Hitachi introduces upgraded Dash-6 forestersHitachi Construction Machinery–Americas has introduced upgraded Dash-6 foresters in North America.
The new models include multiple, new customer-driven features that are said to improve productivity, comfort and safety.
The four new Dash-6 models—ZX210F-6, ZX260F-6, ZX310F-6 and ZX370F-6—use a fuel-efficient Final Tier 4 (FT4)/EU Stage IV Isuzu engine that does not need a diesel particulate filter (DPF). All four models also feature a quieter cab with 3” of additional leg room, and the side entry cab is 25 per cent larger than the previous Dash-3 models.
“Unlike retrofitted excavators patched together for logging use, Hitachi foresters are built from the ground up in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility specifically for forestry work,” says Carlos Uriarte, division sales manager at Hitachi Construction Machinery–Americas. “This ensures quality, and means owners and operators get the efficiency, reliability and durability Hitachi machines are known for.”
All four new Dash-6 models are available as roadbuilders, processors, live heel log loaders and valve-in-head log loaders. For processor configurations, Waratah heads come factory-installed for seamless integration.
The ZX210F-6, ZX240F-6 and 370F-6 are available in both Canada and the United States. The ZX310F-6 is available in the United States now and will be released in Canada at a later date.
With the constant goal of developing new product lines and encouraging industry growth, Carbotech has established a strategic partnership with Kadant Carmanah Design for exclusive distribution of products in Eastern Canada.
Kadant Carmanah Design is based in Surrey, B.C., and designs, manufactures and supplies stranders, rotary debarkers and conveying/feeding equipment for the panel and engineered wood products, pulp and paper, and sawmill industries.
Carbotech specializes in maximizing production operations and efficiency for high-speed sawmill and planer mill lumber handling. It has a workforce of 100 employees. The company’s mission over the past 30 years has been to focus on speed, precision, know-how and toughness. Carbotech has a number of business partners, parts and service distribution centres as well as mechanical intervention centres to cover their markets around the world.
Peterson Pacific debuts new high capacity small chipperPeterson Pacific Corp recently debuted the all-new Peterson 3310 drum chipper.
With a 540 hp Caterpillar engine, the 3310 has the power to handle up to 24” diameter logs. The fully enclosed engine compartment keeps things clean, but is easily serviced by large access doors on both sides of the machine.
The all-new 3310 is the third and smallest model in Peterson’s line-up of drum chippers. Like the other larger Peterson drum chippers, the 3310 is equipped with sizing screens and an intelligent control system that provides superior fuel economy and the most consistent chip quality. The 3310 is a high capacity small chipper. It was designed for biomass energy producers around the world that will benefit from the efficient feeding and flexible van loading options that are provided by this unique design.
At just under 24’ long, the 3310 uses a transverse-feed design allowing for a much smaller operations deck than typical drum chippers. The rotatable end load or optional top load spout design allows for trailers to be loaded in a variety of positions, depending on the demands of the job site. Not only does the compact size allow for easy maneuverability, but it can even be transported in a 40’ high cube container for overseas shipment.
Using the proven drum and knife design used on the larger 4300-series drum chippers, the 3310’s main components are robust and offer long life, says the company.
The Peterson 3310 drum chipper is also Peterson+ enabled, a new remote monitoring solution providing machine owners access to real-time and historical data of their machine’s performance and location.
LMI Technologies appoints new Sales VP after move to new headquartersLMI Technologies, headquartered in Burnaby, B.C., has appointed Len Chamberlain to Vice President of Sales.
Chamberlain has been with LMI for the past three years and has been instrumental in the growth of LMI’s global sales team. He brings a wealth of industry knowledge and business acumen to LMI with over a decade of experience working in senior roles in the 3D machine vision industry.
The announcement comes quickly on the heels of a move to a new headquarters. The new building provides a large increase in manufacturing space to support the rapid growth LMI has been experiencing.
The expansive new 62,400 square foot office, complete with state-of-the-art infrastructure and amenities, effectively doubles the company’s manufacturing space in order to meet rising demand for sensor production, while providing added floorspace to accommodate a rapidly growing staff. The address is: 9200 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, B.C.V5J 5J8
Wood-Mizer introduces LX450 twin rail sawmillWood-Mizer now offers the LX450 sawmill, the first Wood-Mizer LX series sawmill released in North America. The addition of the LX sawmill series makes Wood-Mizer the first and only company to give sawyers the choice between a monorail or twin rail sawmill to accommodate various sawing applications and preferences, says the company.
Featuring many of the same benefits of the Wood-Mizer LT sawmill series, the new LX450 sawmill matches Wood-Mizer’s widest cut at 34” while offering the largest depth of cut at 16 ½” available from Wood-Mizer.
