Rain or shine, the once relocated and twice delayed Timber & Biomass Expo Southeast is a go for June 11-12 near Valdosta, Ga. Delayed by poor markets induced by an unraveling economy, and again by prolonged rainfall, the event has gained momentum as both markets and the economy have stabilized and improved.

Loggers, landowners, foresters, established mill and bioenergy representatives and others are expected to turn out in strong numbers to interface with an exhibitor lineup consisting of 65 manufacturers, major brands, equipment dealers and providers of services and supplies.

The show begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 11 and concludes the following afternoon. Show hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. both days. The show sponsor recommends that attendees be on-site early, especially on Saturday, since action traditionally begins winding down by early afternoon.

The Langdale Co., based in Valdosta, Ga., is hosting the show on a combination pine plantation/clear-cut area located about 15 miles east of Valdosta. It is situated just off Georgia 135, four miles south of the Naylor community, where U.S. 84 and Georgia 135 intersect. Watch for signs. On-site parking will be provided.

Wood demand generally has improved of late, leaving loggers in a better mood and leading to an uptick in equipment buying. This is what the equipment community has been waiting for, and it is moving to meet the welcome demand. At the same time, new opportunities are budding for both parties as the wood-to-energy market shows increasing promise.

“South Georgia and north Florida are buzzing with wood energy project announcements and established markets are stable and improving,” says DK Knight of Hatton-Brown Publishers, sponsor of the event. “It’s uplifting to see these positive changes coming about, and they help make this large-scale event even more significant This is a great opportunity for loggers to bone up on updated makes and models of machines, to talk with engineers and other factory reps, to network with other loggers and timber brokers and to sift for opportunities.”

Admission for those not directly working exhibits is $20 for adults 18 and over. Spouses and children under 18 will be admitted at no charge, but everyone must register.

Not all the action will be serious. Loader operators may test their skill at the Prentice Loader Championship, vying for cash prizes, championship jacket, a trophy and bragging rights. Proceeds from the championship benefit Log A Load For Kids. Since 1972 more than 10,000 contestants have participated in the competition, which has generated more than $ 50,000 for a very worthy cause. The contest is a joint effort of Cat Forest Products, Yancey Bros. and Ring Power Corp.

Biomass Activity

More than a dozen wood-fired power plants, four pellet plants and one cellulosic ethanol facility have been announced in Georgia and Florida in the last three years. Some are operating, some are under construction and some are in the permitting stage. Combined, the annual wood fiber requirement of these plants could be multiple millions of tons within a few years. For example, a German-based company broke ground in Waycross in March for what it touts will become the world’s largest pellet plant. The plant is expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2011 and may eventually require 1.5 million tons of wood fiber per year to produce 750,000 tons of pellets.

Reflecting the emergence of the wood-to-energy sector, Timber & Biomass Expo Southeast includes a dedicated biomass corridor where various makes and models of disc/drum chippers and grinders will operate in a cluster clear of standing timber. Participating companies include Bandit, Dynamic, Fecon, Morbark, Precision Husky, Vermeer Southeast and Woodsman.

Elsewhere, Rotochopper and CSI, Barko, TimberPro and Knight Forestry will collectively demonstrate a harvesting-processing-grinding system said to result in finely textured material suitable for manufacturing fuel pellets.

In addition, Yancey Bros. and Ring Power, which represent Peterson chippers and grinders and Woodsman chippers, will showcase these and other products on the dual sites they have secured in the designated logging equipment demo area. As well, Peerless, Pitts, ITI, Pinnacle Trailers and Big John will promote biomass vans.

The Lineup

Here is a snapshot of what some manufacturers plan to demonstrate/display:

Fecon will emphasize chipping on a path less traveled by showcasing its FCM-22, a six-knife drum chipper module with a 22 in. capacity. Equipped with a 365 HP diesel engine, the module can produce up to 40 tons per hour. It can be mounted on a flatbed truck, various types of trailers, a track-type carrier or forwarder. With the latter two, it can process logging slash in the woods or be used in land clearing or utility right-of-way maintenance. The company will show the module mounted on a forwarder, a combo it markets as the RTC-22, which it claims “fills the need to chip and collect biomass with a one step, in-woods process.” Fecon points out, “Going to the material and chipping it where it lays can greatly reduce the dirt content of chips as well as reduce the footprint and impact on the property. You can also reduce the amount of equipment needed to get the job done, saving money on labor, maintenance, and initial equipment costs.”

