Assessing Material Consumption Due to Spare Part Utilization by Harvesters and Forwarders

Abstract The aim of this study was to i) develop and examine a methodology to handle spare part utilization data for work machinery for future inclusion into a life cycle assessment study and ii) assess the material consumption per 1000 m3ub harvested and transported to the roadside due to spare part utilization by three types of forest machinery. Thirteen forwarders, 14 single-grip harvesters and 10 two-grip harvesters operating in northern Sweden were followed up by repair records that covered a period from half a year up to 3.5 years. The replaced machine components were sorted in seven material categories - steel and iron, aluminum, other metals (brass, copper), plastics, rubber, glass and batteries. Two scenarios with different assumptions on the consumption of saw chains, guide bars and tires were developed. According to the low scenario about 46 kg of material will be consumed for harvesting and transporting 1000 m3ub to the roadside. The corresponding figure for the high scenario is 58 kg. The total component mass expected to be replaced during the operational lifetime (18000 E15 hours) of the machines was also calculated. According to the low scenario 38- 45% of the mass of a machine will be changed during its operational lifetime. The corresponding figure for the high scenario is 50-56%.