2017 International Forest Industries Magazines IFI Aug Sept 2017 v2 | Page 36

Power,
efficiency and range
Manufacturers have
stopped juggling
power, efficiency
and versatility – now
they’re just offering
the lot
L
ike chipper suppliers,
the shredder and grinder
community has always faced a
difficult challenge in providing the
toughest, most durable machines
possible, which also have matching
power bases but, equally, show a
sensitivity to fuel efficiencies.
This is a tough ask.
This year’s shredder and grinder
technology review shows how
many companies have successfully
tackled that challenge, though it
has taken many years to get to this
point.
Initially, the best manufacturers,
featured below, generally started
out with industry-leading chassis
that were regarded as durable
and fit-for-purpose in the most
demanding environments. Some
have had to increase their power
bases, which they have done.
34 International Forest Industries | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2017
All have had to improve their
fuel efficiencies, which has been
more difficult but, on the whole,
achieved.
Efficiency gains have often been
made easier by simply upgrading
the engines being used and so,
therefore, relies on those engine
manufacturers to take significant
strides forward. That said, it
also requires design changes
to make better use of the more
efficient power base to maximise
productivity and therefore relative
fuel efficiency.
The final piece of the puzzle
is versatility. Though some
manufacturers have managed to
build units that process a wide
variety of feed and are more
mobile than traditional shredders
and grinders, most companies
have gone for a combination of
versatility and simply broadening
the range.
In total, these improvements
have led to a vast array of
opportunities for contractors
to find a leading-edge unit that
fits their business requirements
perfectly – as long as they’re
prepared to look.
“Precision Husky knows that your
best friend in the woods is the
mac