Waiting time of a processor for tractor logging

Abstract

We investigated waiting time of a processor for tractor logging at landing. When full-tree logs whose butt ends were in the opposite direction of piles were unloaded, the processor had to move to the butt ends of logs, and much time was lost. Average waiting time of 133 seconds occurred to a processor when the tractor had to arrive and unload across the processor. It is necessary to plan the felling direction and the location of skidding trails which would enable the tractor to unload logs whose butt ends are in the same direction of piles. When the landing was large enough and filled with many unprocessed logs, the processor's waiting time was short. But it increased as logs were processed because the distance between the unhooker and the processor became narrower. It is desirable to develop an efficient unloading method for tractor logging.