our forecasts, forest machine sales volumes fell by approximately 20 per cent compared to the previous year. Among Ponsse’s business areas, the recovery of the trade-in machine sales and after sales, in particular, at the end of the year was a great relief in addition to the recovery of new machine sales. The stock of trade-in machines is still higher than normal, but the good sales of trade-in machines at the end of the year improved the cash flow from business operations significantly. Thanks to our customers’ good work situation, our after sales returned to their normal level after the drop during the second quarter.

In 2020, Ponsse’s cumulative net sales amounted to EUR 636.6 (667.4) million, which is a good result considering the situation, with a small decline of 4.6 per cent. The operating profit amounted to EUR 57.1 (67.3) million, and it equalled 9.0 (10.1) per cent of net sales. Cash flow from business operations amounted to EUR 74.8 (43.7) million, which was excellent. We kept working capital well under control during the year.

Coronavirus restrictions were visible in all our operations across the world. Decisions were made to ensure the health and safety of our customers and all Ponsse employees. The goal was to keep service centres and the factory as clean of coronavirus as possible. The transition of office employees to remote working in the spring exceeded all our expectations, and we were able to protect our employees’ health while continuing our development activities as normal. Our factory remained free of infections, and our employees’ exemplary approach to responsibility paid off. Working life and operating methods have changed permanently at Ponsse. We will return to our offices after the pandemic, but we want to hold on to the proven opportunities of remote working and use electronic channels more than before in communicating and contacting.

Since 2010, we have invested EUR 141 million in R&D and EUR 235 million in fixed assets. Continuous and purposeful development is an integral part of Ponsse’s operations. Our global distribution and after sales network is developing rapidly. We are developing the organisation and operating methods of our network systematically, and aiming to expand effectively to new market areas. The daily activities of the Ponsse network’s sales and after sales keep our customers satisfied and ensure our long-term success. At the same time, we are making significant investments in our R&D and manufacturing network to keep the development of our productivity and ability to produce quality as high as possible.” Source

The FH, FH16, FM and FMX trucks are entering production in Volvo’s manufacturing plants in Sweden, Belgium and Russia.

The Volvo FM and FMX trucks have a completely new cab with raised A-pillars that give drivers up to one extra cubic meter of space and increased light inside the cab. The driver’s visibility can also be improved further on all the new models by adding a passenger corner camera which provides a more complete view, covering the side of the truck, on an inside display.

Other important updates are the new driver interface and the optional adaptive high beam headlights for increased safety on the Volvo FH and FH16. The new Volvo FH and FM can also be tailored to enable significant fuel and CO2 savings, such as those gained on the Volvo FH with I-Save technology.

Reinforcing Volvo Trucks’ commitment to sustainable transport solutions, the new Volvo FH, FM and FMX trucks have also been developed for electrified drivelines with production starting during 2022. This means that their customers’ transition towards fossil free transports in the future will be seamless, as they can continue to drive their same favourite Volvo truck model.

Launched initially in Europe last year, the new heavy-duty range has received strong interest from customers, with over 12,000 trucks ordered in 2020. The launch and sales activities continue during 2021 in markets outside Europe. The trucks will initially be assembled at the Volvo Trucks’ production facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden, Ghent in Belgium and Kaluga in Russia. The assembly plant in Tuve, Gothenburg, is first out with production starting now in March 2021.

The new trucks offer a variety of different cab models and can be optimized for a wide range of applications. Volvo Trucks has focused strongly on developing the driver’s second home, which it often becomes in long-haul trucks. In regional transport trucks the cab frequently serves as a mobile office, while in construction the trucks are robust, practical work tools.

Driver visibility, comfort, ergonomics, noise levels, manoeuvrability and safety are therefore key focal points in the new truck models, which have also been upgraded in their exterior to reflect the new innovations. Source

It offers an industry-based Curriculum that exposes operators to some of the most difficult terrain.

CM Labs Simulations, developer of Vortex® training simulators, announced its entry into the Forestry and Logging market with the launch of a new training solution. The Forwarder Simulator Training Pack is the first release from CM Labs’ Forestry product line which has been developed in collaboration with industry experts, both from the perspective of the curriculum as well as machine design and behaviour. This new training solution exposes students to real-world scenarios in an expansive environment fully equipped with multiple tree species as well as off-road driving on rocks, rivers, slopes and tree stumps.

