Simulators - an important educational tool

Training on modern forest machine simulators while studying is one way to quickly and effectively become a skilled operator. Komatsu Forest's simulators are used in many places throughout the world and interest is growing as they become increasingly realistic.

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Most people studying to be forest machine operators in the Nordic countries do so at high schools that offer vocational study programs. This gives young people the chance to thoroughly learn how to operate forest machines while also gaining basic theoretical knowledge about the forest.

Most Nordic programs for forest machine operators consider simulator use important preparation for practicing in real machines in the forest. One school that uses simulators is Jämsänkoski Vocational High School, one of nine similar schools in Finland, which is specialized in training youths –and adults wishing to change career paths – to be forest machine operators. It's a three-year course and a large part of the freshman year is spent using simulators.

"Once the course begins, it's important to quickly start operating a forest machine as a complement to all the theory, so we use simulators," explains Helena Sneck, an instructor at the school in Jämsänkoski.

Initially, only forwarder simulators are used, with the opportunity to specialize in harvesters later on. The students studying the program follow a well-proven training manual, doing everything to learn to operate the machines as effectively as possible.
"Simulator training also lowers the threshold for a quick start when they begin operating real machines," says Helena.

Oryx Simulations is responsible for support and sales of Komatsu Forest's forest machine simulators. At present, there are simulators for harvesters, forwarders, and forestry excavators. The simulated machines behave exactly as they do in the forest. The physics are very realistic, affecting, for example, how the harvesting head behaves when coming into contact with trees and how logs move when being forwarded.

Komatsu Forest's simulators are centered around training with a clear focus on operating technique and work planning to aid methodology training.

"As simulators are often used for gaining extensive experience before starting to operate real machines, operating a simulator must be as close as possible to operating the real thing. The training program in the simulator takes the operator through basic training to full operation in the forest," Francesco Pietroni from Oryx explains.

In order to make things easier for the instructor, a student system is included to keep track of users and their use of  the simulators. The instructor can easily follow a student's development from a separate workstation.

"The first things our students are to learn in a simulator are learned more quickly every year," says Helena.

Simulators are not only used in the Nordic countries. Throughout Europe simulators are a given part of operator training programs at both novice and advanced levels. Some major machine sale agreements, such as in Brazil and Indonesia, have also included simulators. Another example of simulator use in education is in Russia, where Komatsu Forest has delivered simulators to, among others, a training institute in the Khabarovsk region and, most recently, a new training center for forest machine operators in Divnogorsk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory of central Russia. In collaboration with Divnogorsk Forestry College, modern operator training is offered in the region with both theory and practical operation, using both simulators and modern Komatsu machines.

Jarmo Nikkanen is head of training at the school in Jämsänkoski. Jarmo says that you can already train most elements using simulators, but that perhaps it's possible to further develop simulator training, such as to include daily machine maintenance.

"We consider it important to work together with schools and other training providers to continue developing Komatsu Forest's simulators," says Francesco.