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Komatsu Forest has introduced the Komatsu Traction Aid Winch , a high-quality capstan winch based on more than ten years ’ experience of working with winches in the alpine regions of Europe . In 2017 Komatsu Forest will begin delivering the Komatsu Traction Aid Winch for the Komatsu 875 forwarder and the Komatsu 911 / 230H and Komatsu 931 harvesters .
There is an ever-increasing need for winch accessories for forwarders and harvesters . Competition for land use , such as for food and bioenergy cultivation , is growing throughout the world . As a result , forestry often expands into areas where such uses do not compete for land , as in steep terrain for example . In order to harvest and forward timber in such extreme conditions , there is increased demand for specially adapted technology , including winches .
Komatsu Forest has extensive experience of working with winches in the alpine regions of Germany and Austria , where the technology has been refined in cooperation with customers for over ten years . Using that knowledge , Komatsu Forest has now created the Komatsu Traction Aid Winch , a high-quality winch solution that will be available as an option when the machine models listed above are assembled .
The system is based on the tried and tested capstan principle where the winch has a separate drum for rope storage , while the motor , providing traction , is installed on the capstan unit . The rope is wound nine times around the capstan drive , which gives great friction force and thus an efficient winch .
The capstan system provides even traction because the same amount of rope is always wound around the capstan unit . This is an advantage compared to a regular drum winch where the rope is wound around a drum that also houses the motor , a construction that provides uneven
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traction because the torque varies depending on how much rope remains on the drum . The design also offers better control over how the rope is wound onto the drum compared to a drum winch . This is because the entire tractive force acts on the capstan unit while only indirectly acting on the rope on the storage drum . As a result , the operator can rest assured that the rope will wind onto the drum without incident . The reduced traction force on the storage drum also means less stress and wear on the rope , thereby extending its service life .
The Komatsu Traction Aid Winch has a compact design that provides the forwarder / harvester with excellent ground clearance , manoeuvrability and visibility from the cab . The harvester winch is fitted with a hydraulic tilt , making it easy to tilt the winch downwards to open the hood or adjust the rope angle . The winch also has quick couplings for easy removal during servicing or when driving on flat terrain where it is not needed . The forwarder winch is well integrated with the rear frame . The 130F crane model can be equipped with an integrated crane tilt option , which delivers higher net slewing force when used in steep terrain .
The winch has a rope feeder unit that ensures that the rope is always tensioned inside the winch , which increases reliability and prevents problems with the rope . Winch control is integrated with the machine ’ s control system MaxiXplorer . This enables the rope feed rate to be automatically adjusted so that it adapts to the machine ’ s driving speed without the operator needing to intervene . The high-quality rope has a diameter of 14 mm and a length of 325 m for harvesters and 425 m for
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forwarders . The Komatsu Traction Aid Winch is equipped with a remote control that enables a lone operator to control the winch from outside the machine , as well as to feed and anchor the rope . The winch also has different smart modes to optimise operating efficiency . The Komatsu Traction Aid Winch is quite simply a |
well-designed solution that offers traction aid and additional peace of mind in steep terrain and when faced with challenging ground conditions . |