Workplace knowledge has traditionally been the most common way to transfer industry know-how, but the labour shortage makes it challenging to take productive workers off-the-job for training purposes. Designed in collaboration with Tigercat Industries, and powered by CM Labs’ Smart Training Technology™, every simulated machine component of the Forwarder Simulator is backed by precise engineering specifications to ensure realistic behaviour and maximum training value. Just like on the real machine, operators feel everything from the feedback of the crane when grappling multiple logs to the vehicle’s suspension when driving off road, delivering the most transferable skills anywhere, outside of the real equipment.

Students are challenged with an industry-approved curriculum that was developed through consultations with training institutions and ensures operators acquire the right skills and techniques relevant to the job. Progressive learning exercises include basic controls familiarization, loading and unloading from the trailer, log manipulation, and wood extraction in both flat and rough terrains. Built-in performance metrics track everything from fuel consumption, efficiency moving trees, and safety violations. Customizable scoring allows users to weight each metric for objective and standardized evaluation.

The introduction of the Forwarder Simulator Training Pack along with the release of the Harvester training pack means that training organizations can provide comprehensive education for forestry operators — from roadwork with CM Labs’ Earthmoving Training Packs, and now, cutting and moving timber. The Forwarder Training Pack currently runs on CM Labs’ desktop Vortex Edge Plus and the motion-enabled Vortex Edge Max simulators. Source

The new machine will appeal to contractors looking for a machine with performance and versatility in an easy-to-transport package.

The reduced tail swing radius on the PC88MR-11 makes it ideal for work on roadways, bridges, urban areas, or anywhere space is limited. The 67.7 hp (50.6 kW) excavator has standard high flow auxiliary hydraulics with proportional joysticks that offer incredible job versatility, while providing precise attachment control. Standard grading blade with new moldboard profile improves backfilling and light grading efficiency. This short tail swing excavator is more at home in confined spaces than a conventional excavator. Its swing boom design allows digging parallel to buildings or barriers.

The new high-efficiency power package and viscous fan clutch work together to lower overall fuel consumption by up to 13%. The smart, simplified catalytic system removes soot without a diesel particulate filter, for lower maintenance and lower cost of ownership. Faster boom up/swing speed, combined with responsive quick arm speed, makes excavating and levelling work easier and more efficient with the PC88MR-11. Six working modes let you tailor the machine to the tasks required, whether for performance or fuel savings.

Operators work comfortably in a quiet, climate-controlled cab featuring air suspension seat, Bluetooth radio, and high-resolution monitor with rear-view camera. The sliding cab door makes entry and exit easier in confined spaces and LED lights provide excellent vision at night. Periodic maintenance is accessible and efficient with large service access doors and grouped service points with ground-level access. Source

Software upgrades for MAN trucks “over-the-air”

​The new digital service MAN Now, the first service to offer over-the-air features, has gone live in the EU, Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Similar to a smartphone, which sees the user install the apps that they currently require, customers on the MAN Now platform receive upgrades that enable them to adapt the functionality of their trucks to their respective needs. These upgrades, such as MAN OnlineTraffic, can now be run en route and at any time via mobile Internet, without the need for cables or a visit to the workshop. Source

Volvo CE will be moving towards more market-specific Volvo branded events in the future

The shift will involve an increased focus on local market Volvo branded events to build stronger and more sustainable customer relationships. There will be a commercial marketing approach aimed at seamless integration of developing digital and traditional marketing channels. There will also be increased investment in digital channels and campaigns to reflect changing customer touchpoints and behaviours. Source

JCB launches a recruitment drive for 700 hundred employees

​More shop floor employees will be recruited and there are plans to give hundreds more agency employees permanent contracts as demand for construction equipment continues to soar. Last month the company revealed it was hiring more than 400 UK shop floor agency employees and giving permanent JCB contracts from April 1st to more than 300 existing agency employees. Today JCB announced it was recruiting a further 450 agency shop floor employees at its factories in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham – and later this year will give an additional 400 agency shop floor employees with more than one year’s service permanent JCB contracts. These will include assemblers, welders, fabricators and CNC machinists. Source

“Comparison of machine learning methods for dry biomass estimation based on green logging residues chips”

Found in the International Journal of Forest Engineering, 2021. The authors were Rodrigo De la Fuente, Jorge Cancino and Eduardo Acuña. Source

“Cost comparison of non-frozen and frozen forest road construction in changing climates”

Found in the International Journal of Forest Engineering, 2021. The authors were Tevfik Z. Kuloglu, Axel E. Anderson and Victor J. Lieffers. Source

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