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With the transition to Tier 4 machines nearly complete (for new snowcats, anyway) and snow management software systems showing solid benefits, resorts face a variety of upgrade options in grooming. Better grooming, more efficient production—do the benefits justify, or outweigh, the costs? There’s a lot to consider. Here’s an overview of what’s new and what matters.

PistenBully

Kässbohrer is introducing the new PistenBully 600, which the company expects will quickly become its alpine workhorse. All told, the development of this new cat involved no fewer than 16 patents, from the new joystick and iTerminal to tracks and sprockets and winch and tiller, and more.

The new PistenBully 600 incorporates a super-low-emissions Cummins X12 diesel, plus new tracks, iTerminal and joystick.

According to marketing manager John Glockhamer, the new 600 addresses three important goals: “First, increased efficiency for better slope quality through reduced weight, maximized power-to-weight ratio, and better climbability. Second, elevated operator comfort and ergonomics. And third, uniformity of design, components, and operator controls across all models.”

The new cat is powered by an ultra-clean (EPA Tier 4F, EU Stage V) Cummins X12 diesel engine, which boasts an impressive 520hp and 1,730 lb ft of torque at just 1,200 RPM. “With its sculpted block and advanced components, Cummins’ X12 engine is the power-to-weight leader in its engine class,” Cummins says of the new power plant, which promises to deliver impressive torque response with a wastegated turbo, even lower particulate output than required by Tier 4F standards, and a 3 percent reduction in overall costs for fuel and DEF compared to earlier models.

This powerful and efficient engine couples to 175cc drive pumps, a 25 percent increase over previous PB 600 models. Weight reductions of the motor, frame, and other components maximize the power-to-weight ratio.

The tractor sports a new set of shoes as well: 7-belt aluminum combi tracks with increased cleat pitch to allow for easier climbing, and identical left/right tracks. The new chassis also provides quick adjustment of ride and traction characteristics.

When that’s not enough, the new winch option for the PistenBully 600 delivers 4.6 metric tons of pulling force with automatic rope pull control, active boom, and tension monitoring, streamlining the winch process so the operator can focus on the final product.

Smooth electronic proportional auxiliary hydraulic control provides operators with greater precision, made possible by calibrated hydraulic valves with temperature compensation. Vehicle maintenance is simplified fleetwide, as PistenBully continues to standardize parts whenever possible across models. For example, the hydraulic solenoids, valve cartridges, and control modules in the new PB 600 will be the same as the PB 100 4F.

Inside the cab, operators will find a new, intuitive four-axis joystick, which will allow the blade to be lifted/lowered, swung, curled, and tilted simultaneously, without any buttons required. The blade swing function is operated by a subtle left/right turn of the stick, and blade curl is activated by a slight rolling forward and back of the joystick.

New PB 600 cockpit with integrated operating concept and new iTerminal.

PistenBully’s Integrated Operating Concept combines the seat, steering controls, console, armrest, joystick, and iTerminal as a single assembly, while still allowing independent adjustment of seat, armrest, and joystick for operator comfort.

The new iTerminal will be uniform across all PistenBully models. With its 10-inch touchscreen and automatic brightness adjustment, operators can interact easily with on-screen data. Guided by the interface principles of modern smartphones, the iTerminal is designed to be intuitive with a “Home” button (the PistenBully logo) always returning you to the start screen. “Breadcrumb” style submenus allow you to keep track of where you are in navigation. According to PistenBully: “The basic idea of the screen display is the bird’s-eye view. The start (home) screen shows the vehicle in the screen center–surrounded by all other attachments and functions like the tiller or the direction of travel. Basic elements like the engine tach are displayed in the familiar location from previous PistenBully generations. The graphic display of the various systems in use is self-explanatory.”

Increased efficiency, power, operator functions, and comfort are all fine—but what about the final product, the snow surface? The PistenBully 600 offers a new tiller feature, AutoTracer, that allows the tiller to follow the path of the vehicle with precision, even on sidehills. This will provide a smoother and more consistent corduroy surface, improving the skiing experience, PistenBully says.

For improved visibility, new LED lights are directed straight toward the tiller flaps, and two LED lights are mounted directly on the frame of the Alpine Flex tiller to give operators a bright and clear view of the finished product behind the cat. A tiller-mounted camera will be an optional feature.

PistenBully also continues to provide a variety of cat options for ski resorts. For those in need of a snowcat upgrade, but with a small budget for a new machine, PistenBully offers fully reconditioned machines, partially reconditioned cats, and “as-is” used groomers.

PistenBully 100 4F Park, set up for building features in progression parks.51

To help customers get the most out of their machines, whatever the model or age, PistenBully’s PRO ACADEMY offers on-site training. Glockhamer explains: “Grooming operator turnover is a constant challenge that ski areas face. Too often, a person without any experience running equipment, let alone a snow grooming vehicle, is hired on and placed inside an expensive piece of machinery. PRO ACADEMY offers theoretical and practical training for first-time or returning operators. There is also training for more advanced operators who want to hone their skills.”

From full basic operator training to advanced techniques for experienced operators and specialized training for experts and managers, PRO ACADEMY will customize a program based on an area’s needs.

