“Just one damn machine after another?” Technological innovation and the industrialization of tree harvesting systems

MacDonald, Peter; Clow, Michael

doi:10.1016/s0160-791x(99)00017-2

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In fact, it is difficult to maintain profitability by only increasing production (Stuart et al 2010). Exclusive reliance on engineering solutions may even worsen the business outlook of logging contractors (MacDonald & Clow 1999). For these reasons, we strongly suggest a careful evaluation of the existing business models before launching any new support policies.…”

Section: International Journal Of Forest Engineering 117mentioning

confidence: 98%

Logging companies in the European mountains: an example from the Italian Alps

Spinelli

Magagnotti

Facchinetti

2013

International Journal of Forest Engineering

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In a total survey of logging companies in Northern Italy, data were collected from six regions (from west to east: Piemonte, Val d'Aosta, Lombardia, Trentino, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia). The total number of surveyed companies amounts to 1206. These companies have a total workforce of 3563 operators and harvest an estimated 3.3 million m 3 of wood per year. The North Italian logging industry is dominated by small-scale companies, largely equipped with obsolete, tractor-based technology. Modified farm tractors, winches, and forestry trailers account for over half of the total value of the fleet, which estimated at about €130 million. Twenty percent of this capital is used for cable yarding equipment, which amounts to 350 units. One logging company out of four has both the skills and the equipment for cable yarding. Companies equipped with a yarder harvest almost twice as much wood as the other companies. Seventy companies are equipped with mechanized cut-to-length equipment. They represent 6% of the total number, but harvest about 30% of the recorded annual cut. Companies equipped with mechanized cut-to-length equipment harvest almost four times as much wood as the other companies.

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Section: International Journal Of Forest Engineering 117mentioning

confidence: 98%

Logging companies in the European mountains: an example from the Italian Alps

Spinelli

Magagnotti

Facchinetti

2013

International Journal of Forest Engineering

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“…In most classical industrial sectors, increased productivity has been a driving force behind mechanization. In forestry, potential economic benefits motivated a rapid technological development and a transition from manual labor to the use of heavy‐duty machinery (MacDonald and Clow, ). By the 1990s, approximately 90% of the industrial harvesting in countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Canada (Axelsson, ; Halme and Vainio, ; MacDonald and Clow, ) had been mechanized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing the Level of Automation in the Forestry Logging Process with Crane Trajectory Planning and Control

et al. 2014

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Working with forestry machines requires a great deal of training to be sufficiently skilled to operate forestry cranes. In view of this, it would be desirable within the forestry industry to introduce automated motions, such as those seen in robotic arms, to shorten the training time and make the work of the operator easier. Motivated by this fact, we have developed two experimental platforms for testing control systems and motionplanning algorithms in real time. They correspond to a laboratory setup and a commercial version of a hydraulic manipulator used in forwarder machines. The aim of this article is to present the results of this development by providing an overview of our trajectory-planning algorithm and motion-control method, with a subsequent view of the experimental results. For motion control, we design feedback controllers that are able to track reference trajectories based on sensor measurements. Likewise, we provide arguments to design controllers in an open-loop for machines that lack sensing devices. Relying on the tracking efficiency of these controllers, we design time-efficient reference trajectories of motions that correspond to logging tasks. To demonstrate performance, we provide an overview of extensive testing done on these machines. C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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“…Low mechanization involves less efficient logging operations but at the same time higher labour demand and costs [82]. The example of high turnover rates experienced during the mechanization of Canadian forest operations in the 1970s [83], shows that this can become a major challenge for Chinese operation managers, too, if it cannot be avoided by competitive wages and job security. This is particularly critical in work systems where skills are highly dependent on experience, such as cable yarding for example [84].…”

Section: Workforce Changes and Degree Of Mechanizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting Chinese Forest Operations to Socio-Economic Developments: What is the Potential of Plantations for Strengthening Domestic Wood Supply?

Hoffmann

Jaeger

2018

Sustainability

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Over recent decades, China's forestry sector went through a transition phase characterized by a management and institutional reform process, with a constant rethinking of the ecological and societal role of forests within a unique political system. Nevertheless, despite impressive achievements in forest restoration and conservation efforts, the enhancement of ecosystem services and forest area expansion through plantation development, China was not able to improve its domestic timber supply capacities according to its demands. Consequently, the continually growing wood processing industry is facing a severe demand-and-supply gap, causing high dependencies on timber imports. Outdated forest operations practices, dominated by manual labour, are not able to meet supply demands or to implement new silvicultural strategies for enhancing forest quality and productivity and are a widely unnoted disruption of a sustainable development. Therefore, this review presents the status quo of China's forest operations sector, how it is shaped by forest policy reforms and recent socioeconomic developments. In addition, suggestions are developed how the sector can progress through policy adaptations in order to develop sustainable timber supply capacities based on a domestic plantation sector.

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“Just one damn machine after another?” Technological innovation and the industrialization of tree harvesting systems

Cited by 15 publications

References 3 publications

Logging companies in the European mountains: an example from the Italian Alps

Logging companies in the European mountains: an example from the Italian Alps

Increasing the Level of Automation in the Forestry Logging Process with Crane Trajectory Planning and Control

Adapting Chinese Forest Operations to Socio-Economic Developments: What is the Potential of Plantations for Strengthening Domestic Wood Supply?

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