Komatsu Ltd. will begin trials on forestry machines at sites in Japan beginning in May 2025 using Komatsu 931XC harvesters and the Komatsu 855 forwarders. The trial will assess the effectiveness of the Cut-to-Length (CTL) method in forestry operations with the aim of expanding to harvesters and forwarders adapted for CTL in the future.
The CTL method involves felling stranded trees, delimbing, and bucking them into logs of specified lengths in the forest, using two types of machines, a harvester for felling and processing, and a forwarder for transporting the logs.
Komatsu’s commitment to effective forestry machines
Komatsu is enhancing its circular forestry machinery business that supports forest regeneration. After successfully expanding globally by promoting harvesting, processing, forwarding, and plating operations, as well as the provision of fleet management and timber handling solutions, Komatsu seeks to strengthen the core pillar of forestry services.
Japan boasts an expansive forested area, comparable to the Nordic forestry nations, and holds strong potential for timber production. However, excavator-based machines have long been mainstream in Japan, and multi-machine processes have been the norm. Amid labour shortages and a declining forestry workforce, there is growing interest in more mechanized approaches. The CTL method enables the completion of all timber production processes with fewer machines and fewer operators, creating potential improvements in productivity, safety, and cost efficiency.
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