The term "degree of mechanization" is commonly used, but the content of this term varies extremely. After a long discussion, the authors of "Technodiversity" have agreed to the following, complex definition:
Manual work: Everything is done by human or animal, as a maximum a hand tool is used.
Motor-manual work: The energy is coming from a machine that is handled by a human. Thus, the weight is limited. Typical examples are the work with a chainsaw or with a brush-cutter.
Mechanized work: When the machine is self-propelled, the limitation of the weight is much lower. As a consequence the machine can have more power and can be optimized for the task. Mechanized work can be subdivided into several steps:
Simple mechanized work offers increased power and mobility, but all auxiliary functions are done by humans. Example: a cable skidder can move larger loads than a human can, and does that at a higher speed. But the attachment of the logs must be done manually by the operator.
When the machine also takes over the auxiliary function to handle the object by means of a crane or a grapple, e.g., but all actions must be steered by the operator, we call it advanced mechanized work. A typical example is a tractor or forwarder equipped with a loader.
Actually, mechanized work is developing more and more towards automatic work. We like to subdivide 4 steps of automation:
information assistance (by sensors)
control assistance (by electro-hydraulic control, e.g.)
In forestry, the cut-to-length harvester is an example of a machine that reaches the level automation of sub-processes. Some prototypes try to operate driverless.
Normally, a total harvestingprocess is a combination of two or more sub-processes. Since each sub-process has itsdegree of mechanization, we want to characterize the total process by a degree of mechanization, too.
This is easy, if the degrees are equal. Then we have a fully manual, a fully motor-manual, or a fully mechanized method.
If the degrees differ, we take the name of the highest degree and add the adjective "partly".
In case of more than two sub-processes As long as only two sub-processes are combined, the degree can easily be found. But
in some cases, there are more than two sub-processes combined. In this cases, we first look for the degree of mechanization of two sub-processes and then add the degree of mechanization of the third
sub-process. The terms of the degree of mechanization are the same as with two sub-processes.
"Almost fully mechanized":
In some cases, we need a more differentiated description. Let's explain it with an example: When the distance between trails is wider than 20 m, the harvester that is instructed to stay on the trail cannot fell all trees, because its crane is not long enough. In that case a worker with his chainsaw fells those trees beyond harvester reach towards the trail. Later, the harvester picks the full trees up and processes them.
Here, the most important machines are harvester and forwarder, forming a fully mechanized method. But due to the felling with chainsaw as an additional sub-process, the degree of the total process would turn to partly mechanized. We have the feeling that does not well represent the reality. Consequently, if the sub-process with the lower degree of mechanization is only necessary for a smaller subset of working objects, we can express it with “almost fully mechanized”.
