Journal article
The effect of partial automation on the productivity and cost of a mobile tower yarder
Annals of Forest Research, Vol.6(2), pp.3-14
2020
Abstract
Integration of technology is commonplace in forestry equipment supporting higher levels of automation and efficiency. For technology adoption to be successful it must demonstrate improvement in productivity, cost–effectiveness or in human factors and ergonomics. Cable yarding lends itself to automation with repetitive machine movement along a fixed corridor, as established by the skyline. This study aimed at investigating the difference in productivity between the two possible settings (manual and automated) of a Valentini V850 yarder equipped with automatic path programming, with a Bergwald 3-t carriage and radio controlled chokers. The study took place in the northern Italian Alpine eastern region over a period of 8 days on two separate corridors, resulting in 280 measured cycles split between manual and automated. Results in terms of absolute numbers were very close for the two system options, but significant differences were found. For example, inhaul time was longer, but outhaul time shorter for the automated system. Productivity ranged from 8.2 to 13.3 m3 PMH-1, and cost from approximately 20 to 30 € m-3. The automated system did achieve a significantly higher productivity, but differences declined with extraction distance. When that was combined with the slightly higher cost for the automated system, the automated system was more cost-effective on extraction distances less than 200 m, and the manual system on longer distances.
Details
- Title
- The effect of partial automation on the productivity and cost of a mobile tower yarder
- Authors
- Raffaele Spinelli (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Industries Research CentreRien Visser (Author) - University of CanterburyNatascia Magagnotti (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Industries Research CentreCarolina Lombardini (Author) - Institute of BioEconomyGiovanna Ottaviani (Author) - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
- Publication details
- Annals of Forest Research, Vol.6(2), pp.3-14
- Publisher
- Silvica Publishing House
- Date published
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.15287/afr.2020.1883
- ISSN
- 2065-2445; 1844-8135
- Copyright note
- All the papers published in Annals of Forest Research are available under an open access policy (Gratis Gold Open Access Licence), which guaranty the free (of taxes) and unlimited access, for anyone, to entire content of the all published articles. The users are free to "read, copy, distribute, print, search or refers to the full text of these articles", as long they mention the source. Also, "users can use, reuse and build upon the material published in the journal but only for non-commercial purposes".
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99500606902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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