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Ponsse forest harvester design wins Swedish Steel Prize 2015

Finnish forestry equipment maker Ponsse won the 2015 SSAB Swedish Steel Prize for its Scorpion harvester design using several grades of high-strength steel.

 

 

This year's winner of the international Swedish Steel Prize is Ponsse from Finland. The prize was awarded Nov. 19 in Stockholm, Sweden, for the company's new generation of forest harvester, the Scorpion, which uses high-strength steel in an impressive design that improves both performance and driver comfort.

For decades, forest harvesting machines have remained pretty much the same. They have traditional designs that focus on function and not on operation. The Finnish company Ponsse decided that by building a new harvester around the operator, with a focus on ergonomics, they could improve both performance and comfort.

Representatives from Finnish logging equipment company Ponsse accepted the 2015 Swedish Steel Prize on Nov. 19 at a huge gala. [Photo: Henrik Hansson ]

 

 

 

 

The Ponsse Scorpion features a symmetrical crane boom where the operator sits in the center point of all movements. If offers the operator total visibility and the ability to work comfortably and efficiently.

By using Strenx 700 MC Plus high-strength steel in the crane arms, Strenx 700 in the chassis, and Hardox 450 in the cutter head, the Scorpion has a lower overall weight that helps maneuverability in rough terrain.

The Swedish Steel Prize was established by SSAB in 1999 to inspire and disseminate knowledge about high-strength steel and how it can be used to develop stronger, lighter, and more sustainable products. This year, SSAB received a total of 77 applications from 28 countries. The competition attracted the highest number of applications from the heavy transportation industry, although entries were submitted from a broad spectrum of segments.

This year marked the 17th time the prize was awarded. The award ceremony was the high point of a three-day event at which 700 participants from around the world gathered to share the latest findings on high-strength steel.

The winner received an award of SEK 100,000 (over $15,000), a statuette, and some considerable envy from industry peers, because this is a highly regarded prize.

Belaz, maker of world's largest dump truck, won the Swedish Steel Prize in 2014.

The winner:

Ponsse Plc, forest harvester, Finland
Founded in 1970 in Vierema, Finland, Ponsse has systematically developed and launched a new generation of forest harvesters (Ponsse Scorpion) that benefits from the use of high-strength steels in the design of the chassis, crane arms, and cutter heads. Ponsse has focused particularly on operator ergonomics.

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The other finalists:

Facil System, sugar cane shredder knives, Brazil
The new sugar cane shredder knives developed by Facil Systems have been bolted spirally onto the support at the axles. The solution saves energy and considerably prolongs the service life of the knives. Founded in 1986, Facil Systems is based in the Sao Paolo region, and its products are sold in Brazil and also exported to the rest of South America and to India.

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Milotek Pty Ltd, rail transportation system, South Africa
Milotek has developed a completely new type of rail transportation system for heavy transportation. The Futran System is an environmentally aware, suspended transportation system that provides a cost-effective, flexible alternative to traditional rail, truck, conveyor belt, and even underground mine haulage systems.

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TEREX Cranes Germany, adaptable crane section (Boom Booster), Germany
Terex has created an adaptable crane section kit, the Boom Booster, to give its CC 8800-1 crane significantly increased lifting performance. The Boom Booster is attached as the lower part of the main boom of the crane and can also extend crane reach. High-strength steels are used in the Booster's cross-section solution.

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More information is available at www.ssab.com/en/SteelPrize/.

Source: SSAB

Published December 2015

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