Five weeks of intensive training accomplished!

Lin4Wood

20.11.2013

 

From the beginning of October until the mid of November 2013, the Chair of Forest Operations of the University of Freiburg, headed by Prof. Dirk Jaeger, conducted in cooperation with various partners theoretical and practical training sessions at the ECTF in Pingxiang. The aim is to further develop the professional level of harvesting operations in Guangxi as part of the Lin2Value project activities.

 

The training was divided into three stages and followed the overall aim to form the first operation team for the newly implemented cable yarding technology. The first stage was addressed to chain saw operators as regularly contracted by the ECTF but also permanent staff of the various forest farms under ECTF management. This training has been conducted in cooperation with Guangxi Stora Enso Forestry Co. Ltd., a Scandinavian-Chinese joint venture of the global pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso Ltd.. A local instructor of Stora Enso organized a ten days lasting training, including first aid, chain saw maintenance and safety features. A special focus was given on directional felling techniques (photo 1 and 2). 

The second stage of the training was an introductory course into cable yarding systems and operation management conducted by the team of Prof. Jaeger. During this one week course, the technical principles, available systems and equipment for cable yarding have been introduced, as well as how a cable yarding operation has to be planned and managed and which safety regulations have to be followed in order to prevent accidents (photo 3 and 4).

Finally the practical introduction to the operation of the KOLLER K 303 H cable yarder followed, which arrived in China on the 28^th of October. Josef Gruber, an instructor sent by the industrial partner and machine supplier KOLLER Co. Ltd., introduced the first yarding crew over a period of two weeks into the technical details and operation of that yarder model. During this time, three yarding corridors could be set together with the instructor in order to learn how to rig the machine, select support and anchors and how to handle the various kinds of cables. Safety issues and operation management principles as introduced before could now be reviewed under practical conditions (photo 5 to 8).

 

The fundamental base for successful yarding operations at the ECTF could be set. Over the next months the operation team  will acquire their own experiences and  improve their skills during the harvesting season. This process will be further supported and analyzed by the team of Prof. Jaeger.