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Snow Grooming Magazine – March 2016
Citation preview
ISSN 2369-3886
VISIT US ONLINE For articles, events, product catalogue and more!snowgroomingmag.com
NORTH AMERICA’S ONLY PUBLICATION CONNECTING THE ENTIRE SNOW GROOMING COMMUNITY
Changes to emissions standards are good for snow grooming
WINTER GOES FROM WHITE TO GREEN
March 2016 | Volume 3 | No. 2
PEAKWarm temperatures. White snow.
MND America - 063 Eagle Park East Drive - Eagle Colorado - 81631 USA Tel. : +1 970 328 5330 - Fax : +1 970 328 5331 - mndamerica@mnd-group.com
A r e c o + S u f a g + S n o w s t a r =
SUFAG, a company of
One partner, many solutions
SUPER ACCESS
10 HKD SnowmakersThis Massachussetts-based company helps counter the unpredictability of snow
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04
24
Zuidberg is On TrackPlanning for North American growth
LiteTrax Unveils MuddTraxThe maker of SnowTrax snowcats has boosted its product line of lightweight, mul-tipurpose tracked machines with a new all-season, all-terrain vehicle
Striving for DiversityOwners look to diversify what one Quebec-based company offers
Winter Goes From White to GreenChanges to emissions standards are good for snow grooming
28 Partners in Snow InnovationLeica Geosystems and Prinoth yield new analysis with the iCON alpine system
24
28
TABLE OF CONTENTSMarch 2016 | Vol 3. | No. 2
PEAKWarm temperatures. White snow.
MND America - 063 Eagle Park East Drive - Eagle Colorado - 81631 USA Tel. : +1 970 328 5330 - Fax : +1 970 328 5331 - mndamerica@mnd-group.com
A r e c o + S u f a g + S n o w s t a r =
SUFAG, a company of
One partner, many solutions
SUPER ACCESS
Cover Story
ISSN 2369-3886
VISIT US ONLINE For articles, events, product catalogue and more!snowgroomingmag.com
March 2016 | Volume 3 | No. 2.
NORTH AMERICA’S ONLY PUBLICATION CONNECTING THE ENTIRE SNOW GROOMING COMMUNITY
WINTER GOES FROM WHITE TO GREEN
Changes to Emissions Standards are Good for Snow Grooming
10
20
SNOW GROOMING 1
The NEW HUSKY; a combination of power, maneuverability and efficiency, supported by the all new Tier 4 final 228 bhp clean engine plus user-friendly controls and cabin comfort features. www.prinoth.com PRIN
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A legend is reborn.
The NEW HUSKY.
The all-new 228 bhp Tier 4 engine delivering optimal performance while reducing emissions & maintenance. A first in trail grooming vehicles!
Redesigned cab featuring upgraded visibility, spacious working environment and most of all … comfort!
User-friendly controls provided by the ergonomic joystick and the function-packed 7” HD display.
Four track widths available with adjustable hydraulic track tensioning.
Nighttime trail grooming made easy and safe due to improved lighting and featuring optional LED.
Published by
140 Broadway, 46th FloorNew York, NY 10005Toll-free phone: 866-953-2189Toll-free fax: 877-565-8557 www.lesterpublications.com
President, Jeff LesterVice-President & Publisher, Sean Davis
EDITORIALEditorial Director, Jill Harris Editorial Assistant, Andrew Harris
ADVERTISINGBook Leader, Quinn Bogusky
DESIGN & LAYOUTArt Director, Myles O’ReillyCrystal Carrette, Jessica Landry, John Lyttle
DISTRIBUTIONNikki Manalo
© 2016 Lester Publications, LLC All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.
Publication Mail Agreement #40606022. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 701 Henry Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3E 1T9
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the authors and/or editorial sources contained in Snow Grooming magazine are those of the respective parties and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher.
Printed in Canada.Please recycle where facilities exist.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
March 2016 | Vol 3. | No. 2 www.snowgroomingmag.com Changes
Welcome to the March 2016 issue of Snow Grooming magazine!
The cover story of this issue is all about the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency (EPA)’s emissions standards, which became mandatory for most engine manufacturers in 2015. Tier 4 regulations require changes to exhaust after-treatments, which sets these regulations apart from their pre-decessors, most of which demanded reductions through in-engine refine-ments.
The changes have a dramatic effect on the snow grooming industry; how-ever, these changes are a positive for the community. It’s true that the chang-es are driving the costs of most groom-ers up by 15 to 20 percent; however, for an industry that is so closely tied to the wonders of the great outdoors, becom-ing more environmentally friendly is a natural fit. Read the cover story for an in-depth look at what these regulations mean to the snow grooming industry, starting on page 4.
This issue also celebrates differ-ent companies from across the snow grooming community. On page 10, you’ll read about HKD Snowmakers, who strive to develop products that improve snowmaking energy efficien-cy. Turn to page 24 to read about Équi-pements Plannord ltée, celebrating 40 years in business in 2016 and who are on their second year of new own-
ership. We also got a hold of LiteTrax so they could tell us about their new tracked vehicle, the MuddTrax, which can travel in water, mud and in snow, as well as across uneven surfaces. You can read about MuddTrax on page 20. Read these articles and more by flip-ping through this issue. Be sure to let us know what you think!
Also, watch your emails for our an-nual buyer’s guide specification re-quest forms. If you would like to appear in Snow Grooming’s buyer’s guide and have not done so, please shoot me an email so I can add you to our list and request your equipment specifications and include them in the magazine.
Lastly, if you’re interested in hav-ing an article about your company in the magazine or if you have ideas that you think we should cover, reach out to me any time. My direct contact in-formation is below – don’t be afraid to use it! I’m still learning about the snow grooming industry, and I appreciate your insights and thoughts.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Snow Grooming.
