Harvester Head – AFM 45

Engineering and Design: Robust structure for mixed use The AFM 45 frame is the most robust in its category, designed to withstand the demands of 12-14 ton excavators and medium-sized forest harvesters. Its geometry allows for precision delimbing from stump to tip, thanks to 4 movable knives that perfectly follow the stem profile. The component layout facilitates field maintenance, significantly reducing downtime.

Feeding and Performance: Total grip with 4 motors The key to its success lies in its feeding unit: 4 hydraulic motors drive 3 rollers (two lateral and one in the chassis), ensuring the stem never slips, even on difficult bark types like eucalyptus or sappy pine. With a feeding force of 22 kN and a speed of 5.5 m/s, it processes 5 to 35 cm timber lightning-fast, while also allowing the felling of trees up to 65 cm in diameter.

Log Quality and Measurement: The AFM 45 ensures exact measurements via a hydraulic length measuring system and diameter sensors on the front knives. This maximizes the value of sawlogs. Additionally, proportional pressure on rollers and knives (adjustable according to diameter) prevents damage to valuable wood fiber while ensuring clean delimbing on the toughest branches.

Fleet Compatibility. A multipurpose head that adapts to a wide range of base machines:

• Excavators: 12 – 14 Tons (Ideal range).  
• Wheeled Harvesters: 8 – 18 Tons (e.g., John Deere 1070/1170, Komatsu 901).
• Tracked Harvesters: 12 – 14 Tons.
• Hydraulic Requirements: Minimum flow of 200 l/min for maximum performance.  

Do you have a specific base machine model or need to adapt this equipment to your requirements? Contact us for personalized technical advice.   

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the advantage of 4 feeding motors compared to 2? The 4-motor system provides significantly more traction and prevents rollers from spinning on the trunk. This is vital when working with heavy trees, wet timber, or species with slippery bark like eucalyptus, ensuring that all hydraulic power translates into actual feed.

2. Is it suitable for final felling or just thinning? It is an excellent hybrid head. While agile in thinnings, its 65 cm cutting capacity and feeding power allow it to perform final felling in medium-diameter stands without issues, giving you more operational flexibility than a pure thinning head.

3. Can it be installed on excavators under 14 tons? Yes, that is the perfect match. It is optimized for excavators between 12 and 14 tons, turning them into highly capable and stable forestry processors thanks to their power-to-weight ratio. 
 
4. What type of trees does it process best? It is an all-rounder. It performs exceptionally well in softwoods (Radiata Pine, Pinaster) due to its speed, and has the necessary strength to delimb hardwoods and eucalyptus within its optimal diameter ranges (up to 35-40 cm).

5. Does it have biomass options? Yes, like its smaller siblings, the AFM 45 can be equipped with accumulating arms (multi-stemming) to process several stems at once, increasing productivity in small-diameter stands destined for energy.