EN
The delimbing and bucking of timber using a harvester head is very productive in comparison with a chainsaw operations, however it can cause damage to the outer layer of round wood. This damage can originate from the delimbing knives or from the feed roller spikes. As a consequence, grey fungi can develop on coniferous species, and faster wood drying is also observed (with no regard to the species). Feed roller spikes create cuts and dents on the outer layers of the wood. When plywood is processed, the cuts and dents are recognised as damage as a consequence, they lower the wood quality and value. The objective of the presented research was to find out: 1) the depth of cuts, 2) the potential loss of volume, and 3) product value loss due to damage to plywood caused by feed roller spikes. The research was carried out on alder (Alnus glutinosa Geartn.) plywood logs harvested by a Valmet 911.4 with a 360.2 head. Measurements were taken using an electronic calliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm. 16 plywood logs were considered, on which 384 measurement points (depth of spike cuts) were selected on different areas along the length of the log: 1, 2, 3 and 4 m from the butt end. The maximum depth of the spike cut was observed on the bottom part of the logs (1 m from the butt end) and amounted to 3.9 mm. This damage depth was statistically different to those at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th metre points, amounting to 1.9, 1.9 and 2.1 mm, respectively. The biggest volume losses were on the 1st metre of the plywood assortments: 0.004 m³ (4% of the volume), while on the further parts (2nd, 3rd and 4th metres) only 0.002 m³ of the plywood had damage (2% of the volume). In addition, the highest product value loss was on the butt end logs and amounted to 302 PLN/€72 per 100 m³. The following plywood assortments (2 nd , 3th and 4 th metres) had a loss of 76 PLN/€18 per 100 m³. Therefore, when plywood assortments are processed using a Valmet 911.4 harvester with a 360.2 head, it is recommended that after cutting and felling a tree, the plywood section of the alder tree trunk is cut off without feeding it through the harvester head.