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EFFICIENCY IN WOOD HARVESTING WITH INFORMATION
SYSTEMS

F inland is a leader in the timber machine industry. The Finnish company Ponsse is one
of the largest manufacturers of rubber-wheel cut-to-length forest machines. The timber
industry uses two cutting methods: the cut-to-length method and the tree-length method.
With the cut-to-length method, tree trunks are cut in the forest into various sized logs for
different uses, such as saw logs or pulpwood. With the tree-length method, trunks are cut in the
forest and transported to the mill whole or almost whole. At the mill, trunk pieces are separated
according to use. Approximately 45 percent of the world’s harvest is harvested with cut-to-length
machines, like those produced by Ponsse, and 35 percent of this yield is harvested using the cut-
to-length method.
Ponsse’s main products are harvesters, harvester cutting heads, forwarders, and cranes. A har-
vester is a tractor-like machine used for cutting logs. It has a crane with a cutting head, which
grasps the tree at the stem and uses its saw to make the first cut. Then the head moves the
cut tree trunk in its “jaws” and finds the next cutting points. During the movement, the cutting
head removes the branches of the tree. A forwarder is a special forest tractor with a crane that is
designed for efficient trunk collection and transportation.
Ponsse also offers its clients an integrated set of sophisticated information systems. “Ponsse
wants to know the business of its clients, because it sells forest machines and information sys-
tems to all partners in the logistic chain,” says Information Systems Product Manager Hanna
Vilkman. These information systems support the entire wood procurement chain. The first step
in this chain is to estimate the demand for different types and sizes of timber. Typically, this is
done in the field office of a wood purchasing organization. With the help of information systems,
a cutting plan is created that will optimize the cutting yield for a particular logging area. Data on
similar areas that were logged previously are used in order to optimize the cutting plan. A map
of the logging area is also produced, as well
as working instructions for the harvester
driver. The map describes the borders of
the logging area as well as areas to be pro-
tected. Should a single tree need to be left
uncut, it is marked manually with a plastic
stripe.
The harvester driver gets the map and
working instructions via a dedicated e-mail
system that transfers data between the har-
vester’s information system and the wood
purchase organization. Instructions and
maps are presented on a display located
in the harvester cabin. A special feature in
the harvester’s information system enables
it to optimize the cutting of a log into pieces
during the cutting process. This means
that the system is able to calculate the opti-
mal cutting places when the log is moving
through the cutting head, after being first
cut from the stem. After the trees have
been cut according to the instructions, the
driver sends the harvest information to
the field office via a dedicated e-mail sys-
tem. The assortment typically contains 10
different types of cut logs of five different © Ponsse
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