The manufacturer will also pre­sent its Bio-Harvester, a unique machine that simultaneously fells, chips and collects biomass. The material is chipped using Fecon chipper knives or carbide tools, then is augured into a material fan and blown into a collection unit. The harvesting head is mounted on a Fecon FTX440 crawler mulcher or a large agricultural tractor of 250 or more HP. The FTX440 has the ability to withstand forest conditions and tow a collection unit. The Bio-Harvester enables utilization of hazardous forest fuel loads, habitat restoration materials and plantation thinning residues, providing a non-agricultural renewable energy biomass supply.

Bandit will operate three whole tree chippers and a modified grinder:

Model 2590 has a 22 in. capacity; 26×30 in. throat opening; stationary discharge system with hydraulic side-to-side/up-down deflector; 10 ft. conveyor feed; and 37×30 in. wide drum with either bolt-in or babbited knives. With engine options to 440 HP, it can process about 65 tons per hour.

Model 3590/XL has a 36 in. capacity; 40×48 in. throat opening; drag-chain style infeed conveyor; highly efficient discharge system; 48×48 in. wide drum with either bolt-on or babbited knives and engine options to 1200 HP.

Model 3090 has a 24 in. capacity; 30×36 in. throat opening; two available discharge systems; drag-chain style infeed conveyor and slide box feed system. With engine options to 630 HP, it can process about 80 tons per hour.

Model 4690 has a 45×60 in. opening; heavy-duty track-type infeed conveyor with 3-speed drive and engine options to 1200 HP. When fitted with a special cutterbody, the fuel-efficient unit produces a finely ground energy feedstock.

A chain flail delimber-debarker and two whole tree chippers will be Morbark’s workhorses.

The Model 40/36 whole tree chipper is a compact, affordable, productive drum machine. Equipped with the same internal drive perfected on Morbark horizontal grinders, along with an extra wide feed opening, the 40/36 aggressively feeds brushy tops and limbs. Its efficiency is credited to a staggered knife configuration, fewer moving parts and reduced maintenance. The 40/36 comes equipped with the Morbark Integrated Control System for on-site remote diagnostic monitoring.

Model 23 Chiparvestor delivers solid all-around performance in a number of applications for a relatively modest investment. A powerful hydraulic feed system and time-tested chipper produce high quality dimensional chips. It is ideal for processing limby, brushy tops and whole trees up to 23 in. in diameter.

From infeed to outfeed, is carefully engineered for high production and maximum fiber yield, even when processing juvenile and unmerchantable trees. A unique infeed system helps spread multiple stems, resulting in more complete bark removal. Morbark’s Integrated Control System allows for diagnostic monitoring to reduce downtime.

Precision Husky will operate its newest product, the DC-4042 biomass drum chipper. Powered by either a Cummins or Cat engine (up to 700 HP), the machine can produce more than 75 tons per hour. Both two- and four-knife 40 in. diameter drums are available. The 45,000 lb. chipper has an opening of 42 in.

Now in its 46th year, the company offers four models of horizontal grinders that can be converted quickly to chippers (four drum options) and can produce material from ¼ in. to 21⁄2 in. long. It also offers 10 models of tub grinders with numerous screen size options and four models of whole tree disc chippers capable of handling trees up to 30 in. in diameter.

Vermeer Southeast will showcase its TG7000 tub grinder, HG8000 horizontal grinder and BC2100XL brush chipper.

Available with two Cat engine options up to 1100 HP, the TG7000 has an inside tub diameter of 10 ft., depth of 56 in. and 11 ft.-plus loading height. Its Duplex Drum cutting system offers optimum performance and simplified maintenance by way of reversible hammers and cutter blocks. The patented Thrown Object Restraint System (TORS) combines a tub cover and rotor deflector, reducing the quantity and distance of thrown objects.

The HG8000 horizontal grinder offers a large infeed opening and is powered by a 1050 HP Cat engine. With a mill box opening of 50×71.5 in., it handles higher volumes and types of material usually reserved for tub grinders. Its dual screens provide for countless screen combinations and product sizing and are hydraulically positioned and designed for easy removal through the top of the mill box opening.

With a 21 in. capacity and large infeed table, the brush chipper comes with three Cat engine options to 275 HP.

Known for its ConeHead chipper design, Dynamic Mfg., now under new ownership, will operate a new chipper model, the 585B, and introduce its first-ever grinder, the horizontal model 5240.

With four engine options, the Dynamic 585B is a rugged, powerful whole tree chipper with a distinct mechanical advantage—patented cone drum technology—the slicing action of which makes it “up to 40% more efficient” than traditional chipper drums. The machine produces chips of high quality and consistency and comes with an industry leading five-year drum warranty and one year full machine warranty.

