The objective of this study has been to describe and analyse existing forms of organisation in heating plants using wood fuels, regarding work tasks, organisational structure, skill demands, crew recruitment, working hours and wage conditions. Sixteen plants ranging from 10 to 120 MW have been studied by means of interviews, work place observations and written material. The job of the operator of heating plants is fairly qualified, independent and varied. The most negative factor is shift work. Some of the bigger plants (enterprises) have a relatively hierarchic, segmented and perhaps also an oversized organisation. However, modern concepts of organisation, such as customer orientation, ”flat organisation”, integration of production and maintenance etc, are gaining ground. Blue collar and white collar tasks are increasingly being integrated. Some of the medium sized enterprises have reached very far and may serve as models for bigger enterprises.
The objective of this study has been to describe and analyse existing forms of organisation in wood fuel plants regarding work tasks, organisational structure, work content, skill demands, crew recruitment, working hours and wage conditions. The study has been introductory, con¬sisting of 2-3 hour visits to 12 plants. The production of refined wood fuels is carried out in rather small plants. The number of employees ranges from 6 to 15 persons in the factories producing between 20 and 100 thousand tons per year. Generally one shift crew consists of only two persons. The operator job requires multiskill capacity, dexterity and autonomous problem-solving. The job can be considered as qualified, responsible, autonomous, meaningful and variable. It was generally considered that it takes about a year to become a good operator. And even after that, one is still learning. Negative factors are shift work, partly poor physical working environment (dust and noise) and, occasionally, mental pressure and overtime. Modern organisation concepts are, to a large extent, applied in the wood fuel plants. The organisation is flat, lean and customer-oriented.
Networks and cooperatives have become very common in the woodworking industry during the1990’s. As part of a research project on small enterprise development in the woodworking industry within the Target 6 area (in Sweden) of the European Community, this study follows the development of a dozen cooperative projects during the period 1997-2000. In order to broaden the knowledge base of the study, in 1998 we carried out a survey of cooperative ventures in the woodworking industry in the rest of the country, and collected information about their history, present situation and future strategy. Together with our own material we achieved a body of material consisting of some 30 cases which were subjected to exploratory analysis. We identified the following categories of projects and cooperative ventures; ”Local development projects”, ”Development networks”, ”Producer networks” and ”Development supporting networks”. Most of the producer networks were horizontally integrated but some of them were vertically integrated, along the processing chain from the forest to the customer. Nearly all the local development projects and the networks had been initiated within the last four years. It is, therefore, too early to make any conclusions about their success. Our main finding, so far, is that local development and the establishment of networks requires ”driving forces” in the form of committed individuals, time, money and project organisation. Most of the projects and networks were supported by public funds.
Ten plain-sawn boards of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were compressed semi-isostatically according to the CaLignum process in a Quintus press at 25 C and 140 MPa. X-ray computerised tomography images of the same cross-sections were captured before and after compression and compared using a transformation algorithm. In the algorithm the shape of compressed cross-sections were converted to the same shape as non-compressed using the density variation between pixels. Density after compression and the increase in density were analysed using PLS regression. The regressor variables described position in the cross-section and wood properties of each pixel. Heartwood and other resinous wood were less compressed than sapwood, particularly in boards with high resin content. Density also increased little close to the press table, especially in whorls with large knots. Higher original density gives lower degree of compression but still higher density after compression.
The objective with this study has been to build general models of the mechanics in tree felling with chain-saw and to compare felling torque for different tools. The theoretical models are completed and validated with a comparative study. The study includes a great number of felling tools of which some are used with different methods. Felling torque was measured using a naturally like measuring arrangement where a tree is cut at about 3.7 m height and then anchored with a dynamometer to a tree opposite to the felling direction. Notch and felling cut was made as ordinary with exception that the hinge was made extra thin to reduce bending resistance. The tree was consequently not felled during the trials and several combinations of felling tools and individuals could be used on the same tree. The results show big differences between tools, methods and persons. The differences were, however, not general, but could vary depending on conditions (first of all tree diameters). Tools and methods that push or pull on the stem are little affected by the size of the tree, while tools that press on the stump are very much dependent of a large stump-diameter. Hand force asserted on a simple pole is consequently a powerful tool on small trees. For trees of medium size there are several alternative methods with different sizes and brands of felling levers and wedges. Larger and more ungainly tools and methods like tree pusher, winch, etc. develop very high felling torque on all tree sizes. On large trees also the felling wedge and especially the use of several wedges together develop very high felling torque.
In this report a new small-scale equipment for soil scarification is being evaluated. It is an attachment consisting of two steel pipes with harrow pins that are bolt onto a conven¬tional log grapple. Scarification is done by opening the grapple, placing it to the ground, closing it, lifting and dropping the vegetation and humus layer beside the patch. A simple attachment for mechanical sowing was also tested. Time consumption per patch was 11.4 seconds. Time consumption was about 2.5 seconds higher per patch when sowing was included. Nearly 90% of production time was used to manouver the grapple loader. Productivity was 320 patches per hour when only scarifica¬tion was done and 262 patches per hour when also sowing was included. The average patch size was about 70 dm2. The thin harrow pins loosed the mineral soil but didn’t digg. The equipment was relatively insensitive to stones and stumps because of the dri¬vers possibilities to place the patches as well as the elasticity of the pins. The patches consisted mostly of mineral soil mixed with some remaining humus. Very little mineral soil was removed from the patch.The scarification cost was estimated to be lower than for conventional large scale equipment when the regeneration area is less than one hectar thanks to lower moving and starting costs.