Cheers,
Jill Harris866-953-2182jharris@lesterpublications.com
The NEW HUSKY; a combination of power, maneuverability and efficiency, supported by the all new Tier 4 final 228 bhp clean engine plus user-friendly controls and cabin comfort features. www.prinoth.com PR
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A legend is reborn.
The NEW HUSKY.
The all-new 228 bhp Tier 4 engine delivering optimal performance while reducing emissions & maintenance. A first in trail grooming vehicles!
Redesigned cab featuring upgraded visibility, spacious working environment and most of all … comfort!
User-friendly controls provided by the ergonomic joystick and the function-packed 7” HD display.
Four track widths available with adjustable hydraulic track tensioning.
Nighttime trail grooming made easy and safe due to improved lighting and featuring optional LED.
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SNOW GROOMING 3
Winter Goes from White to Green
Changes to emission standards are good for snow grooming
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White has traditionally been the color most of-ten associated with win-ter but it might soon be
forced to make way for green – and experts says that bodes well for the snow grooming industry.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced new Tier 4 emission standards for non-road diesel engines on Jan. 1, 2011, aimed at reducing particulate matter (PM) by 90 percent and oxides of nitrogen by 45 percent from the previous Tier 3 standard. The new standards were phased in over a four-year period and became mandatory for most engine manufacturers in 2015. Canada’s Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations were amended to align with the new U.S. standard in November 2011.
While most of the reductions in previous emission standards were
achieved through in-engine refine-ments, the Tier 4 regulations required changes to exhaust after-treatments.
The changes have had a profound impact on many players in the snow grooming industry, particularly man-ufacturers who supply the equipment used to service the needs of ski areas, cross-country groups and snowmo-bile enthusiasts.
Although he acknowledges meeting the new standards was something of a challenge for manufacturers, Jean-Claude Perreault of Prinoth’s Cana-dian-based operation says it will ul-timately prove to be a good thing for both the industry and outdoor enthu-siasts.
“It’s not something that is a negative in terms of the [the industry’s] evolu-tion,” said Perreault, vice-president of sales for Prinoth’s Granby, Que.-based operation. “On the contrary, going from Tier 3 to Tier 4 on a vehicle is
TIER 4 EMISSIONS
By Jim Timlick
PistenBully asked ther engine manufacturer to design a fuel tank wrapped with a coil filled with coolant to prevent freezingImage courtesy of PistenBully
SNOW GROOMING 5
almost like taking a thousand diesel trucks off the road. What you save in terms of emissions is a huge step for the environment and I think the ski industry is very conscious about the environment.”
John Meilicke, sales manager for Tucker Sno-Cat, says one of the big-gest challenges for manufacturers in meeting Tier 4 standards was in-creased costs and justifying the in-creases to customers. He estimates the changes drove the cost of most groomers up by a minimum of 15 to 20 percent. And even though customers didn’t like the increase, Meilicke says they weren’t surprised by it after wit-nessing similar developments in the automobile industry.
Although the benefits to the envi-ronment are obvious, the adoption of the new emission standards have resulted in some changes under the hood that are a little less conspicuous.
One of the most notable ones is that the new Tier 4-compliant engines re-quire the use of a diesel emission fluid (DEF), known as AdBlue in Europe. DEF is an additive that is injected into
the exhaust system to help it meet EPA standards.
Meeting the challengeDennis McGiboney, vice-president of sales and marketing for Kassbohrer All-Terrain Vehicles, the parent com-pany of PistenBully, says one of the challenges with DEF is that it has a tendency to freeze in extremely cold temperatures. As a result, PistenBully asked their engine manufacturer to design a fuel tank wrapped with a coil filled with coolant to prevent freezing.
Tucker’s Meilicke cautions groom-ers to be aware that DEF has a lim-ited shelf life and it should be used in a timely fashion or they risk it losing some of its efficacy.
Something else groomers should be conscious of, according to Meilicke, is the type of fuel they use in Tier 4-com-pliant engines. Unlike Tier 2 or Tier 3 machines that could operate using kerosene or “jet” fuel, Tier 4 engines require the use of ultra-low sulphur fuel.
“That’s probably going to be the big-gest challenge for some clubs…just
because ultra-low sulphur doesn’t respond to the cold weather quite as nicely as kerosene. They’re going to have to [use] some kind of anti-gel ad-ditive to prevent that,” he said, adding there are several different types of ad-ditives available.
While everyone will eventually be using Tier 4 machines, the question for many ski areas and other winter operations is whether they should in-vest in the new technology now or try to get one or two more seasons out of their existing equipment.
Perreault says two questions that operations managers should ask themselves are: how much are they gaining by maintaining or repairing old equipment if they end up having to replace it in the near future; and could that money be better spent on invest-ing in a new machine that is likely to be of use for a considerably longer pe-riod of time?
Engines on new Tier 4-compliant machines will likely require far less maintenance “because the whole in-jection system is different and is more reliable than what was on the Tier 3
TIER 4 EMISSIONS
John Meilicke of Tucker Sno-Cat estimates the changes drove the cost of most groomers up 15 to 20 percentImage courtesy of Tucker Sno-Cat
6 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
TIER 4 EMISSIONS
“Going from Tier 3 to Tier 4 on a vehicle is almost like taking a thousand diesel trucks off the road.” – Jean-Claude Perreault, Vice President of Sales, Prinoth
version,” he said. “And when you look at the Tier 4 add-ons to the equip-ment, the engine manufacturers have to guarantee this equipment for four or five years that it will continue to work and meet the emissions levels.”
John Glockhammer, Kassbohrer’s marketing manager, says that while the new technology comes at a price, customers can recoup a significant portion of the cost through lower fuel costs, fewer operating hours and less frequent repairs.
Meilicke cautions that there is little that can be done to make older Tier 2 or Tier 3 models compliant with the new Tier 4 emission standards. The only way to upgrade a machine would
be to repower the engine and install new aftermarket emission compo-nents but that still wouldn’t make it Tier 4 compliant and the engine data tag would remain the same.
