PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS OF A FULL TREE HARVESTING SYSTEM

Abstract

This study evaluated a full tree harvesting system operationally and economically of a eucalyptus plantation, envisaging the improvement   of the production system. The study was developed in a forest company located in Goias State. The wood harvesting system was composed by feller buncher, skidder, grapple saw and forest loader. The technical analysis consisted in motion and time study for the continuous method, which the operations were divided in working cycle, productivity determination, mechanical availability and operational efficiency. The economic analysis included the operational parameters cost and production cost.  The results indicated that the equipment with lower operational efficiency (35.6%) and lower mechanical availability (47.1%) occurred in the feller buncher, due to interruptions occurred in working cycle. The regression analysis indicated that the feller buncher productivity was influenced by wood volume, while the skidder by distance, the grapple saw by wood volume and forest loader by wood volume.