Funzionalità di un harvester in ambiente alpino italiano

An empirical study has been carried out in order to analyze the parameters able to affect the productivity of a harvester working under alpine conditions. The study considers the Timberjack 1270D harvester, equipped with the Timberjack H758 header, during thinning operation in Norway spruce pure stands and in Norway spruce, Fir and Beech mixed stands. The experimental data allowed to build up a productivity model that consists of three parts: tree processing model, locomotion model and delay model. The time required for processing the tree is function of the tree volume; the time required for locomotion is function of stand density, terrain steepness and harvesting intensity. Data show that an increase in mechanization degree entails, thanks to a productivity increase, operative costs (€/m3) lower than those of harvesting motor-manually performed.