Roll ‘em outThe EPA only began issuing Tier 4 Fi-nal certification in January 2014, so many manufacturers only began roll-ing out their new compliant models this past year with a number of other new versions scheduled to be released later this year or next.
Prinoth boasts it was the first man-ufacturer to introduce a complete line of Tier 4-compliant grooming machines, which includes the New
Husky trail groomer for snowmobile and cross-country trails [Editor’s note: For more on Prinoth’s New Husky, read the January 2016 issue of Snow Groom-ing magazine], the New Bison alpine groomer and Leitwolf, a 530-horse-power behemoth that is the largest of its T4 models.
Perreault says the new models offer more torque than their predecessors and significantly more horsepower. In the case of the New Bison, it provides 400 horsepower compared to the 350 HP its forerunner offered. Because it can operate at lower RPMs, it requires less fuel to operate.
All three models also feature new cabs that offer increased comfort and
SNOW GROOMING 7
visibility for the operator, Perreault adds.
“Prinoth decided that since the engine transformation was so ma-jor we…[would] completely revamp [them] to not only incorporate the Tier 4 technology but also add some other features to the vehicles that
bring even more innovation and per-formance…to the customer,” he said.
Parts compatiblePistenBully recently introduced its PistenBully 400 4F groomer for slope and snow park preparation. The com-pany plans to release its 100 4F model
TIER 4 EMISSIONSfor Nordic grooming in the next year and follow that up with the release of its 600 4F alpine groomer the follow-ing year.
McGiboney says the new models will require less fuel to operate but adds it’s too early to say what the exact fuel sav-ings will be. In addition, they will offer significantly more torque (1,627 new-ton metres in the new 400 4F compared to 1,520 in the previous model) as well as additional horsepower, from 370 HP to 400 in the 400 4F.
“And it’s the same size engine. There’s been no increase in the size or weight,” said Glockhammer.
Another advantage with PistenBully’s new T4-compliant ma-chines, McGiboney says, is that 90 per-cent of the parts are compatible with older models.
“If the [customer] runs a fleet and right now he has ten 400s and next year he buys a Tier 4, 90 percent of his parts are going to fit his older models. That’s a huge selling point for us,” he said.
There is little that can be done to make older Tier 2 orTier 3 models compliant with new standardsImage courtesy of Tucker Sno-Cat
8 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
TIER 4 EMISSIONS
More horsepowerMeilicke says Tier 4 standards have now been adopted on all of the com-pany’s groomers, including its Model 2000 series, its most popular groom-ing unit. It offers a wide selection of blades for plowing snow including six, eight and 12-way blades.
The new model features similar horsepower to its predecessor while offering increased torque and im-proved fuel efficiency. It burns about 3.5 gallons per hour compared to 4.0 in the older model, which Meilicke says can add up to a noticeable sav-ings when you consider a groomer can typically burn between 50 and 80 gal-lons a day.
Rainbow Rubber & Plastics, Inc. 113 Dries Road, Reading, PA 19605(phone) 888.438.2446 (fax) 610.685.7574 www.rainbowbelts.com
The question for many ski areas and other winter operations is whether they should invest in the new technology now or try to get one or two more seasons out of their existing equipment.
One of the advantages of PistenBully’s new T4-compliant machines is that 90 percent of the parts are compatible with older modelsImage courtesy of PistenBully
SNOW GROOMING 9
HKD Snowmakers
10 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
Snow can be a fickle business partner. It certainly has been during the winter of 2015-16, an El Niño year. Some areas
of North America have been experi-encing great bare patches, others early winter snow, and blizzards are hitting places like Washington, D.C., the Caro-linas and Kentucky.
But the unpredictability of snow is exactly why companies like HKD Snowmakers exist.
The Massachusetts-based company is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016. Charles Santry and his father-in-law Herman K. Dupré, the man initially behind Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Mountain Resort, started the company in 1991.
“The primary objective of the com-pany was and still is to develop prod-ucts that improve snowmaking energy efficiency,” said Ian Jarrett, HKD Snow-maker’s vice president. “Seven Springs makes snow on 500 acres of terrain. Being located in western Pennsylvania, they don’t necessarily get the tempera-tures that are conducive to making snow. So Herman knew that he had to do it at a very high production rate but also at a very low cost, if possible. That’s what pushed him to develop an effec-tive and more energy efficient method of making the snow. Consequently, the age of ‘Low-E’ snowmaking was born.”
Of course, from its ski hill origins, HKD products are mostly used by the alpine market, but that’s not to say that other industries aren’t catching on. Of course, certain snowmaking product lines are better than others for either Nordic or snowmobiling clubs, but HKD tries to cover a variety of snow-making scenarios with their various product lines.
“All of our equipment is modular,” said Jarrett. “We have different style snow-gun heads that mount onto a common platform. So, if you’re making snow in a narrow piece of trail, we have a couple of snow-gun heads, the four-flow Laser and the five-flow Phazer. And if you’re on a more wide-open area, we have the four and five-flow Impulse. And so we try to make all of our equip-ment universally functional whether it’s a fixed mount or portable piece of equipment.”
If an association or group is thinking of purchasing snowmaking equipment, there are a few things to consider first, says Jarrett.
“Considering the volatile energy costs of today, the difference between the operating expense of older, conven-tional snowmaking equipment and the low-energy snowmaking alternatives, there’s literally a one-to-three-year re-turn on investment,” said Jarrett. This rate of payback is based on the expense of making snow and the equipment’s utility. If your facility does not make the volume of snow that a typical alpine ski area makes, you must also evaluate the opportunity costs of not being open for business – the revenue side.
But Jarrett says that not every prod-uct that HKD manufactures is appro-priate for every situation.
