Forest Products Industry

Ponsse demonstrated new solutions for sustainable harvesting at the FinnMETKO 2024 exhibition in Jämsä that support the daily activities of forest machine operators and help forest machine entrepreneurs monitor the profitability and productivity of their fleet.

Ponsse’s new forwarders Elk and Wisend and H7 harvester heads were showcased at the event for the first time. In addition, they presented a material concept for fossil-free steel. Ponsse is the first forest machine manufacturer in the world which has part of its forest machine made from fossil-free steel produced by SSAB.

Aiming for a fossil-free future

Ponsse has made the load space of the PONSSE Buffalo forwarder from SSAB’s fossil-free steel. This material concept focuses on the machining capabilities, behaviour and properties of the new material used in forest machine manufacturing. The load space has only been designed for material testing and does not correspond to production models. The material concept is part of the FORWARD27 ecosystem project.

New PONSSE Wisent and PONSSE Elk forwarders   

PONSSE Wisent forwarder offers load-carrying capacity, agility and productivity at diverse harvesting sites. The excellent weight distribution and geometry of the PONSSE Wisent makes it easy to also transport stems at thinning sites with dense and bendy trees.

PONSSE Elk forwarder operates reliably in changing conditions and at sites with long distances. The new Elk is an efficient and agile forwarder with an excellent load-carrying capacity relative to the machine weight.

The new forwarders feature a big cabin, large windows and thin window pillars, ensuring excellent visibility in every direction. The cabin can also be equipped with the PONSSE Seat, which effectively reduces swaying and impact directed at the operator during the working day.

PONSSE Active Cabin, a cabin suspension system which improves driving comfort, is the most recent addition to the range of optional equipment available for both PONSSE Elk and Wisent. On uneven forest trails and in demanding terrain, ergonomics and productivity improve when the system effectively suspends any strain directed at the cabin.

New PONSSE H7 harvester head 

The new PONSSE H7 harvester head features a powerful feed and an excellent power-to-weight ratio that improve productivity. Thanks to its improved geometry, the new H7 is able to process large stems with ease. The advanced PONSSE Active Speed function is a new feature in the H7 harvester head. It allows the speed of the harvester head to be adjusted according to the tree species and stem diameter. The strong structure, high sawing power and excellent grip geometry of the new harvester head make harvesting even quicker and more productive.

PONSSE Armrest & eArmrest 

Adjustable armrests are among Ponsse’s new solutions for improved ergonomics. Adjusted according to the forest machine operator’s dimensions and driving style, the armrests significantly reduce any stress directed at the nape and shoulders while working. As the adjustments are stored in memory, the operator does not need to adjust the armrests again at the beginning of each shift.

PONSSE Armrests are available as standard equipment for harvesters and forwarders and PONSSE eArmrests are available as optional for all harvesters and forwarders.

PONSSE Active Crane now also available for C5 and C6 loaders   

PONSSE Active Crane makes the crane even easier to use. The operator does not need to control different joint movements: they only need to move the harvester head in the desired direction at the desired speed. End damping makes operations even smoother.

Active Crane, available as an option, requires the Opti 5G control system. Available from Q1/2025

PONSSE High-Precision Positioning 

With the PONSSE High-Precision Positioning solution, the machine operator can see the precise location of the machine and harvester head. The solution uses the industry’s leading navigation and positioning tools, as well as Ponsse’s own advanced technologies such as Active Crane. As a result, the reliability of positioning is at a level not often within the reach of conventional systems.

High-Precision Positioning shows the precise location of the harvester head in a map view, significantly improving the productivity of harvesting. Using the solution, the operator can clearly identify the areas from where trees need to be harvested and those that must be avoided. The location of every stump is saved in the production file, and the forwarder operator can clearly see the harvester trail. New solutions improve the productivity and safety of operations.

High-Precision Positioning is available in Finland, Sweden and Germany for all PONSSE harvesters equipped with Active Crane, and it can also be installed as a retrofit solution. More information about availability in other market areas will be announced later.

