A harvesting head consists of the following:
Chain saw to cut the tree at its base, and cut it to length. The saw is hydraulically powered, rather than using the 2 stroke engine of a portable version. It has a stronger chain and a higher power output than any saw a person can carry.
Two or more curved de-limbing knives which reach around the trunk to remove branches.
Two feed rollers to grasp the tree. The wheels pivot apart to allow the harvester head to grasp the tree and pivot together to hug the tree tightly. The wheels are driven in rotation to force the cut tree stem through the delimbing knives.
Diameter sensors to calculate the volume of timber harvested in conjunction with
A measuring wheel which measures the length of the stem as it is fed through the head.
The machinery actions are programmed into a control panel which automatically fell the tree, the controller can overwrite these operations.