“For example, if you’re making snow in a big open area and you’re going to run a piece of equipment for a large number of hours, the fact that a typical fan gun can cost between USD$25,000 and USD$35,000 is not an issue, be-cause you’re getting utility out of the equipment both from performance and from the number of hours you run it. But if you take that same piece of equipment and you put it into a small
By Jim Chliboyko
This Massachussetts-based company helps counter the unpredictability of snow
SNOW GROOMING 11
HKD SNOWMAKERS
“It’s definitely a financial decision that the facilities have to evaluate and make on their own terms, but the ones that have invested in snowmaking, large or small, there’s always a benefit to it.” – Ian Jarrett, Vice President, HKD Snowmakers
snowmobile trail and run it for only 50 hours, it’s a lot of capital investment for a very small window of opportunity.
“It’s definitely a financial decision that the facilities have to evaluate and make on their own terms, but the ones that have invested in snowmaking, large or small, there’s always a benefit to it.”
Of course, winter is the busy time for the Natick, Mass., company; Jar-rett figures that the company employs over 40 people, all in North America, when things are “fully loaded.” It’s also an easy company to follow, as they’re very active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They generally post several photos per week on Instagram, for in-
stance, and have a digital media man-ager specifically dedicated to that side of the company.
HKD also has fun with marketing oth-er ways. For example, they created their “I Am a Snowmaker” campaign. HKD recognizes a number of North Ameri-can snowmaking teams with the I Am a Snowmaker distinction. At the end of the year, one of the snowmaking teams will be chosen as the winner by the ski industry.
Tackling internationalHKD already has an international pro-file; the company is active on five con-tinents. Jarrett says that at one time, HKD sold more to Europe than they did
to North America, though the European market has recently become much more competitive. They also do business in Asia, and have a few units operating in South America and Australia.
And there’s a Canadian connection. Back in 2011, the company’s 20th year in operation, they merged with Quebec company Turbocristal, located in Bois-chatel, near Quebec City, an outfit that had something that HKD particularly needed – the technology of the fan gun – in order to be a complete snowmaker.
“Both the low-energy air/water equip-ment and fan gun equipment have very similar operating costs per acre-foot of snow,” said Jarrett. “But each snowmak-ing method has its particular strength.
HAVE IT
Model 20SG
12 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
And, really, the application dictates which one is most beneficial. It has certainly proved to be a tremendous merger of two solid snowmaking com-panies – one in Canada and one in the United States. I don’t believe there’s an-other snowmaking manufacturer that is so committed to the North American ski industry and the associated economies.”
Moving toward the futureAnd, like any good company, HKD has also branched out into other areas.
“Because our primary focus has al-ways been energy efficiency, simplicity and the utility of the equipment, it lends itself to various other snowmaking ap-plications. For example: ice road con-
struction, forestry, dust suppression, evaporation and also waste-water treat-ment,” said Jarrett.
Certain advances have also made snowmaking more portable. HKD has products like the sled mounted Viper. The snow-gun does require the neces-sary infrastructure to operate the snow-makers – water lines and power – but Jarrett says there’s one machine in par-ticular that is better for, say, the trail-making side of things.
“One product that is really well suit-ed for the snowmobile market and markets that don’t necessarily have a central snowmaking plant or area is called the HKD Super Blizzard. It is a self-contained unit. We’ve used it for ice
road construction. It has a pump, a fan gun and a generator, all on a trailer, so that if you had a water source but you didn’t have a power source and a pump house, you could bring this in and make snow at a very high rate of production and then move on. As long as you have accessibility to water, you can use this tool.
“That’s the product that’s really tar-geted to the snowmobile industry,” he said. “It’s one of those years where you just want to give people who just bought brand new snowmobiles an opportunity to put them on snow.” Photos courtesy of HKD Snowmakers
HKD SNOWMAKERS
SNOW GROOMING 13
A Netherlands-based manu-facturing company with an established history in the snow grooming industry is
looking to expand its footprint here in North America.
Zuidberg, a family-owned business established by founder Henk Zuidberg, has been selling its front linkage and power take-off (PTO) systems in more than 42 countries for over 30 years. Al-though Zuidberg products had been distributed in North America for some time as part of a deal with a Canada-based importer, company officials de-cided to take control of their fortunes
in this part of the world by establishing their own North American branch in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 2014.
While Zuidberg’s three-point hitch and front PTO solutions for tractors allow users to attach a blade to push snow in winter or brooms to clear trails in the summer, it’s the company’s track conversion system that has caught the attention of the snow grooming com-munity in this part of the world. The system allows users to attach a rubber track to virtually any type of tractor and make it more manoeuvrable in al-most any winter conditions.
The latest iteration of the company’s
track technology is being unveiled at a number of trade shows this winter and is expected to be available on the mar-ket during the 2016-17 season.
One cool customerZuidberg North America president Rudolf deJong says the new track sys-tem will feature several improvements aimed at helping make snow grooming equipment operate better in sub-zero temperatures.
Perhaps the most noteworthy change, according to deJong, is a new and improved suspension system de-signed to significantly reduce vibra-
Zuidberg is On TrackPlanning for North American growthBy Jim Timlick
14 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
ZUIDBERG TRACK SYSTEM
tions and provide optimal operator comfort in the cab. Operators will no-tice the difference as soon as they take their seat, he says.
“If you operate tracks, it can be a po-tential risk that the vibration from the tracks goes into the cab,” he said. “With this new suspension system, we elimi-nate the risk as much as you can [and] prevent those vibrations from coming into the cab.”
deJong says another benefit of the improvements to the suspension sys-tem is that the reduced vibrations will help to extend the life of the rubber belts used in the track system, mean-
ing they won’t have to be replaced as frequently.
Another development that will be welcomed by snow groomers is that the new track system uses oil rather than grease, which tends to work poor-ly in cold weather.
“That’s especially [useful] in snow grooming applications because it’s al-ways cold,” deJong said. “Grease gets very thick and the viscosity gets very high [in extremely low temperatures]. We believe that oil is a way better sys-tem than grease track systems, espe-cially in winter applications.”
