"New" Eco Log / Bruks Chipper
Scandinavian Forestry & Engineering Pty Ltd (SFE) has imported the latest chipper from the Swedish manufacturer, Bruks for a series of trials beginning in Mt Gambier in early October. While the Bruks 805.2 STC chipper can be mounted on a wide variety of vehicles including trucks, this one is mounted on an Eco Log 594C forwarder to enable easy movement in forests with a minimal environmental footprint. Prior to trials getting underway, SFE’s workshop is fitting the machine with a fire suppression system, reverse camera and an air compressor to make it easier to clean and use power tools during knife changes, etc. Two of Scandinavian’s technicians Scott Doyle and Ben Kuhn recently spent a fortnight in the Bruks and Eco Log factories training on the mechanics of the machinery while getting to grips with servicing and safety requirements. Johan Jaktman, sales manager of SFE was with the technicians and said: “The systems they experienced in the Bruks workshop have enabled them to establish a full maintenance program at the SFE workshop in Tumut to take into account Australian conditions while ensuring the Bruks machines stay performing at their best.”To ensure everyone connected with the trials is competen in operating the equipment, commissioning of this particular machine and training in itsoperation will be conducted by Mikael Kamph who will be flying in from Sweden especially for this task. Mikael is himself a chipping contractor in Sweden operating Bruks units so he is well versed in the day-to-day operation of this equipment. He also operates as Bruks’ international trainer/instructor so he is very familiar with getting operators up and ready to go.
The first trial site is with HVP Plantations where Business Development Manager for Victoria, Dean Turner, says the company sees great potential in the bioenergy area and is keen to investigate the economics of getting a financial return on material currently going to waste.“We’re looking at getting material (such as stem pieces, branches and foliage) off- site from the forest to reduce site preparation costs and avoid the need to burn heaps (releasing carbon to the atmosphere),” said Dean. Having an established relationship with SFE through dealings with Log Max heads, Dean took the opportunity when it arose to trial the Brukschipper largely because it is a highly mobile machine that is a one-person operation and can be moved around the forest with relative ease. The advanced status of forest residue harvesting in Europe and the widespread use of Bruks in Scandinavian countries, were also factors in welcoming this trial. “We want to get a better understanding of the machine’s capabilities, the quality of the product it produces and the operating cost per green tonne produced.” he said, adding that by trialling different methods of operation, HVP hoped to find the best application for this technology compared with, say, larger chippers that are less mobile. The trial unit is also slated for demonstration at the Forest Growers conference in Mt Gambier during October.