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SUPPLIER NEWSLINE

By Tony Kryzanowski

Finger Scraper takes on carryback

Infinity Belting Ltd.’s Finger Scraper is said to be carryback’s worst enemy on cleated or textured conveyor belting. Conventional brush cleaners are prone to material buildup, causing the bristles to clog and as they are unable to turn freely, they eventually break off, effectively eliminating the brushes effectiveness. The Finger Scraper has been purposely designed to keep the conveyor belting and conveyor system free and clean of carryback. It is light and compact by design, is driven by the conveyor belt and has dual rows of self-cleaning tough urethane fingers that effectively eliminate the carry-back with their “flicking” motion.

www.infinitybelting.com

Major new investment in Tigercat production facility

Several hundred people, including Tigercat employees and their families, recently toured the company’s new $12 million, 11,800 square metre production facility in Paris, Ontario, about 100 kilometres southwest of Toronto.

“Tigercat is a growing global company and this investment to expand our production capabilities is a great testament to the commitment we have to our customers and to serving them better,” said Tigercat President, Tony Iarocci, at the open house.

Tigercat now has nine southern Ontario locations, a large parts distribution and training centre in Georgia, a sales and distribution facility in Sweden and a dealer network that spans the globe, covering the forestry regions of North America, South America, Australasia, Africa, Europe and Russia.

The new plant will house production of swing machines and cut-to-length attachments including the 200 series loaders and the 800 series track feller bunchers, harvesters and loggers.

www.tigercat.com

Cat bunchers/harvesters upgraded for faster, smoother harvesting

Cat’s track bunchers and harvesters have been upgraded to boost efficiency, performance and productivity.

The upgraded line consists of two near-zero tail swing feller bunchers, the Cat 521B and 522B, and two full tail swing machines, the Cat 541 Series 2 and Cat 552 Series 2.

They have been upgraded with the new Cat PRO (Parallel Reach Operation) System. It gives operators the ability to complete a smoother, more fluid harvesting motion.

One joystick either extends or retracts the work tool by combining both the main and stick boom functions. For feller buncher configurations, the head is kept level as well. By combining these functions in one joystick, the operator can efficiently move the head in a parallel motion relative to the ground.

“The Cat PRO System makes operation much easier, especially for new and less experienced operators. They can learn the machine more quickly and boost their speed and productivity because of the simplified joystick movements needed to fell a tree,” says Jared Dunn, product application specialist for Caterpillar Forest Products.

The machines also have new enhanced power management software tailored for the unique engine-hydraulic interactions in a forestry application.

www.cat.com

Williams Engineering Canada handles combustible dust safety standards

Disasters such as explosions and fires in wood milling and manufacturing facilities in British Columbia have focused the province’s attention on sites where combustible dust is generated or handled.

Williams Engineering Canada says that due to these disasters, employers will be required to upgrade any dust collection systems that handle combustible dust to meet current safety standards, which have not been enforced until recently.

Williams Engineering Canada can assist clients by providing a full inspection and hazard assessment of the job site. In addition, laboratory services can be provided to determine the properties of the dust.

The company can also provide full site airflow and velocity testing of the dust collection system in order to ensure that minimum standards are met, and act as the owner’s technical and compliance adviser for new or retrofit projects. After a gap analysis and mitigation plan are developed, the company can assist by providing detailed design services as well as annual compliance inspections that are recognized by regulators and worker advocacy/safety groups.

Williams Engineering Canada is committed to providing exceptional services and solutions to its clients by establishing effective communication throughout the duration of any project and bringing depth, innovation, sophistication, and engagement to all of its projects, the company says.

www.williamsengineering.com

Madill expands product offering

Madill Equipment, a Nicholson Manufacturing company, has completed the first Madill 124 swing yarder manufactured in Canada since 2007.

“Completing the 124 swing yarder is a significant milestone for us as a local manufacturer and employer, and also for the forest industry as a whole as the focus has increased on creating safer working environments in steep slope harvesting operations,” says Doug Jeffrey, President of Nicholson Manufacturing.

Jeffrey added that in addition to the 124 swing yarder, manufacturing is underway on a new Madill 172 tower yarder, the last one having been manufactured in 2006.

www.madillequipment.com

Southstar launches Startrax satellite communications and data collection system

Logging attachment manufacturer Southstar has developed Startrax, a satellite communications system designed specifically for sending and receiving production reports, grades, assortments, and machine information or instructions in remote areas, regardless of cell services.

This is an added safety benefit when working in remote destinations, as Startrax allows for constant communication from the office to the entire logging fleet.

Cutting instructions can be sent to operators in the field from any location.

In addition to the safety and communications features of two-way messaging, Startrax can be set for automatic reporting of production reports or as needed, with no need for printouts or a memory stick. Equipment can be located and managed through GPS.

www.southstarequipment.com

B.C. Interior forest volunteers recognized

A public advisory committee working with Tolko Industries Ltd. on sustainable forest management in the Cariboo region of B.C.’s Central Interior for nearly a decade has been recognized with the CSA Sustainable Forest Management User Group Chairman’s Award for its leadership and personal commitment to the public participation process as well as ongoing continuous improvement.

The Advisory Group has helped ensure local forest management meets strict on-the-ground tests required by CSA for each of the biological, environmental and social criteria under the sustainable forest management standard.

