Harvesting, infrastructure, logistics

With two newly developed forwarder prototypes, five new and different modules were implemented and tested in the fields under varying production conditions within Europe. These modules are developed towards raising the productivity of the machine, improving the working conditions and lowering the ecological impact of the forwarding process. The modules contain a hydrostatic-mechanical transmission system (HVT, M1), a suspended cabin (M2), an energy regenerating and recuperating hydraulic crane (M3), a triple bogie axle for wet terrain, that can be used with or without tracks (M4) and a monitoring system to surveil and document the machine status to derive further information of production and environment (M5).

With the tests of prototype machines, the aims of development could be proven by the field tests, that were executed within the study. Especially the effect on the soils on sensitive areas, also without the use of bogie tracks, as it was tested on distributed bark beetle infested stands in Saxony, was one field of application where the advantages of tire-based working, longer bogie axle and high contact surface were positively assessed. With more experiences, the revelation of further advantages or limitations are expected.

Within the field tests, all modules of the “Triple Bogie Prototype” (M3, M4, M5) were assessed with a positive effect. For wetland (Saxony) or even peatland working conditions (Scotland, Lithuania), the triple bogie showed advantages in technical accessibility but also the lower environmental impact on sensitive areas. Without the use of tracks, especially under varying, partly sensitive soil conditions the system has advantages towards other systems as the machine was able to relocate itself on own axle for long distances and provide the protection effect. The protection of ditches while entering forest stands was a positive additional effect of the system that could be observed as it acts like a built- in bridge. Due to potential high load capacity of both base machines, also a high productivity was recorded that fit or exceeded literature findings. The crane system (M3) which has also a high positive influence on the fuel consumption could withstand a fuel consumption reduction effect on its own, at is was proven under laboratory conditions.

• With higher productivity, now due to higher driving speeds and in course of a lowered fuel consumption, the second, “HVT- Prototype” (M1, M2, M5) setup presented its advantages especially under longer hauling distances with high possible driving speeds. This machine can be especially be efficiently used in regions with low road densities.
• With the monitoring system (M5), the environmental impact and the machine behavior was actively observed and evaluated. As the here implemented iFOS system is freely configurable, it was successfully implemented in the project and could for instance be further introduced as modular environmental documentation system by forest enterprises or in public services. The separately developed data-based crane scale as stand-alone or industry 4.0 service, makes it possible to use the forwarding information in logistic applications like the energy wood supply in the wood chip logistic (Geiger et al. 2019).

The NavLog GmbH (on behalf of the forestry and timber industry) creates a dataset of forest roads in Germany which classifies them on their suitability for the exposure to timber trucks.

The quality of the data constantly improves through the updates of the local responsible persons.
They provide GIS, WebMap Services and data for navigation devices.

As opposed to the suppliers of the public road datasets, the NavLog GmbH doesn’t survey the information about the suitability of the roads with specially equipped vehicles.
Instead, the data is surveyed from professionals, such as local foresters, and put together by NavLog like a puzzle. Since 2010, NavLog provides more than 450.000 km of classified forest roads cross-border.

The flow of data between the partners of forestry and the timber industry is an unpredictable obstacle in terms of time in the supply chain. Still today, lists of wood and factory dimension protocols are passed along analogically on paper. Regional individual solutions for digital data transfer exist, but they are expensive compared to the sold number of products.
ELDAT is publicly available and updated by the Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V. since 2002.

Digitalization process with optimizing interfaces still in process.

ELDAT is the first national standard, which enables a consistent communication between all involved partners of the process chain. It enables the transfer of single timber data (formerly the list of wood) as well as the transmission of process defining information such as e.g. contract, billing or delivery data in shortest time and therefore is an important part in the supply-chain-management.

The information sheets of the LWF summarize the latest research findings for practical application. They are of interest for foresters, forest workers, forest owners and interested private persons.

The information sheets of the LWF contributes to a better forest culture and professionalization even in small scale forest ownership structure and is printed and published also in Internet.

Approach in the selected example:
Description of the different options to form a processing chain for the supply of wood chips (harvesting, logging/stocking, chopping, transport), with regard to the kind and the amount of wood available
Instruction for measuring the amount of wood chips based on the estimation of the stock volume
Sustainability: Recommendation to use branches and tree tops for wood chips only dependent of the location à should not be used in locations poor of nutrients. The withdrawal of nutrients can be decreased by debranching and removal of the tree tops à nutrients stay in the ecosystem and growth is maintained. Additionally, the quality of the wood chips increases and revenues can be higher

Goal of the project was to improve the flow of information and of material in the timber supply process of the forestry associations (WBVs) Traunstein, Rosenheim and Holzkirchen. The following objectives were defined: Creation of an integrative model to increase the competitiveness of all stakeholders in the value-added chain (forest owner, WBVs, contractors, haulers, consumers of wood) Evaluation of different timber harvest chains in the frame of an actual state analysis based on important logistic indicators (i.a. lead times, accounting periods) Recording of organizational structures and of the technical equipment of the WBVs for the identification of the business process flow The study showed that especially in small private forests a clear process coordination is needed to fulfill customer demands while at the same time reducing idle time à consequent use of modern information and communication technology is very essential. In the implementation phase, changes were measured in two models: regional thinning events and the integration model. In the regional thinning events the following changes were recognized: The goal of a timber stack size of 50 m³ obs could not be reached, in fact, it even decreased to a size below the size of the actual state analysis The share of highly mechanized harvesting methods in total logging increased from 28 % to 37 % (goal: 35 %) The lead time could be reduced from 49 to 38 days (goal: 35 days) The accounting time (end of transport until final billing) could be reduced from 39 to 25 days (goal: 30 days) due to the installation of 4 EDP-inferfaces with customers (goal: 5 interfaces)

