Greased chain for harvester heads – an environmentally friendly solution

Komatsu Forest is now launching Eco-GLS, an environmentally friendly, adaptive lubrication system for harvester heads. The chain and bar are lubricated with eco-friendly grease instead of oil. The grease has better adhesion, minimizing both consumption and waste, which leads to both environmental and financial gains.

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Traditionally, chains and bars and been lubricated with saw chain oil, which offers relatively high surface adhesion. Despite this, oil spillages are unavoidable when the chain turns at the top roller, due to the force created by the speed of the chain. This spillage wastes oil, which has financial impact due to unnecessary oil consumption and the service time needed to regularly top up the oil.

When the oil is thrown from the chain, it creates an oil mist that soils the machine, which can lead to various consequences such as soiled windows, clogged cooling units and more.

Komatsu Forest now offers Eco-GLS, a smart system that lubricates the chain and bar with grease instead of oil. Grease offers better surface adhesion than oil, which means it more easily remains on the chain.

Komatsu's new lubrication system has a unique function for adaptive chain lubrication, minimising both consumption and waste. This benefits both the cost of ownership and the environment, and means less downtime to top up the grease. What's more, the system is designed to use an environmentally friendly grease with less environmental impact.

The heads that can be equipped with Eco-GLS are the Komatsu C93 and the Komatsu C144. It will go into production in the fall of 2015