Gillion Logging is using a UAV for running hauler ropes to remove workers from the slow and difficult task. Source: Blakely Pacific
Bill Winmill the owner of Gillion Logging Ltd, based in Waikouaiti in North Otago in New Zealand has been contracted to Blakely Pacific Ltd for 15 years.
Gillion Logging is a hauler operation, with mechanised processing, and mechanised felling where possible.
Mr Winmill has been involved in logging operations for over 30 years now. He’s well known from within the industry as an extremely innovative person and is always willing to try new ideas and systems in order to make things safer and more productive.
A recent innovation is Bill’s development of the use of a UAV for running hauler ropes. The reason for this is to remove workers from the slow and difficult task of running steel strawline in order to lay out the hauler ropes at a new setting.
Previously this operation was done by workers carrying and pulling steep strawline that would then be hooked up to the main hauler ropes. However this often involved workers scrambling underneath, through, and over felled trees on steep and unstable terrain – the potential for an injury was high.
In order to prove the concept, Bill started off with a small quadcopter pulling out braided fishing line around the setting.
The braided fishing line was then connected to small diameter synthetic rope, which was then pulled back around the setting using an electric fishing reel. The synthetic rope was then connected to steel strawline, which was pulled back around the setting with a small winch. At that point the steel strawline was now around the setting as if it had been pulled and carried around manually.
Despite the amount of handling that this process involved, it was very effective in that no-one had to struggle across the setting to pull and carry the ropes.
It was also able to be done ahead of time by Mr Winmill so the crew could continue with their normal extraction. This meant that there were immediate productivity benefits as well.
The process to run the ropes has evolved with Mr Winmill’s purchase of a larger 8-bladed UAV. This can now pull out larger synthetic rope directly, which is then hooked onto the hauler ropes, which has made the system even more versatile. They have removed the need to use steel strawline completely in their operation.
This is a great initiative developed and to the best of our knowledge is the first time it has been successfully done in NZ, and the world.
The initiative has involved significant investment in time and money but the benefits to Mr Winmill’s operation have been immediate. It is an approach that other contractors should look at closely as it has direct benefits to health and safety and production.
Mr Winmill will be presenting this innovation as part of the upcoming HarvestTECH 2015 event that will be focussing on steep slope harvesting technologies scheduled for Rotorua on 24-25 June.
Details and registration information can be found on the event website, www.harvesttech.events.
