Paraná, March 4, 2020 – The first self-loading truck in the Americas has begun operating in the Campos Gerais do Paraná region using Swedish technology acquired and fitted by Klabin in a vehicle that will mainly transport longer logs. These logs, which measure 7.36 meters and are mostly destined for sale, also meet demand from industrial production. In the general market, trucks can carry logs of up to 6 meters on average, which is the most common measurement used in the sector. The technology is a mechanical arm equipped with various cameras and sensors that transmit live videos of the arm’s movements and the entire perimeter around it to the augmented reality 3D glasses worn by the truck operator.

Among the principal benefits offered by the new truck is its cargo capacity, which can carry up to two tons more wood than the existing truck models in Brazil can and which has a cabin for operating the mechanical arm above the cargo compartment. Replacing the operation cabin with augmented reality technology frees up around one meter of room for storage.  With the new truck, the company will also reduce the use of resources such as fuel and tires since it does not carry the additional weight of the arm operation cabin, which would mean more wear and tear, and since it dispenses with the other vehicles required in the traditional operation.

The self-loading truck will also increase operator safety during the entire process, since wearing the 3D glasses enables the operator to load the vehicle from inside the truck cabin, without the need for exposure to the external environment to change cabins, for example, as would happen in a traditional self-loading truck. The technology also makes it possible to load other vehicles and unloads the truck’s own cargo, thus speeding up the final stages.

The project for adapting the technology to the truck was conceived and implemented by Klabin’s Forestry Unit team in partnership with the vendor. Besides developing the optimal format to attach the mechanical arm to the truck, the adaptations enhanced the protection of electrical cables, reinforced the rear balance of the truck and were especially responsible for maintaining vehicle length within the 19.8-meter limit established by Brazilian law.