The role of seat suspension in whole-body vibration affecting skidding tractor operators

In mechanised forest operations, whole-body vibration may have considerable influence on machine productivity and on the health of the operator. There is at present in Turkey the potential to exceed the specified limits of international standards for whole-body vibration transmitted to operators during harvesting and skidding operations. The main objective of this study was to compare the effects of seat suspension on the whole-body vibration transmitted to the operators of skidding tractors. Three types of seats (without springs, with couple springs and with four springs) and three different skidding tractors that are commonly used in forestry in Turkey (Ford, International, and Leyland) were selected. Whole-body vibration was analysed at the seat-operator interface on skidding tractors using a tri-axial accelerometer under similar representative working conditions. In the study, the effectiveness of the seat suspension on the transmission of whole-body vibration through the tractor’s seat was determined. The highest total acceleration was measured in the seat without springs (1.51 ms -2 ), while the lowest total acceleration was measured in the new seat with four springs (0.76 ms