Oil-filled tech a real boonAn additional boon of the oil-filled technology is that it features fused glass hubs that operators can easily check to ensure there is sufficient lu-bricant for the track system. In most older, grease-filled systems, operators have to essentially guess how much lu-brication is in the system, deJong says.
“All the snow grooming people I’ve talked to so far say they like the oil-filled hubs. The reason for that is oil has a lot higher viscosity than grease so that gives a way better greasing of the final components of the track system,”
SNOW GROOMING 15
he said. “It’s also a lot more reliable than the grease. If you have thick, thick grease in it you can never really see how much grease is in it. People who grease their track system do that based on guessing. This is way easier and much more reli-able.”
Zuidberg offers four different types of track systems that are adaptable for use with any brand of tractor or agricul-tural vehicles, regardless of whether it’s
self-propelled or towed. Those systems include:
• C-frame: Features two, three or four bogie wheels and is avail-able with rubber tracks 61, 76 or 92 cm wide. This generic track set can be mounted to combines and self-propelled forage harvest-ers and is interchangeable with wheels.
• OC-frame: Features three bogie
wheels and 61, 76 or 92 cm wide rubber tracks. This generic track set can be mounted to articu-lated tractors and is interchange-able with wheels.
• E-frame: Features three bogie wheels and 61, 76 or 92 cm wide rubber tracks. This machine-specific track set is self-propelled and can also be towed behind equipment.
ZUIDBERG TRACK SYSTEM
Extreme Winter’s Peak Performer.
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Extreme pressures and temperatures in today’s fuel injection systems can plug fuel filters and foul injectors unless you rely on the right additive: Schaeffer’s CarbonTreat™ PREMIUM.
Run Tier 4 equipment at peak performance.
Typical areas where carbon deposits are found in common rail injectors
Extreme Winter’s Peak Performer.
It prevents gelling in cold weather and is the only premium fuel additive specifically designed for high-pressure common rail systems. CarbonTreat™ Premium cleans existing deposits and prevents injector deposits from forming – in winter or summer. If you rely on your equipment to get the job done, count on CarbonTreatTM to be the season’s top performer.
Schaeffer_SnowGrooming_1/2 page.indd 1 2/1/16 1:55 PM
16 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
A WINNING TEAM
“If you operate tracks, it can be a potential risk that the vibration from the tracks goes into the cab. With this new suspension system we eliminate the risk as much as you can [and] prevent those vibrations from coming into the cab.” – Rudolf deJong, North America President, Zuidberg
• F-frame: Features two, three or four bogie wheels and 30, 40, 61, 76 or 92 cm wide rubber tracks. This machine-specific track set has a sub-frame that can be mounted to front wheel assist tractors and is interchangeable with wheels. A sub-frame re-mains on the tractor.
Wider rollers a plusOne of the major differences between Zuidberg tracks and other similar sys-tems currently available, according to deJong, is that his company’s offerings
feature large, lightweight rollers which cover the entire width of the track sys-tem rather than just part of it. That’s es-pecially useful in snow grooming appli-cations where operators might have to deal with ridges of snow and ice because the extra width of the rollers offers sup-port across the entire track belt.
deJong says one of the most impor-tant benefits of using a track system is the versatility it offers. Whether you are using it on a tractor, harvester or some other kind of agricultural vehicle, it can turn virtually any piece of equipment into an all-season unit that can oper-
ate in mud or snow while leaving the ground beneath its tread unaffected. That can mean significant savings for ski areas and trail operators because they need far fewer vehicles to attend to their grooming needs, he says.
Zuidberg’s parent company was founded in the Netherlands in 1982 by Henk Zuidberg, who had been looking at ways of making the tractor more effi-cient for his brother and other farmers. His research led to the development of an “adapter” that allowed implements to be used on both the front and rear of a tractor which in turn led to the creation
ZUIDBERG TRACK SYSTEM
TrailBully
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SNOW GROOMING 17
ZUIDBERG TRACK SYSTEM
GAME CHANGERGet the most out of your snow conditions and
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Zuidberg North America was established to allow the company to be closer to its customers here and take more control of its efforts in this market
of an entire line of frontline linkage sys-tem of products with combined sales of nearly 30,000 units annually.
Zuidberg’s son, Jeroen, took over the company in 2004 and about five years ago determined it was in the company’s
best interests to diversify and continue growing its interests outside the agri-cultural sector. One of his first orders of business was to acquire West Track, an-other Netherlands-based company that specialized in rubber track conversion
systems, which allowed the company to continue to expand its growing line of snow grooming products.
Stepping up its presenceWhile the company already had a solid presence in both Canada and the U.S., including sales to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like John Deere, New Holland, Case, Massey Ferguson and Buehler Versatile, the younger Zuidberg wanted it to have a more vis-ible North American presence. As a result, Zuidberg North America was established to allow the company to be closer to its customers here and take more control of its efforts in this market.
“We had already done business for a long period here [in North America] but we didn’t have our own presence,” deJong said. “We think it’s good to be closer to those customers to better serve them.”
deJong says the company has been pleased with the results of its stepped-up efforts here in North America to date, adding there is still considerable room for it to grow in this market. Photos courtesy of Zuidberg
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18 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
GAME CHANGERGet the most out of your snow conditions and
delight winter sports enthusiasts.
202 - 567 - 1253 / doug.brown@leicaus.com
Contact Doug Brown for more information:
Sustainable
Lower fuel consumption
Fewer vehicle hours
Environmentally concious
Real Time
3D snow depth visualization
Snow groomer position
Precise snow making for neuralgic locations
Intelligent
Targeted slope management
Super imposed snow production analysis
Enhanced data for fun park models, slope edges, water taps,
anchor points and shafts
Leica iCON alpine
And much more...
There have been lots of changes lately at LiteTrax, maker of the lightweight SnowTrax line of over-the-snow vehicles.