The Dynamic 5240 horizontal grinder is a simple, durable, effective machine capable of producing up to 200 cubic yards per hour. With a diameter capacity of 18 in., the 5240 is easy to transport at 32,000 lbs. and features a Volvo Tier 3 engine. Dy­namic will eventually offer a full line of both horizontal and tub grinders.

With chippers available up to 1200 HP, Woodsman LLC places a strong emphasis on engineering and is an industry leader in the market. Woodsman chippers offer many innovations, including rear pivoting feed wheel, full pocket knife design, gear box use and plug-and-play electronics system.

Woodsman machines will operate both in the dedicated biomass area and on the live demo site of the local dealer, Yancey Bros. Models 430 and 460 will work in the biomass area while the 440, Woodsman’s newest biomass chipper model, will be at Yancey’s site.  Designed with a heavy-duty, 50×45 in. cutting drum, the 440’s 40 in. diameter feed wheel is powered by an Easton ME motor, giving it unmatched starting/stopping torque.  Like all Woodsman chippers, the 440 is equipped with full knife pockets that produce “the best quality chips at the lowest fuel cost per ton of any chipper on the market today.”

The Rotochopper-CSI-Barko-TimberPro-Knight Forestry exhibition will be staged among the live logging equipment demo sites and will mirror a trees-to-pellet feedstock demonstration that took place last November in Virginia.

TimberPro and other equipment supplied by Knight Forestry will fell and skid timber to a Barko 595ML loader, which will process it through CSI’s trailer-mounted FDT-6000 chain flail combo equipped with a CSI PTD 363 pull-through delimber. Most of the tree crowns will be re­moved with the pull-through, then the loader operator will send stems through the chain flail to clean away any remaining limbs and most of the bark. The loader will hand it off to a Rotochopper B-66 grinder fitted with a ¾ in. screen. Delimbing, debarking and grinding will be slowed to produce the finely ground, bark-free material. Lab analysis of the material produced in the Virginia demo show­ed a bark content of less than 1%, according to CSI’s Ralph Metcalf.

Efficient in converting many types and forms of wood fiber to various value-added products, the B-66 Rotochopper is available in trailer, track or stationary configurations.

The track-mounted version can be equipped with a removable transport dolly to eliminate the need for a trailer. It is available with diesel or electric power (stationary only) up to 765 HP. Rotor tooth and screen changes can be changed quickly to match different raw materials and finished product specifications. A unique replaceable rotor tooth mount system (patent pending) lets operators conveniently swap tooth mounts to minimize downtime and maintenance.

Equipped with abundant standard features, the Barko 595ML Magnum/Epic loader is a strong, productive work­horse built to stand up to the tough demands of the woods, month after month, year after year. Yet it is comfortable to operate, offers incredible operator visibility and is easy on fuel consumption.

Among other products, Caterpillar dealers Yancey Bros. and Ring Power will operate a Peterson chipper and display a Doppstadt trommel screen. It will also feature mulching and biomass products offered by Supertrak.

The latest offering from Peterson is a new high volume drum chipper, the 4300. A C18 Caterpillar engine is available in three power ratings: 630, 700 and 765.  The chipper utilizes a 36×40 in. drum.  It is available with optional material sizing bars and a chip accelerator to minimize oversize twigs and branches. Other key features include a sloped feed deck and an adaptive feed control to maintain chip quality and engine RPM.

Yancey/Ring Power harvesting equipment will include Caterpillar and Prentice harvesters and feller-bunchers, harvesting and felling heads, skidders and loaders—some of the latter with CTR delimber-slasher packages and Prentice grapple saws. Among the machines will be the newly enhanced and upgraded Cat feller-buncher line: 553, 563 and 573.

John Deere will debut its new D-series knuckleboom loaders and promote several improved and updated products, including its K-series wheel-type feller-buncher and two configurations of its D-series swing machines—one mated with a Waratah processor. Its host dealer will be Flint Equipment Co., which made news in its own way during the month of May.

The 335D and 437D loaders are bulked up for improved durability and performance. Enhancing features include a fuel-efficient JD 6068 Tier 3 PowerTech™ engine with a high-pressure common rail electronic fuel injection system for improved cycle times and new PCLS hydraulic pumps with dedicated swing pumps to deliver power to all functions. Heavy-duty swing bearing and pinion with taller gear teeth reduce the torque load on each tooth.

The 643 (189 HP) and 843 (243 HP) K-series wheel-type feller-bunchers are reliable, maximize uptime and feature robust hydraulic and electrical systems and heavy-duty axles. They boast fast ground speed, quick saw-speed recovery, effective load handling and exceptional accumulating capacities.