·         A land-consolidation procedure aimed at reorganizing land, including forestland. During the restructuring process, mostly smaller scattered areas (fragmented land) are combined to larger and thus more effective usable areas. The reason for the previous fragmentation is the „real division“. Landscaping also includes the creation of paths, roads and waters as well as similar public facilities.
The main goals of this process are:
Better and more efficient cultivation
Maximum possible benefit for all stakeholders and public
Increase in value

Improving land occupancy

BASE has developed Cogen'Air, the first Thermovoltaic solar panel, capable of producing electricity and heat simultaneously. While a conventional solar panel converts only about 15 to 20% of the solar energy received into electricity, Cogen'Air produces 10% more electricity and 3 times more heat, for a total efficiency of more than 60%. This Thermovoltaic panel is therefore 4 times more efficient than a conventional solar panel. BASE designs and markets heat and electricity production solutions for agricultural drying activities and biomass drying activities. It also markets solutions for the energy efficiency of buildings: heating support, electricity and domestic hot water production. The main objectives are: - Provide innovative and cost-effective solar solutions to contribute to a sustainable society. - Guarantee a drying quality superior to that of open-air drying and allow the production of a fuel with constant characteristics specific to the needs of boilers. - Improve the value of wood by preserving the resource in particular. - Reduce stocks and the mass to be transported. - Achieve a higher PCI, reduce wood consumption, increase boiler life - Generate income from photovoltaic production. The dryers designed with Cogen'Air Thermovoltaic technology ensure a homogeneous and fast drying of the wood energy. The control system allows the dryer to operate optimally, based on numerous temperature and humidity sensors. These dryers make it possible to recycle wood waste and give it a second life. One of the BASE dryers is intended, for example, for the recovery and drying of crushed strains, dry chips that will then be marketed in supermarkets as firelighters. This product from the Cogen'Air drying process has a high PCI and is ideal for boilers. The electricity is resold and provides additional income to the operator.

The Best Practice is addressing the challenge of soft terrains in harvesting.

It eases planning of harvesting locations and anticipating of harvesting of different forested areas. It considers only the static features of forest, not daily weather for example. However, bearing capacity in three different summer moisture condition classes is considered in the maps.

The material of the mainland Finland harvesting maps contains rasterized harvesting maps describing the terrain's bearing capacity. The capacity is classified in six categories. The maps tell when it is possible to go into the forest with the harvester. The material is free to use.

Spatially explicit GIS-method and a collection of tools to assess the energy wood biomass availability and transport costs at regional level to any given end-use location. In the process the technical harvesting biomass potential, local competing demand and the wood resource balance are assessed. The transport costs from the grid of supply points can be viewed as a function of transport distance. Also, different future growth and demand scenarios can be included into calculations thus providing a valuable decision support to investors of energy wood industry.

Most customer projects differ from every other project in some respect. Calculation methods need more or less adjustment.

Results from the analysis: 1. Numerical (GIS) maps of biomass potential for any given timber assortment, biomass demand and wood resource balance (e.g. balance of small trees, see picture above).
2. Graphs depicting transport costs as a function of distance. 3. Spreadsheets of the result data used for graphs. 4. Summary report of the results for the customers.

For more information, see the reference.

Forest owner association (FOA) Pohorje-Kozjak is voluntary, non-profit and independent association of private forest owners established in 2007. Main aim of FOA is to increase the sustainable management of private forests and strengthen the economic power of forest owners in accordance with the law. Main tasks of FOA are education of forest owners, consultancy on management and sale of wood, assistance in applying for calls and giving comments on legislation. In the year 2012, a forest owners cooperative (FOC) was set up in order to expand their activities to the rave of business integration.

FOC Kozjak-Pohorje is an example of good practice expansion from the societal activities to the level of business cooperation in a forest cooperative. The comparative study reveals, that members of FOC are on average younger, they have larger forest properties and are better educated than members of the FOA. Also, the interests of members in FOC and FOA are different;  socio-educational reasons are the main driving force in case of FOC, while among FOA members interests are predominantly economic in nature.

The purpose of FOC is primarily a common appearance on the market, which in turn accelerates the economic benefits of its members and increases the competitiveness of forest owners on the market. On the long term, the plan is to increase the purchase quantity of wood and conclude long-term contracts with sawmills. The FOC also established a logistic center for supplying the residents with heat, produced from woody biomass. The next planned step is the investment in boiler rooms, establishment of social enterprise and sale of heat to final consumers. In addition, members of the FOC carry out logging and harvesting activities for forest owners and state forests. In the period from its foundation to date, the operation of the cooperative is stable and positive.