Since Snow Grooming last checked in with LiteTrax in 2014, the company has grown to 20 people (adding a full-time engineer and CFO, among others) and rolled out a new, mobile-friendly website. It’s also added some new implements that help boost the snow grooming capabilities of the SnowTrax commercial model, the 1100 TD.
But the biggest change is the intro-duction of a whole new line of tracked vehicles called MuddTrax.
Able to travel in water, mud and snow as well as across uneven surfac-es, MuddTrax machines can be used year-round and in most environments. It’s the latest in the LiteTrax line-up of lightweight, low-pressure, all-terrain vehicles designed to be priced within the reach of every cabin owner, ski or snowmobile club and small business.
According to Litetrax general man-
ager Greg Nielsen, MuddTrax is a natu-ral extension of the company’s line of SnowTrax snowcats, which have been manufactured since 2000 at LiteTrax headquarters in Centerville, Utah.
“Our SnowTrax models are pri-marily snow vehicles. They can drive across dry ground, even some heavier mud…but they weren’t designed to go through creeks and marshes and things like that,” said Nielsen.
He adds MuddTrax, which comes in three models, is ideal for people who
The maker of SnowTrax snowcats has boosted its product line of lightweight, multipurpose tracked machines with a new all-season, all-terrain vehicle
By Mark Halsall
LiteTrax Unveils
20 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
LITETRAX
want to be able to get around in a ve-hicle that can handle mud and water as well as tough obstacles like deadfalls in the middle of trails.
“It’s really an all-season vehicle,” said Nielsen. He describes MuddTrax as a “great trail maintenance type vehicle. You can get down a trail in the spring or the fall when it’s really muddy, with-out leaving a bunch of big ruts behind.”
Like the SnowTrax snowcats, MuddTrax vehicles feature a hydrostat-ic drive system that doesn’t have any
One of the new implements from LiteTrax is a utility sleigh that’s lightweight but is capable of hauling a full snowmobile
The track frame design on SnowTrax models have been upgraded so that more snow flows through and isn’t caught up in the track assembly
SnowTrax snowcats have been manufactured since 2000, and LiteTrax has more exciting changes in store
MuddTrax vehicle bodies are completely sealed, enabling the machines to float and propel themselves through water without fear of leaks
SNOW GROOMING 21
chains, belts or sprockets that require maintenance. As a result, the system is very efficient and has a long life expec-tancy.
MuddTrax vehicles also feature 16 inches of suspension. That means more track on the ground and lower ground pressure, resulting in a more comfort-able ride. The highly dynamic track sus-pension system uses solid wheels and bearings and has no pneumatic wheels that can go flat.
Another important feature is a tall
lead angle on the tracks, which enables MuddTrax vehicles to navigate over large objects such as logs, rocks and steep banks. This can be shifted to a shallower angle when needed during normal travel, reducing power require-ments and providing a smoother ride.
“You can drive this vehicle up and onto a trailer without ramps,” said Nielsen. “That gives you an idea how agile the machine is.”
In addition, the bodies of MuddTrax vehicles are completely sealed with
no axles, bolts or hoses going through them (with the exception of a boat drain plug). This allows the MuddTrax to float and propel itself through the water without the fear of leaks.
According to Nielsen, MuddTrax vehicles have a two-person hard cab option and come equipped with a two-inch hitch at the back, enabling them to pull snow grooming drags or cargo sleighs. The MuddTrax towing capacity of 1,500 pounds is the same as that of the SnowTrax 1100 TD.
“It’s really an all-season vehicle. [With MuddTrax], you can get down a trail in the spring or the fall when it’s really muddy, without leaving a bunch of big ruts behind.” – Greg Nielsen, General Manager, LiteTrax
LITETRAX
22 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
LITETRAXNielsen says LiteTrax is taking pre-or-
ders for MuddTrax vehicles, which were unveiled around U.S. Thanksgiving.
New blade and drag implementsOn the snowcat side, there’s been an up-grade on the SnowTrax models for this season.
“We have changed our track frame design just a little bit, to allow the snow to flow through the track and not get caught inside the track assembly,” said Nielsen.
In addition, there are new imple-ments available for the SnowTrax 1100 TD, which features a beefy 1,100 cc, 45-horsepower turbo diesel engine that’s designed to deliver power and performance for heavy-duty towing and use in high elevations. According to Nielsen, new blade and drag offerings enhance the 1100 TD’s effectiveness for clearing snow and grooming trails.
“We’ve got a six- and an eight-way blade, all hydraulically actuated, and we’ve got a new drag for the back end,” he said. The blade attachment, Nielsen
added, has a 60-inch straight edge, but different wing attachments can be add-ed on both sides to allow for different uses.
The rear groomer, he notes, weighs about 400 pounds and is six feet wide by 13 feet long. Nielsen described it as a levelling-type drag that’s not only great on snowmobile trails but also useful for other applications.
“The drag has got adjustable blades in it that are either hydraulically or elec-trically actuated,” said Nielsen. “It’s de-signed to span across the moguls and break those down and fill in the valleys on the trails.”
LiteTrax also offers a four-foot-wide by eight-foot-long utility sleigh with flexible, articulating skis that conform smoothly to the trail surface.
“It’s lightweight but it’ll haul a full snowmobile,” said Nielsen. “For people who want to get gear and stuff to their cabin, or even up to a utility site, it’s a great feature.”
Nielsen said there are more exciting changes in store for the SnowTrax 1100 TD itself.
“We’ve put a new design together that’s going to be released for next season,” he said, adding the new SnowTrax Turbo Diesel model will feature more power as well as greater visibility and other improvements. There have been numerous equip-ment enhancements at LiteTrax over the years, Nielsen noted, “and it was time to do a complete redesign to in-corporate all of our changes into one design.”
An improved hard cab option will be among the new design features.
“Typically, it’s just been available as just a two-person hard cab. We’ve had a lot of interest in a four-person hard cab, and we’ve built a couple of custom hard cabs to make it a four-person unit,” said Nielsen.