As log loaders or shovel loggers, road builders, processor/harvesters, or stroke delimber carriers, the high performance D-series swing machines feature beefy, new structures and next-size-up components.
Working in concert with its largest dealer, Tidewater Equipment Co., Tigercat will put several of its high performance products to work, in­cluding its D-series grapple skidders. Other probable machines include the 234 loader, 718E and 720 feller-bunchers, T250B track-type loader and a track-type feller-buncher.

Tigercat’s D-series skidders are known for efficiency, high production and operator comfort. Refinements to the hydrostatic driveline provide improved performance and fuel economy. The next generation IQAN control system has improved functionality and a simpler, more intuitive user interface. The arch has been redesigned for improved visibility, more powerful holding force and quicker cycle time.

D-series skidders are equipped with Turnaround™. The rotating seat has a two-position mechanical lock and provides full rear-facing drive capability and control of all functions. The steering wheel has been replaced with an armrest-mounted joystick for improved ergonomics. Drive pedals are located at both the front and rear of the cab. Combined with Tigercat’s hydrostatic driveline, Turnaround allows the operator to travel in reverse while comfortably facing the rear. It is an asset where long reverses are necessary, such as first thinning applications where the skidder must back down the thinning corridors, as well as short-haul skidding where time and fuel required to turn the ma­chine around has an adverse effect on productivity and increases costs.

The 620D and 630D are suited to the majority of high production skidding applications while the six-wheel drive 635D, with its long wheelbase, low ground pressure and massive grapple, is designed for long hauls, extremely heavy loads and very soft or steep terrain.

Specializing in forestry semi-trailers, Pinnacle Trailer Sales will represent both Innovative vans (chip and live floor) and McLendon log and lowboy trailers.

Innovative sets high standards with a commitment to superior quality and a design that maximizes structural strength and minimizes weight, assuring durability while providing for greater payloads. Innovative offers blow-in style in-woods chip trailers; open and closed top live floor and walking floor trailers and open top and drop center chip trailers.

Known for its attention to detail, McLendon focuses on building the lightest weight log and lowboy trailers without compromising durability. All McLendon trailers can be built with a variety of specs.

Chambers DeLimbinator, Inc. offers the model CD1 DeLimbinator, a chain-flail delimber used in processing pine pulpwood. The company claims users often report a production increase of 25 to 40% above other delimbing methods such as the stationary gate or pull-through. The company also claims the CD1 is the only “production oriented” machine of its kind on the market and “gives the customer the highest value-added return for their equipment investment.”

The manufacturer will statically display the CD1, which uses two flail drums and 88 chains to delimb multiple stems in a single pass.  Depending on size, as many as 10 trees can be processed at one time. Less loader wear (and less gate delimber-related skidder wear) means reduced maintenance costs and longer machine life.

A remote lets the loader operator idle the machine up and down, kill the engine and activate a cycle timer, which idles the machine up to working speed for 20 seconds and then returns the engine to a low idle to save fuel. The CD1 is a self-contained machine with its own power unit, currently the 250 HP John Deere Tier 3 engine.

Since 1976 Pitts Trailers has been the country’s leading forestry trailer manufacturer. Innovative design, quality workmanship, lightweight and durable construction are not only the pillars of the Pitts’ philosophy but also the cornerstones of its success.

Pitts Trailers entered the chip van market over three years ago. The vans are available in open and closed top models that include an aluminum bottom rail design, aluminum rear gate and a full width fifth wheel plate standard. Pitts builds to the customer’s needs with popular options such as custom lengths, live floors, specialty doors, custom suspensions and axle configurations.

Pitts log and loader carrier trailers, including the Kodiak hydraulic landing gear loader trailer, are “more than the best selling forestry trailers; they are the industry standard.” The lightweight and durable Loadpayin’ and Ultra Loadpayin’ log trailer models feature the “highest grade materials and components in the industry.”  Pitts offers more models and more available options than any log trailer manufacturer.  The Pitts standard delimber style loader carrier frame boasts recent updates that include a new more rigid neck design, an in-frame crank down landing gear, no-catch rear bumper and caged lights. The Kodiak hydraulic landing gear loader/delimber trailer has become the #1 selling loader carrier frame in the country.

Pitts’ experienced work force, combined with the most proven and innovative computer aided designs in the industry, ensure that a Pitts’ customer receives the “finest forestry trailer on the market.”

In addition to demonstrating its FDT-6000 chain flail combo delimber on live site HS-8, CSI will statically display its DFH 3526 dangle felling grapple sawhead; 4400 extended chassis slasher; and IDT-3000, a self-contained, radio controlled delimber/slasher combo.

