During a webinar focused for North American on June 12, Ponsse officially launched its new Bison forwarder, which the company claims is the “fastest forwarder in the world.”
Bison offers unprecedented new technology, from the front to the rear. The fuel economy and emissions of its Mercedes-Benz/MTU engine have been optimized to meet the strictest requirements. At the same time, it consumes very low amounts of fuel. In place of a conventional hydrostatic transmission, Bison’s engine is extended by the CVT transmission. Just hit the throttle and the stepless transmission selects the most ideal gear ratio. As a result, high speeds do not increase fuel consumption at the same ratio as in hydrostatic systems.
CVT includes the stepless changing of gear ratios, and thus the conventional switching between the slow and fast gear is no longer necessary. In a machine equipped with CVT, the conventional hydrostatic transmission has been replaced with a separate CVT gear system. This enables a higher fuel economy and tractive force. The advantages of a high tractive force materialize, in particular, when driving on steep slopes, in soft terrain and in deep snow.
When it is no longer necessary to stop when switching to the fast range from the slow range, working in all types of terrain is much faster.
Making the Bison much smoother to operate at any speed is Ponsse’s innovative Active Frame System, which also helps the driver stay alert and more productive.
The Ponsse Bison Active Frame features robust frame structures. Easy maintenance has been taken into account in the positioning of the components and maintenance targets. In addition to this, the machine’s extremely long maintenance intervals increase effective operating hours and reduce maintenance costs. Even at increased speeds, excellent driver comfort and machine handling are maintained.
Ponsse’s proprietary Active Frame cabin suspension system ensures that lateral swings affecting the driver are eliminated in an efficient and unnoticeable manner. The structurally simple yet effective system ensures an exceptionally comfortable ride. The driver’s body is subject to significantly less stress than before. The Active Frame system helps the driver keep alert and productive for hours on end, even at high speeds
The Bison also has Ponsse’s Active Crane—a new way of controlling the loader and boosting efficiency. Active Crane is easily controlled using two levers, one of which controls the grapple height from the ground and the other controls the direction of movement—the operator does not need to control all the functions simultaneously. Once the appropriate grapple location has been given to the machine, it will perform the lift and use the boom and extension automatically. The operator can easily switch between Active Crane and conventional loader control with a push of a button. Active Crane is based on Ponsse’s Sensor Module technology machine leveling systems and the Active Frame system.