During its more than 60-year-long history, Finnish-based Black Bruin has delivered innumerable hydraulic drive solutions to manufacturers of forestry equipment and their end users, loggers and contractors all around the world. These highly durable and energy-efficient solutions will be showcased on stand N:03d at the Swedish Forestry Expo from June 1-3, 2023.
Equipment used in mechanized harvesting has been the foundation for Black Bruin right from the beginning. These solutions will remain one of the company’s focal business areas in the future, too. According to Black Bruin’s Sales Manager, Markku Latvala, the company’s location “at the heart of the forest market” and close to the Nordic machine manufacturers and machine contractors is important. Extensive experience of the field, renowned ability to provide good service and the flexibility of a medium-sized company are seen as clear competitive advantages. Development work is accomplished according to customer needs and the company’s aim is to continue to be the preferred supplier of hydraulic drives.
“Our clients include manufacturers of forest machines, harvester heads and forest trailers to whom we supply harvester and grapple rotators, feed roller motors and wheel drive systems. We currently export approximately 75% of our production. In addition, we supply hydraulic drives for yarders used in uphill logging, trenchers and mounders and stump grinders. Based on radial piston technology, our motors are at their best in applications requiring low-speed and high-torque power transmission,” said Latvala.
Black Bruin has been manufacturing rotators for the leading forest machine manufacturers ever since 1970. At the Swedish Forestry Expo, the company will be showcasing its harvester rotators based on its widely proven, highly durable radial piston technology. Owing to the construction, the torque-transmitting components will not wear in use and the user experience remains unchanged throughout the machine’s lifetime. The rotator is very accurate in use and continues to respond to the driver’s commands in the same way each time, which guarantees that the controllability of the harvester head is perfect in all conditions. The efficiency of the radial piston rotator is high and they require just 20 lpm of oil flow to operate, all of which improves the overall economy of the forest machine. The operating costs remain low and due to the easily maintained construction, the service life of the Black Bruin rotator can be continued far into the future.
“The links and brakes of our most popular RH3016 model have recently been updated to meet the customers’ latest demands. The product has been on the market for almost 10 years and has sold in the thousands. Feedback from the field has been excellent. The most common comment is that the radial piston rotator is stronger and turns more efficiently than competing solutions, and that can definitely be felt in use. Even when operating a forest machine for many service hours, you notice that the power of the rotator is still there and the feeling of use practically the same as in a brand new machine,” said Latvala.
Black Bruin will also be showcasing a power transmission solution specially designed for tractor-driven trailers and working equipment. The core of the system is formed by a hydraulic wheel hub motor, which provides tractive power exactly where it’s needed, under the heavy load. The system is ideal for use in forestry, agricultural and earth-moving trailers.
“The popularity of driven trailers is continuously increasing in the Nordic countries and Central Europe, especially in forestry applications. Almost all forest trailer manufacturers offer the Black Bruin hydraulic drive solution as an option in their portfolio. This is obvious, because the importance of tractive power grows especially in demanding conditions and with bigger trailers and heavier loads. Professional tractor contractors demand superior mobility and productivity for their equipment. The job must get done whatever the conditions,” said Latvala. “When the wheels of a trailer have superior tractive power, even a smaller tractor can pull bigger trailers and carry heavier loads with ease. This achieves savings both in machine investments and fuel costs. Better traction reduces ground compaction and damage to tree roots. And you don’t need to be afraid of getting bogged down in soft soil and possibly even having your work come into a standstill.”
Black Bruin cooperates closely with axle manufacturers and, for example, BPW’s drive axle solution, AGRO Drive, launched in 2017, has been very well received by manufacturers of agricultural and earth-moving trailers.
Black Bruin
www.blackbruin.com
Filed Under: Components Oil Coolers, Mobile Hydraulic Tips, Pumps & Motors
