Investigation of Feller-Buncher Performance Using Weibull Distribution

Abstract

With the advancement of technology in forestry, the utilization of advanced machines in forest operations has been increasing in the last decades. Due to their high operating costs, it is crucial to select the right machinery, which is mostly done by using productivity analysis. In this study, a productivity estimation model was developed in order to determine the timber volume cut per unit time for a feller-buncher. The Weibull distribution method was used to develop the productivity model. In the study, the model of the theoretical (estimated) volume distributions obtained with the Weibull probability density function was generated. It was found that the c value was 1.96 and the b value was 0.58 (i.e., b is the scale parameter, and c is the shape parameter). The model indicated that the frequency of the volume data had moved away from 0 as the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution increased. Thus, it was revealed that the shape parameter gives preliminary information about the distribution of the volume frequency. The consistency of the measured timber volume with the estimated timber volume strongly indicated that this approach can be effectively used by decision makers as a key tool to predict the productivity of a feller-buncher used in harvesting operations.