2018 International Forest Industries December 2017 January 2018 | Page 60

Steep Slope Logging
Levelling
the playing
field
The landscape
for steep-slope
logging presents
an opportunity
for loggers and
manufacturers alike
W
hen we first launched
this magazine almost
exactly a decade ago, we
asked professionals where they
were likely to see the next major
industry-shaping development. At
the time, they told us it was difficult
to see where advancements might
be made.
Manufacturers would tinker
with comfort in cabins and
increase capacities. They would
bring down fuel consumption and
improve efficiencies. But these
developments were likely to be
58 Intern ational Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018
incremental.
It may not be akin to the
mechanisation of the industry
but the battle to supply loggers
with equipment for steep slopes
is shaping up as a generation-
defining event for manufactures as
forest owners identify the ability
to access steeply-sloping stands
as an avenue to unlocking material
increases in revenue.
This battle at the moment
centres on the ability to level the
cab and limit ground pressure
without compromising capacity or
safety. It is a tough ask though the
industry is proving up to it. Here,
we present two of the leaders in
this race to establish themselves
as the leader in the steep-slope
frontier.
Steep slope logging innovations
have completely revolutionized the
industry, allowing loggers to access