“That’s part of why we’re redesign-ing [the SnowTrax 1100 TD], to make the hard cab option available as more of a production model. It will come as a two-person and a four-person unit with the option of a jump seat for smaller individuals or children.” Photos courtesy of LiteTrax
SNOW GROOMING 23
Striving for Diversity
Owners look to diversify what one Quebec-based company offers
By Jim Chliboyko
While it’s been a 40-year run in business for Plan-nord, it’s only been two-plus years for the com-
pany’s current owners.Though Max Jutras and Simon Pa-
quet will have co-owned Équipements Plannord ltée for about two-and-a-half years this spring, they also happen to be the overseers for the company dur-ing its 40th anniversary. Jutras says there aren’t any big plans for a celebra-tion as of yet. As it turns out, in the past
year they’ve made a few big changes. While Paquet’s family has a back-
ground in owning their own business, Jutras is no stranger in working with big firms; he previously worked in food production, specifically with Frito-Lay, a division of the multinational food and drink giant PepsiCo.
“I have a degree in mechanical engi-neering; Simon is a chartered accoun-tant with a family business dealing in petroleum distribution,” said Jutras.
A Quebec man named Normand
Plante (the “Plan” in Plannord) created the company in 1976 in the historic town of Château-Richer (said to be the location of one of North America’s first-ever roads, in the 17th century). It was initially a snow grooming equipment company that also sold snow removal equipment to municipalities. It still does that, specializing in snow groom-ing vehicles, as well as tracked vehicles and other kinds of municipal-use ve-hicles.
Plante is no longer in the picture,
24 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
Striving for DiversityPLANNORD
but his company has since grown into a 25-employee business, with two loca-tions close to the province’s two big-gest cities. One location is in Laval on Corbusier Boulevard just north of 440, serving the Montreal area, and the other location is in Lévis, just south of the St. Lawrence and southwest from Quebec City itself. The company also has four mobile service units out in the field, which travel across Quebec and the Maritimes.
“We have one specific mechanic
who’s mobile; he’s based out of Mont Tremblant,” said Jutras of their rela-tively new experiment. “He works out of a service truck. It’s something that we had in the past but not specifically based out of that area.”
Jutras says that historically, the com-pany grew slowly over the years. Ac-cording to Plannord’s own account, they purchased the Bombardier deal-ership (prior to their arrival back in the ‘80s) from Clement and Freres, a dealership in the town of Louiseville,
near Trois Rivieres. It was the oldest Bombardier dealership in operation at that time, having been around since the 1940s. When Jutras and Paquet eventually took over Plannord in Sep-tember 2013, the previous owners had sold them what Jutras calls “a well- organized company.”
And that company keeps growing. Prinoth decided to outsource its main-tenance and parts last year, and leave that to guys like Plannord.
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SNOW GROOMING 25
PLANNORD
thing related to service and parts for their alpine division would be trans-ferred out to dealers. From September onwards, we are the representative of Prinoth equipment for Quebec and the Maritimes,” said Jutras. “We offer full service for maintenance and parts.”
Plannord also recently started carry-ing the Panther line of T-6 and T-8 util-ity vehicles, a pair of notable additions and something that Jutras says Plan-nord hadn’t carried before.
“It opens up a certain market, more like the contractor side,” said Jutras; it’s one of the moves that positions the company to be a year-round performer. “Also, the Panther is intended for year-round use. We’ve done some demos al-ready with contractors, electrical lines and power lines. We felt that we needed to carry the complete line of Prinoth.”
The firm also deals with Camoplast for their transporter and municipal di-vision.
It’s not just new equipment that the company sells. Because they deal in ex-changes with groups like snowmobile clubs and similar organizations, Plan-nord also deals in some used equip-ment. Jutras figures the breakdown is
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Plannord, an equipment company specializing in snow grooming
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Of course, North America has its share of winter-based businesses, busi-nesses that usually feel a bit of a strain or downturn while they are waiting for winter to arrive if they don’t have any-thing else in place. Jutras and Paquet had spent a lot of energy in the last few years looking for something to occupy their company during that time be-tween April and November, and were also looking to diversify their business. Their mission statement even speaks to their attempt to diversify: “Équipe-ments Plannord ltée wants to be rec-
ognized as the leader in terms of sales and service for snow groomers, munic-ipal vehicles, in addition with off-road transporters.”
“But even Prinoth said not just to rely on the one line,” said Jutras. “We were trying to find lines not represented in Quebec City.”
And recently, after attending con-ventions and otherwise scouring the landscape for an appropriate business, they got their wish. They found their solution within the pages of a local eco-nomic business journal and stumbling upon a posting regarding a Bobcat dealership opportunity.
“Summertime was slow,” said Jutras. “We were focusing on [something for] summer. We got our hands on a Bobcat dealership in Quebec City. This makes [Plannord] more of a complete offer-ing.”
After their third winter at the helm of Plannord, Jutras figures that their big-gest challenge (except for the low snow of an El Niño winter) so far has been, in fact, their attempt to diversify. But with the Panther and Bobcat lines, they may have stumbled on a solution.
Said Jutras, “The one challenge was not relying on just the one line.” Photos courtesy of Équipements Plannord ltée
Jutras and Paquet had spent a lot of energy in the last few years looking for something to occupy their company during that time between April and November, and were also looking to diversify their business.
SNOW GROOMING 27
PARTNERS IN SNOW
INNOVATIONLeica Geosystems and Prinoth yield new
analysis with the iCON alpine system
By Jon Waldman
For 200 years, Leica Geosystems has been a leader in technology, and now they’re bringing their expe-rience to the snow grooming industry thanks to a partnership with Italian company Prinoth.
The announcement came in April 2015, with Prinoth pro-moting that the new opportunities from the partnership will not only bring about technological advances but also new ef-ficiency for the industry.
