Safety glass breakage on a forest machine is often caused by an accident
Metsäteho participated in a joint Nordic study on the reasons for replacing safety glazing on forest machines by collecting data for the study from Finland. In total, the data of the study, which consisted of more than a hundred observations, was collected from Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The study looked at the reasons for replacing safety glazing on harvesters and forwarders. According to the results, about half of the replacement of safety glazing on forest machines was explained by age-related wear and tear, while half of the replacements were due to accidents. Due to wear and tear due to ageing, the need for glass replacement arose in machines that were about ten years old.
In harvesters, the most common broken glass was the front glass, the most typical cause of which was accidentally feeding the hull towards the cabin or a tree falling over the cabin. The most common broken glass on a forwarder was also the front glass, but breakage of the side and rear windows was also quite common. With a forwarder, the risk of glass breaking was higher during loading and unloading, which means that logs released uncontrollably when the grapple is opened can break the glass. Driving with too much load is also risky, as slippery logs can slide over the front screen and hit the cabin.
According to the results, breakage of safety glass in forest machines was equally typical for all machine manufacturers, and no machine model or glass type was particularly highlighted. There was little difference in results between harvesters and forwarders.
Safety glass protection is known to deteriorate over time due to UV radiation. This is reduced by a protective film. Scratching the glass and using inappropriate cleaning agents accelerates the deterioration of the condition of the glass
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Checklist for drivers:
- Follow the machine manufacturer’s instructions for glass maintenance. The use of appropriate cleaning agents is important to maintain the protection of the glasses.
- Check the condition of the glasses regularly, for example when cleaning. Cracks and yellowing indicate a deterioration in the condition of the glass.
Forwarder:
- Do not load loads higher than the front screens, as especially on downhill slopes the logs can slide over the front screen into the cabin.
- Take extra care when lifting the logs high with your hand, as slippery logs can slip out of the hand.
- Do not take on more loads than are necessary to bring the tips of the jaws of the grapple together.
Harvester:
- Avoid handling the hull towards the cabin. If this is not possible, for example, by thinning, use the function that prevents feeding towards the cabin.
- Pay special attention to dead standing trees near the felling and processing of the tree. If you consider dead trees to be too high a risk, cut them down. Land trees are also important for forest biodiversity.
- Point the saw blade away from the cabin and other nearby implements during cut-off sawing.
Forest Machine Magazine is written and edited by a forest professional with over 40 years hands on experience. We are dedicated to keeping you informed with all the latest news, views and reviews from our industry.
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