PONSSE Scale – a wireless loader scale system 

PONSSE Scale is a wireless loader scale system, which weighs the load and sorts, saves and manages load data during all work stages. Accurate weight measurements ensure optimal loads. Weighing is fully automatic during both loading and unloading, and detailed data on each load is registered. Load data, logs and the measuring accuracy are available in easily readable reports. PONSSE Scale has excellent weather resistance and produces accurate results in all conditions, ranging from hot summer days to freezing cold.

PONSSE Scale can be installed in all new PONSSE forwarder models.

PONSSE Manager 2.0. – a platform for next-generation digital services

PONSSE Manager 2.0 is a platform for next-generation digital services and a forest machine management system. The system allows customers to track the location, productivity, and fuel consumption of their machines. It also monitors the growth of stands and the progress of plans. In addition, it can be used to manage machine transportation, monitor the production volumes of machines by assortment and print measuring certificates.

The digital platform allows users to create a custom landing page or dashboard, with immediate access to vital data. Important information can be read quickly, and changes are easy to spot. Further information: https://manager2.ponsse.com/

The Siirrot Pro application can now also be integrated into Ponsse Manager 2.0

Siirrot PRO is a paid application for planning machine transportation in advance, monitoring transportation in real time on a map, giving notifications of transportation stages to all parties and improving the efficiency of rapidly changing situations at worksites through communication. Transportation management using the app supports daily management, cost monitoring and transportation optimisation in machine companies.

To see more Ponsse related posts click here.

 

Follow IFI on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post Ponsse’s new solutions for sustainable harvesting on display at FinnMETKO appeared first on International Forest Industries.

The Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests launched its  PEFC-endorsed national Trees Outside Forests  certification standard in New Delhi last week. Source: Timberbiz “In India, trees outside forests resources play a vital role in the timber production sector, contributing significantly to meeting the country’s wood fibre needs. Currently, TOF resources are estimated to fulfil more than 85% of the industrial wood requirements,” said Abhilasha Guleria, Assistant Director of NCCF. “A significant portion of the timber production from TOF resources comes from marginal and small landholders.” Together with the Netherlands and Portugal, India is among the first three PEFC national members to achieve PEFC endorsement for their national requirements of TOF certification. That means that in these countries, people and organisations with trees growing outside of forests can now achieve PEFC certification of their sustainable management practices. The event was held with the presence of Eduardo Rojas Briales, Chair of PEFC International, and Richard Laity, Manager of PEFC in Asia Pacific, and enriched by the active participation of key stakeholders who play a crucial role in advancing sustainable forestry practices across various industries. The endorsed TOF standard is “an action to reality”, said Eduardo Rojas Briales, recognising the contribution of millions of small farmers to the forestry sector. “It is crucial to establish a consistent, adaptable framework that supports the widespread yet strategic contribution of millions of farmers to the wood supply, ensures the certification of these resources, and diversifies the income streams of small farmers,” he added. In his opening speech, he emphasised the immense potential of forestry in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in preserving vibrant rural areas with living standards equal to their urban counterparts. He also reaffirmed the founding principles of PEFC, including its bottom-up governance, key achievements, and emerging priorities, all guided by the meaningful mission to unlock the full potential of forests. While the definition of trees outside forests is similar around the world, their occurrence and function vary widely, calling for national requirements. In line with the PEFC bottom-up approach, each country develops their own national standard based on PEFC’s international TOF requirements, part of the PEFC Sustainable Forest Management Benchmark standard. The development of India’s TOF started from the recognition that trees outsides forests are the major supply of raw materials to market; however, so far, there has not been any working model for smallholders to organise themselves and get their wood certified. “The PEFC endorsement is a game-changer, bringing global recognition to India’s TOF standards and paving the way for the sustainable growth of our timber industry,” highlighted R. R. Rashmi, Member of the NCCF Governing Board. “The exporting wood-based industry, including furniture, pulp and paper, and handicrafts, largely benefit from this TOF certification, because it ensures a reliable supply of certified raw materials, meeting the increasing demands for legality and traceability in international timber regulations, such as the EUDR,” said A. M. Singh, Director General of NCCF. In the panel discussion after the launch, A.K. Bansal, PEFC International Board Member, also concluded that the newly launched TOF certification will support small forest owners and certified entity to access the global carbon market.