“We are proud to announce this strategic partnership, and are convinced that this system is the best solution available on the market compared with other snow depth measure-ment systems,” said Prinoth head of program and product management, Andreas Muigg, in a release. “The accurate sen-
sors transfer the height information below blade in real-time to the display in the cab, thus enabling snow groomer opera-tors now to act – and not just react.”
From Leica Geosystems’ side, the partnership is highlight-ed by the technology that will lead to better efficiency.
“The collaboration provides more efficiency in grooming slopes, dramatically reducing fuel emissions and consider-ably reducing costs,” said Doug Brown, sales manager for spe-cial machines in North America for Leica Geosystems.
The result of this partnership is the iCON alpine system, which Brown describes as a “complete management solution for ski slope infrastructure.”
“The system allows the exchange of all snow height infor-
28 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
LEICA GEOSYSTEMS
Continued on page 31
mation and current working status of the ski slope simulta-neously among all snow groomer operators in real-time,” he said. “With accurate, real-time data in hand, the snow pro-duction managers and drivers are all able to operate more efficiently and effectively.”
Background Leica Geosystems’ long history began nearly 200 years ago, and continues today as part of Hexagon, which, as Brown says, provides design, measurement and visualization tech-nologies, particularly in the construction industry (where the “iCON” – intelligent CONstruction – label comes from).
“In construction,” said Brown, “the company has become
known for tailor-made iCON solutions. These include hard-ware and software solutions that streamline positioning and measurement tasks, as well as powerful machine control so-lutions that communicate seamlessly with iCONstruct sen-sors on the site and in the office. iCON solutions also provide easy data transfer from office to site and machine, remote support for operators on the machine, and basic fleet man-agement functionality.”
Prinoth, meanwhile, has roots dating back to 1951 when racecar driver Ernst Prinoth opened a garage. In 1961, Pri-noth’s attention turned to snow grooming and one year lat-
The partnership between Leica Geosystems and Prinoth has already proven extremely successful
SNOW GROOMING 29
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er, working out of his garage, the fledgling company rolled out the prototype of its first snow grooming machine. Since then, the company was purchased by the Leitner Group (circa 2000) and now operates as a subsidiary of the parent company. Prinoth has grown itself, acquiring Canada-based Camoplast in 2005. All the while, Prinoth has built a reputa-tion for being an industry leader, which makes the marriage with Leica Geosystems so perfect.
Prospects What exactly are the prospects for the snow grooming indus-try? They’re undeniably strong, as has already been demon-strated.
Brown reports that a ski resort in Switzerland using the iCON alpine solution experienced a 15 percent reduction in water usage, 10 percent less electricity, 15 percent less diesel fuel consumption and 10 percent lower operating cost. This includes 130,000 fewer cubic yards of snow being produced and 4,000 fewer hours of machine operation over the dura-tion of their season.
“Snow – especially man-made snow – is a valuable raw ma-terial. Being able to maintain and use it in the most efficient way until the end of the season, and perhaps even extending the season, provides a tremendous potential for cost savings,” said Brown. “The Leica iCON alpine 3D can make the snow sport industry more productive and profitable by providing efficient slope management.”
That efficiency comes from specific abilities of the iCON
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Leica Geosystems and Prinoth have more plans to innovate together in the future
SNOW GROOMING 31
Phone: 1-435-753-TRAX (8729) | Email: Sales@LiteTrax.comwww.litetrax.com | 1301 W. 50 S. Centerville, UT 84014
The SnowTrax 1100 series snow grooming vehicles by LiteTrax provide the comfortand flexibility of a large grooming vehicle as well as agility that is second to none.• Compact – 78” wide x 90” long x 76” high• Low ground pressure – .39 to .43 PSI• Powerful – 44HP Kubota Turbo Diesel• Comfortable – Our new 2016 models feature a roomy 62” heated cab• Reliable – New Direct Drive Hydrostatic Transmission with no chains or sprockets• Versatile – 2 or 4 person models, plus many accessories available• Affordable – a fraction of the price of a full-size snow grooming vehicle
INTRODUCING:The MuddTrax
AN AFFORDABLE SOLUTIONTO YOUR GROOMING NEEDS
LEICA GEOSYSTEMS
“The Leica iCON alpine 3D can make the snow sport industry more productive and profitable by providing efficient slope management.” – Doug Brown, Sales Manager for Special Machines, North America, Leica Geosystems Inc.
that set it apart from the competition, namely in its ability to measure the capacity of snow in a particular area in real-time, giving the ability to make changes on the fly as necessary to allow for repairs to be made to an area any time needed.
“This enables operators to immediately respond to snow conditions and prepare slopes perfectly,” said Brown. “Groomers equipped with Leica iCON alpine can detect weak points and low snow depths early on and identify locations with extra snow, allowing a ski resort to optimize its snow production. This not only saves time and costs and adds safe-ty to slopes, but also reduces water and energy needed for slope preparation, dramatically decreasing the customer’s ecological footprint.”
The relationship between Leica and Prinoth may begin with iCON alpine 3D, but it certainly won’t end there. With in-novation continuing from both sides, expect more from these two industry leaders in the future. Photos courtesy of Leica Geosystems and Prinoth
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32 March 2016 | snowgroomingmag.com
Phone: 1-435-753-TRAX (8729) | Email: Sales@LiteTrax.comwww.litetrax.com | 1301 W. 50 S. Centerville, UT 84014
The SnowTrax 1100 series snow grooming vehicles by LiteTrax provide the comfortand flexibility of a large grooming vehicle as well as agility that is second to none.• Compact – 78” wide x 90” long x 76” high• Low ground pressure – .39 to .43 PSI• Powerful – 44HP Kubota Turbo Diesel• Comfortable – Our new 2016 models feature a roomy 62” heated cab• Reliable – New Direct Drive Hydrostatic Transmission with no chains or sprockets• Versatile – 2 or 4 person models, plus many accessories available• Affordable – a fraction of the price of a full-size snow grooming vehicle
INTRODUCING:The MuddTrax
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