It all started with a mixed-breed dog named Ponsse and the inventive farmer’s son Einari Vidgrén. Today, Ponsse Plc in Finland is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of forest machines, and the customised cable harnesses and assemblies come from LAPP.
The history of Ponsse is somewhat similar to that of LAPP. Oskar Lapp was an ingenious inventor and tinkerer who developed the first industrially manufactured connection and control cable ÖLFLEX® in 1957 and, together with his wife Ursula Ida Lapp, founded the company in 1959 that is now the world market leader for integrated solutions in the field of cable and connection technology.
Also in 1957, Einari Vidgrén became passionate about forest machines at the age of 14. At that time, he started working in the forestry industry with a frame saw and found that the work in the forest was very hard and laborious. Soon he had a brilliant idea: Einari Vidgrén developed a load-bearing forest tractor in a local village workshop in the late 1960s.
From a village workshop to Ponsse
When Einari Vidgrén drove his first homemade forest tractor out of the workshop, the villagers were amazed at the brute machine made of recycled parts: “What kind of ‘Ponsse’ is that supposed to be?” they said. They named it after the mixed-breed dog Ponsse that roamed the village. His fur was mottled grey, and he was not a pretty dog, but he was a persistent hunter. So Einari Vidgrén decided to name his machine Ponsse.
The machine was perfect for use in the tough conditions of logging. Einari Vidgrén founded his forest machine factory in the village of Vieremä in Finland in 1970. The first years were difficult. It was not until the 1980s that Ponsse was on the road to success with new machine developments.
With the introduction of the legendary forwarder PONSSE S15 in 1983, Ponsse became known to both competitors and customers. The machine’s front frame, partly made of aluminium, made the machine significantly lighter than its competitors, which put it in a class of its own in terms of off-road capability. The first harvester, PONSSE HS15, was launched in 1987, followed by the first PONSSE measuring devices in 1988. In 1994, Ponsse became the world’s first forestry machine manufacturer to be awarded the ISO 9001 quality certificate.
Ponsse today
Today, the family-owned company Ponsse is listed on the stock exchange and employs around 2,000 people worldwide. With 13 subsidiaries, 30 dealers around the world and 235 international service centres, Ponsse is active in harvesting markets in 40 countries and generates almost 80 percent of its turnover through exports. It has now delivered more than 20,000 forest machines all over the world.
The factory in Vieremä has also been enlarged from the original 300 m² to four hectares. Ponsse forest machines are based on the environmentally friendly CTL, or cut-to-length, method, where trees are felled, delimbed and cut into different timber grades before leaving the forest.
Built for demanding forestry work
“Our product range covers all size categories of forest machines, from initial thinning and forest energy harvesting to heavy regeneration logging, as well as all logging locations, from soft soils to steep slopes. We also have a full range of forwarders, even up to 25k load capacity. We want to contribute to our customers’ success with our productive and reliable Ponsse forest machines and services,” says Tuomas Yli-Marttila, Procurement and Logistics Manager at Ponsse.
He adds: “A big part of the components are coming from Vieremä, but we also have products coming from other European countries. About 60% of the machine components are manufactured in Finland. All Ponsse forest machines are manufactured in Vieremä.”
The portfolio includes forwarders for moving and transporting logs to collection points for trucks, as well as harvesters for thinning and clear-cutting work. Their eight wheels make them particularly manoeuvrable, even in difficult terrain, and they have agile names such as Cobra and Scorpion.
Internal logistics are now based on pull control. Warehouse automation includes 15,500 storage spaces for small parts and components and 3,900 pallet spaces. Along the assembly line, required parts and components are automatically taken from the warehouse and brought to individual workstations by driverless transport vehicles. The special production features and extensive customer-specific variation also require high performance and precision from material logistics.
LAPP Harnessing Solutions for Ponsse
And this is where LAPP comes into play. The cooperation began back in the 1990s with Suomen johdinvalmiste Oy, which was later bought by the SKS Group and renamed SKS Connecto. In 2018, LAPP took over the operations of SKS Connecto and renamed it Lapp Connecto Oy.
LAPP is now the sole supplier of the cable harnesses and assembly solutions required by Ponsse. This business area is grouped together under the name LAPP Harnessing Solutions. The cable harnesses are assembled according to customer requirements.
Examples include UNITRONIC® LiYCY for data transmission in various parts of the machine, UNITRONIC® BUS CAN FD P for data transmission in the booms, and ÖLFLEX® PUR S 27 7G1.5 for the power supply of the headlights.
A partnership built on expertise
Ari Reinikainen, Key Account Manager at Lapp Connecto Oy, says: “The cooperation with Ponsse has developed into a real partnership. We exchange information in both directions and openly discuss all daily matters.”
Direct proximity is an advantage. Ponsse is only one kilometre away from Lapp Connecto Oy. “We deliver the ordered products directly on site and on time according to the customer’s schedule. This ensures lower stock levels for the customer, and it is possible to react quickly to changes in production,” says Reinikainen.
A special feature of this partnership is that Ponsse involves suppliers in the design of its forestry machines from the initial phase. LAPP supports material selection during the design phase, and LAPP’s own production adapts to new forestry machines so that production runs smoothly and efficiently for the customer.
Tuomas Yli-Marttila says: “For us, LAPP is a reliable partner at eye level, and has been for many years. We share the joys and challenges with each other. We really appreciate the expertise when it comes to finding the right cabling solution. And the good neighbourliness is also a big plus.”
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