The objective of this study was to technically evaluate the performance of the crane in the extraction of eucalyptus wood in a mountainous region. The evaluation was to determine the activities of the operational cycle, the productivity indexes, the operational efficiency and the mechanical availability and to identify the factors of operational and mechanical disruption the extraction of a eucalyptus forest with average productivity of 327 m³ ha-1 and 0.23 m³ tree-1, varying the distance of extraction de 30 in 30 m up to 150 m during the range of 37 days with an average of 68 cycles per day. The steps developed in the operating cycle show the distribution of: 32%, cable decline; 7% lashing load, 31% load drag, 6% lifting and turning the load; and 24% unloading. The equation of crane productivity [y = -9.05 Ln (x) + 54.6] shows to be greater when the extraction distance decreased and revealing that it is possible to extract the wood at 15.20 m³ h-1 for a distance of 78 m and 29.54º (56.67%) of slope, on average, with a 91.66% mechanical availability and operational efficiency of 80.38% and a production cost of 5.03 US$ m-3 by hiring the crane at 76.43 US$ h-1. This extraction system with crame has high benefits environmental, running and economic, improving logistics for production, forming transport with logss up to 4 m high.
Forestry mechanization; Forest extraction and Productivity
