UNITRANS-MULTIDRIVE NOW IN FORESTRY

The Sugar and Agriculture cluster, which originally introduced the Unitrans-Multidrive to African agriculture in the sugarcane fields of KwaZulu-Natal, is now reaping a second ‘harvest’ for their labours in forestry. The remarkable, patented Multidrive technology, used under licence from Multidrive Limited, was adapted for agriculture by Unitrans sugar industry specialists and engineers. The unit has earned a solid reputation in sugar for its manoeuvrability and traction and because it eliminates the need for supplementary crop haul-out equipment and labour by transporting the crop directly from the field to the sugar mill.
 

The Unitrans-Multidrive demonstrates its load-carrying ability at Satico, in Mpumalanga where Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture supplies forestry logistics to Mondi. The Multidrive will soon also be deployed on Sappi contracts.

Recently the Unitrans-Multidrive has also been introduced to the division’s forestry operations in Mpumalanga with success. Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture Regional Manager Robby Stevenson, who has overseen the unit’s roll-out in forestry, says, “We have put three Multidrive units in service on our Mondi contract at Satico and the results have been very positive. Additional units, which will also be deployed on our Sappi contracts, have been planned.  Another 5 units are going into service in this region from April and another 3 from July 2008.”

Under average conditions in these mountainous forested regions of Mpumalanga, the units are capable of 19 ton legal loads, and when a trailer is attached, a 32 ton legal payload.  The annual tonnage at Satico for a three Multidrive fleet, transporting pulp and mining timber, is expected to be 112 000 tons.

Stevenson says, “What happens traditionally is that after felling, the logs are transported to the roadside and then ‘short hauled’ to a second depot, which is placed where it will be more accessible to conventional onward transport vehicles. The short haul requires additional personnel and equipment such as Bell T17 haulage units and loaders. Now, with Multidrive technology, we eliminate the expensive short haul because the Multidrive picks up the timber at the roadside, and transports it directly to the mill or other onward destination.  The only short-hauling needed is in extreme terrain.”

The Multidrive’s 8x6 traction and reduced axle loading makes possible bigger payloads per unit and more consistent operations in damp conditions. With reduced axle loading and 8x6 traction, payloads can be about 20% bigger than typical similar-sized vehicles. The six-wheel steering capability, which has proved so advantageous in sugarcane fields, now sees the Multidrive handling steep and winding forestry roads safely.

The Multidrive’s six wheel steering makes it an ideal load-carrying vehicle on winding forestry roads. The 8x6 wheel-drive provides improved traction in damp conditions. Where conditions permit an additional trailer increases the unit’s 19 ton legal load capacity to 32 tons legal payload.