“This is well deserved recognition of the ongoing efforts and continued support of the Cariboo Woodlands Public Advisory Group,” says Bryan Jakubec, Area Supervisor – Planning at Tolko Industries Ltd. “I continue to be impressed by the range of interests that the Advisory Group represents and the technical expertise that they bring to the table during discussions on a wide range of subject matter. It is great that these committed volunteers are being recognized for their efforts— definitely well deserved!”

http://csasfmforests.ca/news.htm

Komatsu launches new high capacity final felling head

Komatsu now offers a new S132 harvesting head, the second model in its new S-series family of ‘squeeze-style’ harvesting heads.

The S132 harvesting head is a high capacity head suited for a wide variety of final felling applications including those with crooked trees and tough branches.

Weighing 2965 lbs, the S132 has a recommended DBH working range of 6” to 17” diameter and a maximum cutting diameter of up to 28.3”. It is available installed on Komatsu 931.1 and 941.1 harvesters, and can be installed on other carriers as a loose head.

Komatsu says the S132 is built on a robust frame design that provides excellent durability, reliability and protection of key components.

The 360 degree rotator, a 128 degree tilt link angle and an effective swing damping/braking system ensures fast feeding performance and reduces head frame stress when harvesting and/or reaching on downhill slopes. Standard protective covers on the tilt link and between the tilt link and the hood help protect the S132 from snow packing or debris accumulation.

The S132 is designed on the principle that the delimbing knives carry the trunk. The head is equipped with four moveable delimbing knives, three of which are hydraulically controlled. The fourth knife is an automatically pressure-controlled floating top knife with a sensor to manage Komatsu’s Flex Friction Control System.

The S132 SuperCut cutting unit system has a 29.5” long saw bar with a 15 mm bar slot and a 19 cc saw motor. It can achieve a maximum cutting diameter up to 28.3”.

www.komatsuna.com

John Deere celebrates 50 years of skidder manufacturing

In 1965, John Deere introduced the 440 skidder, and has continued to change the game for loggers with safer, more reliable and more productive machines ever since, says the company.

John Deere says this customer-inspired commitment to quality lives on in 2015 through the introduction of the L-Series—a celebration of John Deere’s 50th anniversary manufacturing and designing skidders.

The skidders are built based on the company’s 178 years of groundbreaking innovation, backed by over a half-century in the woods and designed with proven components to withstand the toughest environments.

“The 50th anniversary of our first skidder is a major milestone that demonstrates John Deere’s unmatched commitment to developing equipment solutions for the types of challenges loggers face in the woods every day,” says Marty Wilkinson, Vice President, Worldwide Forestry & Business Development, John Deere Construction & Forestry.

“We are proud of the legacy we’ve built in the skidder business since 1965, but it doesn’t stop here,” added Wilkinson. “We will continue to listen to loggers, innovate and respond with machines that deliver on the most important features to our customers.”

www.johndeere.com

Yale material handlers offer more efficient PSI engines

Yale Materials Handling Corporation has a new line of industrial engines from Power Solutions International Inc. (PSI) for its 3000 to 7000 lb Class IV and V lift trucks.

Featuring Yale Flex Performance Technology, the company says that the new engines offer exceptional fuel efficiency and power coupled with reduced maintenance requirements, enabling operators to move more loads with less downtime.
Yale Flex Performance Technology is an advanced feature that comes standard with the new PSI industrial engines. This innovative technology provides selectable performance modes that allow the truck’s performance to be tailored to operational demands, allowing operators to maximize fuel economy or enhance performance based on fluctuating demand.

Designed with productivity in mind, the new PSI engines also offer extended service intervals and reduced periodic maintenance requirements, helping decrease maintenance and downtime.

www.yale.com

Crush protection device ‘Quad bar’ is introduced to Canada

The Quad bar is fairly new to Canada. This crush protection device is manufactured by Quadbar Industries of Australia, with a branch of the company in British Columbia.

“Injuries can occur as a result of a quad roll over or flip. The Quad bar device appears to offer the rider a fair chance of surviving serious injury,” says Don Peters, ATV training instructor. “I acquired a quad bar in the spring of 2014 in time for the ATV training season.”

Peters adds that the quad bar he has is attached to the back luggage rack and the toe bar between the back wheels of the quad.

“I can turn corners with a trailer and back up, and the bar does not interfere with either operation,” he says. “I can also open or close the back box lid without the bar getting in the way. The configuration of the bar and the way it attaches to the quad looks like it will fit many different makes and models of quads, which shows it is versatile.”

Peters says that he rides on some very rough terrain at times and is glad that he has a quad bar mounted on his quad, adding that he wouldn’t be without it.

“This crush protection device deserves some serious consideration for any riding enthusiast,” he concludes.

www.quadbarsafety.com

Hanging linkage designed into new T-MAR yarding grapple

The new T-MAR yarding grapple is designed for excellent balance and good wear with its unique hanging linkage.

The leg design has a small closed width and pronounced curvature for hanging on to slippery tops and for bundling several stems. It performs incredibly well at both these functions, says the company.

T-MAR says this is the first grapple designed from a 3D model, making it possible to predict the balance and behavior of logs in the grapple to optimize the design more than would be possible with traditional design techniques. This also allowed T-MAR to identify and correct line wear points early in the design. The grapple can be both single and double reeved.

www.t-mar.com