Vieremä, Finland, 2014-01-30 10:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PONSSE PLC PRESS RELEASE, 30 JANUARY 11:00 AM
PONSSE Scorpion wins Fennia Prize Grand Prix
On 30 January, the PONSSE Scorpion harvester was granted the Fennia Prize Grand Prix of industrial design. The jury praised Ponsse for its long-term utilisation of design, several new design solutions and user input in the product development of the new harvester.
The awarded PONSSE Scorpion harvester is a totally new kind of a forest machine. Its advanced technical solutions and user friendly design take harvesting productivity and driver comfort to a new level. The stylish design includes advanced technology. The crane's position and movement geometry, patented stabilising and levelling solutions and the triple-frame structure are totally new product solutions. The development work of Scorpion was launched in 2009 with the goal of manufacturing a forest machine with no compromise in regard to machine operability, productivity or maintainability.
Ponsse is a globally leading forest machine manufacturer. Every year, PONSSE forest machines are used for harvesting almost 80,000,000 cubic metres of wood in extremely difficult conditions, in about 40 countries; ranging from the icy Siberia to the hot weather in Brazil. Customers demand reliability and quality from machines, but also the look of the product is increasingly important. It is easier to get professional drivers for PONSSE machines because their modern design language stands out from the rest. The best forest machines in the world must also have the best look.
The design of a forest machine not only refers to its look. Appropriate design is pivotal to the operability of the machine. Driver ergonomics and ease of use are emphasised in demanding harvesting, where a high tech machine is used to make quick decisions with a significant impact on the productivity of work. In Scorpion, easy daily maintenance and safe operation have also extensively guided the design solutions.
Harvesting on the terms of the driver and the environment
The Fennia Prize design competition takes place every second year and is organised by Design Forum Finland, Fennia and Elo. The award ceremony was also attended by forest machine entrepreneurs Aki and Kai Laaja from Metsä-Multia Oy to provide information about Scorpion's development work and operability from the customer's perspective. The harvesting company, based in Central Finland, has been one of the customers most extensively involved in the product development work.
"The driver of Scorpion has unrestricted visibility to the working area when the crane boom does not prevent visibility. This makes the driver's work essentially easier and improves harvesting quality – it is easier to choose the trees to be removed, the machine need not be moved from place to place for no reason, and remaining trees are not damaged. Scorpion is very steady to drive. With it, difficult locations can be reached, too, and the operator workload is clearly smaller," say Metsä-Multia entrepreneurs Aki and Kai Laaja.
The product development of Scorpion has also been guided by environmental friendliness, the significance of which is emphasised on an increasing number of industrial harvesting markets. Scorpion is more environmentally friendly as a result of its maintenance intervals, which are longer than usual (less waste oil and other maintenance waste), the new, low-emission Euromot 4F engine technology and the harvester's low surface pressure levels, which are reached as the harvester's weight is divided evenly onto eight wheels.
PONSSE Scorpion was first introduced at the Elmia Wood 2013 trade fair in Sweden. The serial manufacturing of Scorpion was launched at the beginning of the year and it has been received in a record-breaking way by the market. This year, PONSSE Scorpion will be introduced on a harvesting show tour in Finland and on nine new markets.
Awarded PONSSE technology
1992
The Ergo HS15 harvester receives a Pro Finnish Design honorary mention for PONSSE forest machine design.
2003
PONSSE Beaver harvester receives the Fennia Prize honorary mention for the design of the control equipment, cabin and look.
2012
The PONSSE Comfort user interface receives a Fennia Prize honorary mention for the new ergonomical user interface designed on the terms of users. PONSSE Comfort is also included in PONSSE Scorpion.
1 October 2013
PONSSE Scorpion harvester receives the Viva Automation! prize for the development work for the stabilising and levelling system.
20 January 2014
The PONSSE Scorpion harvester receives the Quality Innovation of the Year award for the new machine structure which has improved driver ergonomics and working efficiency.
For more information, please contact:
Juho Nummela, CEO Ponsse Plc, tel. +358 400 495 690
Photos: http://www.ponsse.com/media-archive/images/products/harvesters/scorpion
Videos: http://www.ponsse.com/media-archive/videos/products/harvesters/scorpion
Ponsse – a Finnish company born on a logging site
Forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén founded Ponsse in 1970. Today, the family company has experience of more than 9,000 PONSSE forest machines from logging sites around the world, and the company's operations are still guided by the needs of forest machine entrepreneurs.
Ponsse manufactures sustainable, innovative wood harvesting solutions. The product range covers harvesters, forwarders, harvester heads, cranes and harvesting-related data system products. PONSSE forest machines are designed and manufactured in Vieremä, Finland. Approximately 70% of the components of PONSSE machines are manufactured in-house, and the subcontracting network is mainly based in Finland. Ponsse has 11 subsidiaries and 26 retailers, and its service network covers almost 40 countries.
