With the explosive growth of worldwide containerised exports of softwood and hardwood logs, the need for a piece of equipment to safely and cost effectively load logs into shipping containers has become critical.
The present practice involves using either knuckle boom loaders or specially adapted forklifts to load logs one at a time into the container. This kind of equipment is not specifically designed for the job like that, maintenance costs are high and damage to containers is a significant factor. Also, about 15% of loaded containers have to be returned to have weight adjusted.
Watch container loading process
CSL’s log loading system is the first machine carefully designed to address all of the technical issues associated with loading logs into containers. The log loader’s design is suitable for the loading of any other long products such as petrochemical industry steel pipe, utility poles or steel/ aluminum mill “long product”, etc.
Log loader features:
- The loading platform has been designed for easy loading using an articulated front end loader in an application to which it is well suited.
- Consequently, yard maintenance cost related to log loading can be reduced up to 30%.
- The sidewall opening’s dimensions will be tailored both to the equipment being used and the log dimensions being loaded.
- Once the full load has been placed on the platform, it can be weighed to within 2% accuracy and the load adjusted, before the logs enter the container. (No more returns to adjust the weight or balance of the load)
- Once the full net weight of the container load has been placed on the machine’s load platform, the entire (55,000 lb) load is smoothly transferred into the container in less than 4 minutes.
- Yard operation costs will be significantly reduced because all equipment used will be operating in applications for which they were specifically designed.
- Estimated maintenance and operating costs for the log loader are less than those of a single, used 5,000 lbs. forklift.
