Morbark’s Vtection Vibration Detection System Protects Wood Hog Horizontal Grinders From Damage

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Morbark’s Vtection system stops a Wood Hog 3000X, 3400X, or 6400X grinder when it detects excessive vibration, such as from a hard object or a mechanical failure. (Photo courtesy of Morbark.)

Morbark has unveiled its new Vtection Vibration Detection System, a patent-pending protection mechanism for its 3000X, 3400X, and 6400X series of horizontal grinders. Vtection stops operation of the grinder when it reaches a user-adjustable threshold of vibration, such as from a hard object in the feedstock or a mechanical failure. Vtection works in cooperation with Morbark's Break-Away Torque Limiter to provide grinders with both mechanical and electrical fail-safes, and it can be retrofitted in the field.

How It Works

The operator of a Morbark grinder equipped with Vtection will need to adjust the system to the current type of feedstock at the start of each job. Different types of construction debris, wood, and yard waste produce various levels of vibration during normal operation, so users are advised to set Vtection’s tripping point to a level of vibration higher than the baseline for each type of material.

When Vtection is triggered, the grinder’s Morbark Integrated Control System (MICS) will reverse and stop the infeed before a foreign object can get stuck between the anvil and the grate. MICS will also display an alert on its screen, disengage the clutch, and drop the engine speed down to idle. The operator can then find and remove the hard object, if present, and inspect the grinder for damage.

Morbark cautions that Vtection can only detect abnormally high levels of vibration; it is up to the operator to determine the cause and correct the problem. In addition to non-grindable objects, excessive vibration can result from a broken tip or insert, an out-of-balance rotor, or a failed bearing. That being said, Vtection can prevent or reduce additional damage to the grinder that would result from continued operation.

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Vtection allows the operator to remove non-grindable objects from the feedstock before it can cause more damage to the grinder. (Photo courtesy of Morbark.)

Wood Hog Grinders

Morbark’s industrial-grade Wood Hog horizontal grinders come in a range of sizes for various applications. They feature a laser-cut rotor balanced at the factory, a strong feed wheel, and a low-maintenance Poclain internal drive with high torque.

Vtection-compatible Morbark Wood Hogs range from the 350- to 577-horsepower (260- to 430-kilowatt) 3000X to the 1,050- to 1,200-HP (783- to 895-kW) 6400X. The 3000X has an infeed opening measuring 57.5 x 38 inches (1,450 x 965 millimeters), while the 6400X has a far bigger throat at 60 x 59.5 inches (1,524 mm x 1,511 mm).

The 3400X model—with 520 to 800 HP (388 to 596 kW) of power and the same infeed size as the 3000X—is notable for its transport width, which can be made as narrow as 8.3 feet (2.53 meters) to conform to local road regulations. Each of the three Morbark models is available in towable or tracked form.

Find The Right Morbark

ForestryTrader.com hosts listings for a big selection of new and used Morbark forestry machines for sale, including Morbark horizontal grinders like 3400- and 6400-series models.

Source: Morbark