Designed in the CSI tradition, the 3526 carries a ¾ in. chain and 37 in. bar and is built from the best alloy steel to withstand the punishment of tree cutting. Quick, easy and trouble-free, the chain tension adjuster is a cam type, the same as used on CSI ground saws and delimber topping saws. The 3526 can be mounted on a standard excavator with proper guarding and used as a felling sawhead, as a grapple saw, or as a shovel logging attachment.

The IDT-3000 is a stand-alone unit with its own diesel engine. A 264 Ultra pull-through delimber is mounted on top with a swingout side slasher saw on the bottom. All functions are controlled from a loader’s joysticks. The unit works well on landings where track-type loaders are used to perform various duties.

For 2010 Magnolia Trailers introduced a new line of Lite Weight bolster trailers and a Lite Weight pole trailer.  With higher tensile strength steel, Magnolia has reduced empty weights by as much as 1,500 lbs. per trailer.

Established in 1993 to offer the best trailers in the industry, Magnolia prides itself in using high quality materials to compliment master workmanship and in building each trailer to individual customer needs, which results in durable products and high customer satisfaction.

Peach State Freightliner touts itself as the largest truck dealership in the Southeast. It represents Freight­liner, Western Star, Ford, Sprinter and Autocar. It will display the new Freightliner Coronado SD and a Heavy Haul Western Star tri-axle tractor.

Logging is where Western Star made its reputation. It takes a can-do attitude toward developing custom solutions to maximize payloads and help make sure the job gets done safely and efficiently. Unique logging specs include tridem-drive rear axles, custom tow hitches, pintel hook mounting braces, supersized radiators and heavy-duty suspensions.

Backing its products with a two-year frame warranty, Big John Trailers will exhibit two of its most popular models, the 42LPRC-8FL, its Full Load Series Plantation Trailer, and the 42RC-8FL, its Full Load Series Four Bolster Trailer.

Weighing 10,240 lbs. and incorporating 11R-24.5 tires and steel unimount wheels, Full Load Series trailer’s primary design is best suited for small treelength logs which are light and bulky. The drop deck design allows for maximum payload. The first and second bolsters are 102 in. wide, the third and fourth 96 in. wide for standard track axles and less tare weight. The drop deck section has an 8 in. recess through the middle to allow for additional clearance during unloading. It can also be modified to haul double bunk, cut-to-length logs by use of a “riser” placed on the #2 bolster.

The Full Load Series Four Bolster Trailer, at 9,500 lbs., also features 11R-24.5 tires and steel unimount wheels. It will accommodate both tree­length and cut-to-length logs. The trailer is available in either 96 or 102 in. widths.

Both trailers come standard with drag load bars on the rear bolster as well as a grapple grabber on the bumper. Customers purchasing Full Load Series trailers have reported gains of between two to six tons of net payload over their previous trailers. Many options are available for either design.  These include paint color, tire size, aluminum wheels, L.E.D. lights and width and length.
Maxi-Load Scales will show off its models of portable scales.

KNL Holdings LLC will show products from its offering of Peerless wood residue handling equipment, including different types of chip and refuse handling vans, with and without live floors. Peerless manufactures lightweight aluminum vans distinguished by their rugged construction, which translates into reliability and longevity.

In business since 1980, Great American, Inc. is a Southeastern distributor of product lines for heavy-duty trucks, trailers and off-road equipment. It also specializes in Gates hydraulic crimpers, hoses, fittings and adapters.

Great American will display Gates hydraulic crimpers, which help keep downtime to a minimum. A portable unit can be powered by air, 12v or 115v. Also on display will be the Scotseal Plus XL wheel seal and a rebuild kit for ConMet preset hub assemblies. Both products are from the SKF group.

Mid-GA Cleaning will display pres­sure washing equipment, including the self-contained trailer mounted gas engine hot water washers that include large water tanks for field use. Cleaning solutions will also be available.

Newly recast by a different owner, Riley Forestry Equipment will display several attachments, including the Hydra-Gate delimber. Quadco Equipment, too, will display its attachment offering.
Other exhibitors include insurance providers, attachment manufacturers, tire companies and auction services, to name a few.

Those wishing to pre-register may do so on-line. Admission is $20 per person for adults 18 and over. Spouses and children under 18 must also register but will be admitted to the show at no charge.

Download 2010 Timber & Biomass Expo Southeast Brochure

Contact Information

For general contact and show questions, feel free to use our online contact form.

Dianne Sullivan
Expo Coordinator
dsullivan@timberexpose.com
(334) 834-1170

Charles Burkhardt
Expo Manager
cburkhardt@timberexpose.com
(912) 278-5573