2017 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 175-186
On-site performance tests of a new forest biomass harvesting system termed “Integrated Wood Logging System” were conducted in order to improve logging efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In the integrated harvesting system, the wood logs are loaded and transported without separating butt logs from stem butts during the log bucking process. The loading efficiency, operation speed, productivity, and harvesting costs of this system were evaluated. Two types of forest hauling vehicles and two types of trucks were used in combination with the “conventional” or the “integrated” system. The “non-self-loader” system was composed of an excavator with grapple, a forest hauling vehicle, and a truck. The “self-loader” system was composed of a forwarder (with grapple crane) and a grapple truck. Logging costs were calculated considering a distance of 500 m from logging site to the road, transport distance of 50 km, and 200 operating days/year. For the “non-self-loader” system, the total cost reached 1,978 yen/m3 when stem butts and logs were separately transported. However, the total cost decreased to 1,765 yen/m3 when the logs were not separated. For the “self loader” system, the total cost reached 2,367 yen/m3 when stem butts and logs were conventionally separately. In this case, the total cost of the integrated system (2,394 yen/m3 integrated transport system) did not vary much from that of the “conventional” system. Therefore, although the cost of logging did not vary significantly between the “conventional” and the “integrated” harvesting systems when using the “self-loader” machinery, it was reduced by approximately 11% when the integrated system was combined with the “non-self-loader” machinery. Notably, when using open-top trucks for transport of only stem butts, the annual working days decreased to 14%–16%. Therefore, in this case, the use of the “integrated” system resulted in a cost reduction of 20%–26% compared with that of the “conventional” system for both “self-loader” and “non-self-loader” machinery. We conclude that the integrated system is advantageous even for small-scale businesses, as it allows for cost reductions even without the use of open-top trucks.