A key innovation of the Wood-Mizer LX450 sawmill is the rigid LX Frame saw head 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 gives the operator 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 on an adjustable arm, six heavy-duty fine adjustment outriggers, dragback board return, powered blade guide arm, hydraulic blade tensioning system, blade lubrication, roller blade guides, and a centrifugal clutch.
Hultdins extends XR Rotator rangeHultdins now offers an expanded range of XR Rotators with a new XR400 model in addition to the larger XR500 and XR600 models.
The XR Rotators offer a compact low profile design with extremely high load capacities for both free swinging attachments and fixed mount applications. XR rotators can handle very high dynamic and static loads in both directions as well as high side forces. Thanks to its compact “power-dense design” with the rotator, bearings, and swivel in a single assembly, the XR is well protected from external damage, which Hultdins says makes it a perfect choice for the toughest environments. The XR rotators also provide large through channels for grapple cylinders or high oil flow applications.
Husqvarna battery powered chainsaws offer four hours of run timeHusqvarna has brought more than 300 years of technical innovation to their suite of battery powered chainsaws. The 536Li XP and the T536Li XP chainsaws share Husqvarna’s BLDC brushless electric motor and the BLi150 battery which provides 4.2 Amp hours of performance.
These saws are not designed to fell timber, but have a lot of attributes to make them the tool of choice for those who require a chainsaw from time to time, and especially for professional arborists who typically spend more time climbing and rigging in trees, as opposed to actually cutting trees.
The saws benefit from Husqvarna’s long history of producing high performance equipment, incorporating ergonomics, balance and safety. And it all comes at a low decibel level and markedly low vibration, compared to gasoline powered alternatives, according to the company.
The BLi150 battery gives four hours of run time, and that means two batteries fill an eight-hour day.
Kone Ketonen Oy has produced numerous models of harvester heads for thinning and larger heads for clearcutting and processing over 30 years in Finland.
Now the company has launched a new and big processor head, the Keto 873P. The new Keto 873 processor is designed for processing larger trees in demanding North American conditions. The Keto 873 is the latest model of the Keto product family. This 7400 lb head can be installed on tracked machines over 30 tonnes.
Offering a dual or single track length measuring system, the head has a maximum knife tip to tip opening of 860 mm. The 500cc motors deliver a tractive force of 39.3 kN.
On the Cover:
Simple, clean and efficient were the guiding principles for B.C. logger Gregory Jacob when he began his examination of available steep slope log harvesting methods. He was able to get exactly that, and the key new machine in Gregory’s steep slope arsenal is a wheeled John Deere 1910E cut to length forwarder with a Haas winch. Read all about it on page 10 (Cover photo by Jim Stirling).
Spotlight - Finding your future employees
A new Forestry Machine Operator Training program being offered by the Canadian Woodlands Forum and several other organizations could be part of the answer to the challenge of finding, and training, equipment operators—and be a model for elsewhere in Canada.
Lo-Bar tackles high ground
B.C.’s Lo-Bar Transport has a new steep slope system involving a wheeled John Deere 1910E cut to length forwarder with a Haas winch which provides easier access to timber across a broader cross section of steep and challenging terrains.
Up in smoke—not
A new sawmill came on stream this spring in the B.C. Interior—thanks to the co-operation of three forest industry parties—and the end result is that wood fibre that would have been piled and literally gone up in polluting smoke will now be converted to viable wood products.
Combining the efforts—and tenures—of First Nations
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council in the B.C. Interior is looking at ways that scattered First Nations communities with small tenures can work together, and scale up the opportunities and benefits from the forest resource.
Going Dutch on sawmill
Two companies have joined forces on a new specialty sawmill that is taking Sitka Spruce in northwestern B.C.—known for growing tall and straight, with long fibres and tight ring counts—to produce high end product for a reman plant in Holland.
Canada North Resources Expo Official Show Guide
Extensive show coverage including CNRE stories, exhibitor list, floor plan … and more!
Forest fire fighting—with drones!
Drones are proving to be very useful tools in business, and a B.C. firm is now exploring their practical applications in the working forest, notably in wildfire control and prevention, an increasing area of concern considering extreme weather patterns.
Drones Deliver Data for Pinnacle
Planer ups production
The planer mill at Tolko’s Armstrong, B.C., sawmill is seeing positive bottom-line results from an upgrade that has allowed the planer operation to greatly increase its production—with the kicker that more of that production is higher grade lumber.
The Edge
Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Alberta Innovates and Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
The Last Word
Super logging equipment consumers are super valuable to logging equipment manufacturers—and dealers, says Jim Stirling.
Departments
Tech Update
Skidders
