HIGH PROFILE
The 370E head has evolved from a design conceived in Brazil many years ago now
Komatsu PC 200 heavily armoured
IFI: What are the design features that are necessary for machines intended for Brazil? RA: I personally have a very good relationship with the engineers and management team in Sweden and have been working with them for years, so it’s been easy to work on adjustments to machines and alter things to make them better for Brazilian conditions with eucalyptus. And the folks in Sweden are very, very keen to learn more about how things operate in Brazil and how they can do even more to cater to this market because it has become such an important opportunity for the overall business. This wasn’t always the case. We have a head today that is operating on almost all Komatsu machines in Brazil, which was primarily developed in Brazil for Brazilian conditions but refined using the technology and expertise available in Sweden. Development of the current 370 series head – our most popular model in Brazil – began when two engineers from Sweden came down to Brazil and were working together with us to take a 965 head apart and put it back together in a more appropriate way that would cope better with conditions. From there we realised we needed independent knives, slightly different geometries within the head, lower gravity point and a number of other alterations to come up with what was then the 965Br. This worked for six or seven years in Brazil.
The cooling system is also very important because overheating is such a problem. We’ve been working on this for a long time and today we have come up with a system that no one else comes close to. We’re also testing a new machine that was exhibited at Expoforest, which is a forestry excavator that is being developed in Japan. That started with
formulation of an idea and basic prototype in Brazil.
IFI: Is there a favourite place you go for vacation in Brazil or do you normally go back to Sweden when you get a break from forestry? RA: Whenever I’m in Brazil there is no time to think about holidays – there is just too much to do. I have a beach house where my wife lives and sometimes when I get the chance I just go
The folks in Sweden are very,
very keen to learn more about how things operate in Brazil and how they can do even more to cater to this market because it has become such an
important opportunity for the overall business
down and spend time on the beach with her. But when I go to Sweden for work I always try to take an extra week to spend with my family there – my mother, brother, sister and I also have two children in Sweden who I make sure I have time to see. IFI
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011 | International Forest Industries 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68