Forestry machines are like no other vehicles. These impressive machines, weighing several tons, go back and forth among the trees and perform their task with the utmost precision. This scenario poses numerous mechanical and hydraulic problems. The machines require the highest-quality components to ensure maximum reliability and safety.

François Lacroix is thoroughly aware of these challenges. A former technical director for a forestry machinery manufacturer, he branched out on his own around ten years ago to create Foretmat, a business that imported machinery from Canada and the United States.

The only problem was that the vehicles were not adapted to French forests. The company based in Novalaise in the Savoy region of France therefore had to adapt them as much as possible to meet the needs of each customer. However, their customizations were not always supported by the manufacturers.

Consequently, François Lacroix decided two years ago to embark on a venture to manufacture his own machines. This ambitious project meant that the company of ten needed to engage a technical expert in the field of hydraulics and electronics—enter RGDH, based in Melun in the French department of Seine-et-Marne.

Tackling Electro-Hydraulic Challenges to Design Custom Solutions

RGDH is a specialist in embedded hydraulic and electronic solutions, and in the integration of IoT systems. The company has also been a partner of the global specialist in motion and control, Parker Hannifin, for over thirty years. All of which could not fail to support Foretmat in producing and assembling its own machines, as demonstrated by the cable skidder example. The production floor at Foretmat comprises machining tools as well as welding and assembly machinery. Each element was designed by the head of the company himself, François Lacroix, but he needed a partner to help him select, adjust and finish the components.

“Our mission is to find solutions that are customized and adapted to each requirement,” explains Philippe Novier, Director at RGDH. Parker components are already very prevalent in the forestry industry, particularly in Sweden and Canada, and demonstrate excellent manoeuvrability just like in the woodworking professions, where it is important to perform simultaneous movements that are independent of one another. In other words, Parker components provide excellent load distribution.”

The systems also impressed François Lacroix, who recalls working with RGDH “since 2013, back when we were doing machine conversions, then again when we started to make our own machines.”

 A Controller That Responds to the Most Stringent Safety Demands

Another problem for Foretmat was the electronics. In the forestry sector, as in many industrial sectors, safety and control are just as important as the level of performance. Tested to the limit, Parker electronic components are responsible for controlling the hydrostatic transmission, the crane and winch distributors, the high-precision output controller and the FS controller (equipped with safety function), which enables the components to meet the requirements of the ISO 13849 standard in relation to machine safety.

This is why RGDH guided Foretmat towards IQAN and Parker Mobile IoT system solution by Parker. The solution is easy to install in comparison to other IoT solutions on the market.

In addition to its efficiency and high precision, it meets higher levels of safety and performance than standard controllers.

Quick and Easy IoT Solutions

IoT, short for “internet of things” (or industrial objects in this case), is a major technological advancement. The challenge is based on achieving quick and easy integration. The goal is to make the system user-friendly for both the manufacturer and its customers who use it.

This is why RGDH decided to rely on a turnkey solution that also enables the Savoyard company to implement an IoT solution on a mobile machine without having to deal with any other players on the project.

Two-Way Communication

The IQAN system by Parker, which has been in operation on Foretmat’s forestry machine since last spring, is equipped controllers that are quick and easy to program. During development, the application code can be simulated with IQAN software tools.

“The aim is to respond to the demands of a mobile machine by connecting the sensors to the CAN bus in order to gather all the information coming from the engine, from its speed and oil level to its temperature over time…,” Grégory Cormier, Project Engineer at Parker Hannifin and Head of Electronic Applications, points out.

All the information is then collected by IoT system. This enables the machine’s monitoring and projected maintenance to be expanded upon, simulated and improved. Afterward, the data is gathered together and sent to the cloud. This simple feedback system enables alerts to be sent via SMS. Above all, it enables machine functionality to be adjusted remotely to carry out maintenance on machines that are often situated in hard-to-reach places, for example.

Precise Monitoring of Machine Status

Moreover, IQANrun is a ready-to-use service tool, which can be used to view settings and diagnostic information. A data sampling function brings together, for example, the pressure peaks and numerous statistics on the functional state of the machine.

“The distinctive feature of forestry machines lies in the investment they represent for their users,” François Lacroix adds. The owners expect a lot from their vehicles, their return on investment and their reliability. This is why the IoT solution by Parker Hannifin offers the advantage of being able to monitor your machine at any time from wherever you are, to gather all your information on the Parker cloud, to locate your vehicle on the map, and to know its exact movements.”

A Longstanding Partnership

The partnership between Parker and RGDH is well-established. The French subsidiary of Parker Hannifin approached RGDH as early as 1994 on account of its expertise in integrating hydraulic and electronic solutions in embedded applications. The well-rounded partnership is based on two very different types of business. On the one hand, a global corporation that never stops innovating, and on the other, a responsive SMB that is close to its clients and gifted with technical expertise. This expertise allows it to quickly respond to each client’s issues and to provide a tailor-made service. This is especially the case when it comes to the internet of things (IoT), an area in which Parker continues to go from strength to strength.