EFFECT OF AGE AND EDUCATION LEVEL ON OPERATOR’S PERFOMANCE WITH HARVESTER VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATOR

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of age and education level in the training using harvester virtual reality simulator (HVRS). The study was developed in the Operator Training Forest Center (CENFOR), using data of 124 professionals trained in HVRS. This specialized software were used to simulate machine operation, so that also were used how data source to measure performance of the operating variables in the beginning and end of two operating modules. The results indicate that younger people performed better in the studied operating variables because they could better assimilate the transmitted techniques and developed faster, showing that age is an important element in identifying the ideal profile of people to be recruited as future Harvester operators

EFFECT OF WOOD STACKING ON PRODUCTIVITY AND COST OF FOREST EXTRACTION AND LOADING

Due to the need to implement new operational procedures that provide productivity gains and cost reduction in wood harvesting and logistics, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of wood stacking on productivity and costs of forest extraction and loading operations. The study was carried out in eucalyptus plantations, where the extraction of wood with the forwarder and the loading of vehicles with the forest loader were evaluated. Three log stacking models on the edge of the stand were evaluated: control, inverted and adjacent, with variations in the alignment and distance of the logs concerning the edge of the stand. A study of the times and movements of the operations was carried out, determining the productivity (m³.h-1) and the production cost (R$.m-3) of the forestry operations. The data were compared using the Tukey test (α=5%) for parametric data and the Kruskal-Wallis test (α=5%) for non-parametric data, and the effect of different extraction distances was also verified using equations. The inverted stacking model contributed to the increase in extraction productivity, while the adjacent model in loading, with a reduction in production cost of around 22.1%. Simultaneously analyzing both wood stacking models, the standard model adopted by the forestry company was better with a 6.1% reduction in costs compared to the others. The productivity equations showed that the inverted stacking model contributed to the forwarder's higher performance at distances up to 140 m. The study showed that wood stacking models affect forestry operations and should be considered in operational planning