"If you build a better mousetrap, people have a way of finding you." When Jon Moffet developed prototypes of the Rotary Disc Mulcher (RDM) for his company's exclusive use in mechanical fuels reduction, he wasn't sure he wanted to share trade secrets.

As Hayden, Idaho-based Environmental Forestry, Inc. (EFI) continued to grow and prosper, serving the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Defense, private companies and individuals, EFI was repeatedly approached by other contractors who wanted to purchase one of its heads. Moffet had a change of heart.

"Initially, we resisted, thinking we did not want to share our technology with a potential competitor. After doing some market research into the size, scope and projected growth of the mechanical mulching industry, we reassessed
our position and decided to sell the RDM to the public," he says. "We found that the need for our technology was huge." Moffet opted to have the contracting of mechanical mulching remain the primary business of EFI and formed a new company--Advanced Forest Equipment, Inc. (AFE) was born.

By 2003 AFE had taken over all engineering, manufacturing and sales of EFI's attachment business, with EFI providing the proving grounds for AFE's RDM technology with tens of thousands of working hours in the field and more than 10,000 acres treated.

With the help of Vince Vastog, a second generation machinist who handles production, Tom Wright, who manages marketing, and Ryan Mallery, a skilled operator and trainer who serves as a liaison between the two companies, Moffet is readying AFE for the big time. AFE recently debuted the RDM30SS (for skid steers) and RDM30EX (for excavators), which run on as little as 19 GPMs of hydraulic flow.

"This mark is extraordinary," Moffet says. "Mechanical mastication has typically been based on technology requiring lots of hydraulic flow, high horsepower and heavy implement weight. This big iron purpose built carrier mentality has cost many contractors a lot of money. A 12 to 15-metric-ton excavator equipped with a RDM44EX will do the same job as carriers twice the size."

Efficiency in size, lower initial purchase costs and fuel economy are all critical to financial success in today's marketplace. The number of existing small skid steers and multi-terrain loaders will now be able to perform a service that was virtually impossible to do in the past, he says proudly. "When mounted on the universal front-end loader, the RDM can be lifted up to 14 feet in the air."

Once attached, the RDM is able to cut and mulch brush and small trees. Smaller carriers, in the 18 to 25 GPM range, will be able to work consistently in material 2 to 4 inches in diameter, with intermittent use up to 6 inches in diameter. Larger carriers, those 25 GPM or greater, will be able to work consistently in the 4 to 6-inch diameter range. "Current technology for the low GPM skid steers could be described as heavy-duty lawn mowers," Moffet says. "This type of mower is adequate for light brush, but will fail when the diameter of the material exceeds 1.5 inches."

All of AFE's six models function roughly the same. As the rotary disc spins at 900 RPMs at the shaft, its perimeter teeth go to work. Once inside, the material circulates and hits opposing fixed teeth. Moffet explains, "When cutting material from the stem, the RDM acts like a vacuum, sucking the remaining portion of the material into the cutting disc and turning it into mulch instantly." Material exits on the same side as the intake.

Moffet says these new RDMs for low flow carriers utilize the same technology as AFE's earlier models designed specifically for larger excavators. An oil bearing box, heat-treated shaft and T1 steel are all standard. Like all of AFE's other heads, the new RDMs attach to the carrier using the universal quick change.

Contractors who own a small carrier can purchase one of the new attachments and enter into an entirely new business in vegetation management. Moffet says, "The exciting reality is that vegetation management is a maintenance business. Every few years homeowners will have to have the service performed again."

Better still, the industry of vegetation management is always growing, as Moffet is quick to point out. The United.States and much of the world is faced with the task of dealing with hazardous fuel overload, the result of fire suppression efforts over the years. "There are millions of acres of forest that need to be treated. Homes are being built in forested areas that are extremely vulnerable to catastrophic fires. The traditional means to clear brush and trees, like hand piling and controlled burns, are plagued with problems."

AFE presents a new approach. Moffet says, "The upside to mechanical mulching is that when vegetation is cut, the nutrients are added back to the soil. The mulch helps retain moisture, reduces growth of unwanted weed and tree species [and] helps prevent soil erosion."

It's understandable why AFE is busy fielding inquiries about its RDM technology from across the globe. "Feedback has been tremendous." he says. "People are desperate to find a cost-effective way to clear excess vegetation."

Moffet does suggest operating any attachment before purchase. Don't be afraid to ask for a list of references of actual end users, either.

"Soil disturbance, soil compaction, resource damage, broken and steep ground treatment, [and] economic values are all things to consider when evaluating an attachment for your carrier," he says.

Moffet says that the possibility to make a real profit is there with "the proper equipment, training and support." He looks at the purchase of one of AFE's attachments as merely the beginning. "We want to assist our customers in every way to assure their success. We have gone so far as to visit job sites with customers to assist them in bidding." Going the extra mile is what AFE is all about, so it's no surprise that the company has garnered the attention it has, including an invitation from Caterpillar to display the Rotary Disc Mulchers on the corporate CAT site at the Oregon Logging Conference for the past two years.

What's next for AFE? The company is currently developing a wholesale network. "The RDM technology will fit most any manufacturer's carrier, and the market is so large that we do not want to place limits on the distribution channel."

The company is also busy expanding into a second 6,000-square-foot building for its metal fabrication equipment to free up existing space for its CNC and machine tool operations. Another 18,000-square-foot building is slated for the summer of 2006.

Additionally, AFE is participating in a five-year research project conducted by the Department of Forest Engineering at Oregon State University that is quantifying the difference between the swing-to-tree (STT) Rotary Disc Mulcher and a drive-to-tree (DTT) carrier using a drum-type mulching head. The study, using similar forest conditions for each machine, is considering system productivity and costs, soil disturbance and future fire behavior (i.e. treatment effectiveness) for a variety of mechanical forest fuel reduction treatment options and stand characteristics throughout Oregon.

Chad Bolding, who is working with lead researcher Dr. Loren Kellogg, describes the preliminary findings. "In stands with more open overstories and wide spacing prescriptions, the DTT machine appears to be slightly more productive than the STT machine due to increased speed and reduced turning/maneuvering problems. In contrast, when single tree selection is necessary and prescriptions require tighter spacing, the STT machine is more productive and often less damaging to the residual stand. This is due to the ability to treat multiple trees from a single machine position, whereas the DTT machine has to travel to each treated tree. Soil displacement (churning) observations appear to favor the STT machine, due to less stand travel and the ability to turn using the boom as support." Soil compaction estimates were in the process of analysis.

"The STT machine also appears to have the ability to meet silvicultural prescriptions of residual piece size more favorably than the DTT machine. The DTT machine masticates trees on the ground after felling and often produces pieces smaller than required in common silvicultural prescriptions. Whereas, the STT machine attacks trees from the top down and produces larger pieces that can either be left or reduced further to meet prescription requirements," Bolding says.

Moffet feels strongly about AFE's participation in such endeavors. "We believe, as a company, that this type of unbiased data collection is needed to help forest managers and the public choose the best available technology for the job."