Prinoth

At PRINOTH, the focus is on the daily-use operational aspects of its machines. PRINOTH vice president of sales Charles Blier reports that “PRINOTH is focusing all its efforts on the HUSKY, the BISON, and the LEITWOLF,” three models that each enjoyed a completely new iteration release about two years ago.

Blier continues: “This roster of three state-of-the-art snowcats will help simplify operations, training, and maintenance. With the addition of PRINOTH’s SNOW HOW technology, resort managers and operators will be equipped to get the most out of their investment, with the result of perfect slopes with all the support they need to keep making their entire operation more efficient.”

PRINOTH’s goal of making machines easy and efficient to operate is met by its implementation of an intuitive user concept across the fleet. Standardizing controls and information display under a “common usability concept” has drastically improved the learning curve, allowing operators to move from one machine to another without having to learn or recall a completely different interface.

Operator comfort may seem like little more than a luxury to some, but PRINOTH ties it directly to end-product quality. “High comfort resulting in reduced fatigue helps the operator achieve a perfect slope finish,” Blier says. One unique way that PRINOTH accomplishes this is through the Recaro premium seat with slide and swivel option, designed for maximum flexibility and visibility for special applications like park building. This allows the operator to see more and strain less.

When it comes to workhorse performance night after night, PRINOTH’s BISON is often the cat for the job. The footprint and balance of the machine are designed for ease of climbing, in both forward and reverse, and for ideal turning ability. The Tier 4 Caterpillar C9.3 power plant delivers 400hp of clean, smooth pushing power. Those whose only experience with the C9 dates back to its earlier HEUI fuel injection iteration will be pleasantly surprised by the smooth, quiet operation provided by the updated Common Rail injection system.

The PRINOTH BISON with Automatic winch adds versatility to any fleet for grooming steeps and parks alike.

As with PRINOTH’s other machines, the BISON can be customized according to ski resort preferences and needs. Steel or aluminum tracks are available, along with two tiller options. The familiar POSIFLEX tiller promises efficiency, speed, and quality, while the newer POWER tiller sports more teeth, more torque, and more power. The full terrain park package is provided in the form of the BISON X.

The PRINOTH POWER tiller is aptly named, sporting more teeth, more torque, and, of course, more power.

For winching operations, PRINOTH’s Automatic winch offers an assistance feature that handles the pulling force automatically. Experienced operators are freed up to focus on nuance, while less experienced operators are able to learn winching more quickly without losing focus on blading and tiller functions. The BISON winch technology is shared with PRINOTH’s larger alpine groomer, the LEITWOLF, making the transition between models easy for operators. Vehicle maintenance managers and mechanics will enjoy the shared 85 percent of components between the BISON and LEITWOLF winches, which simplifies maintenance and parts stocking.

As always, it’s important to remember that all of the functions and features of snowcats are designed for one ultimate purpose: to prepare the slopes for skier enjoyment. As Blier says: “You could have the best tracks or the best tiller in the world. But as part of the entire system, they are only as good as the weakest part.” PRINOTH takes pride in its 55 years of improving snowcat design and the grooming process to deliver an optimal system that combines precise center of gravity location, track footprint and design, blade design and function, ergonomics and visibility, and tiller design, to deliver its goal of “Perfect Slopes.”

All of PRINOTH’s X park machines feature sensors that show the inclination of the cat and blade, enabling operators to achieve precise angle matching for takeoffs, landings, etc. In addition to the BISON X and LEITWOLF X for terrain park work, PRINOTH is working on a park-dedicated version of the HUSKY. This snow groomer will combine park-specific functionality and range of motion with the smaller, nimble footprint of the HUSKY, allowing for precision building and grooming of small and specialized park features, as well as Terrain Based Learning features that are key components of Snow Operating’s business model for snowsports school programs.

PRINOTH also offers programs for ski resorts that need more affordable options than all-new current models. The company can help resorts find a personalized solution to best fit their requirements, from a selection of used machines to combining applications (e.g., a park cat that can double as a free groomer or winch cat, where with a few simple steps the winch can be removed—allowing the winch cat to convert into a front line cat).

As for the future? PRINOTH expects that increased efficiency and reduced emissions will continue to be a focus, along with additional developments in assistance systems to support the operator by reducing workload and fatigue. “New technologies and materials will open new potentials,” concludes Blier. “Will the cat fly? Probably not. But it will for sure be exciting!”

Snow Depth and Fleet Management Update

Snow depth and fleet management systems, introduced over the past few years, are gaining traction. For a simple reason: They perform as advertised.

Based on simplicity and user friendliness, PRINOTH’s SNOW HOW software—like Fleet Management and 3D Snow Measurement—is optimizing the grooming and snow management process, allowing ski resorts to realize savings and efficiency increases. Snow depth measurement data is delivered through the Leica Geosystems iCON Alpine System, and is combined with information and data from the snowcat to provide a snapshot to operators and managers, allowing them to make informed decisions about snow movement, snowmaking, pattern efficiency, fuel use, idle time, and more. According to PRINOTH, this could mean cost savings of around 11 percent and efficiency increases of 15 percent.

PRINOTH’s SNOW HOW fleet management provides a variety of data aimed at improving grooming and snowmaking efficiency.

The SNOW HOW program not only helps decision-making, it can also help get rookie operators off to a running start. PRINOTH vice president of sales Charles Blier says that these new tools and data will “bring grooming from art to science,” and the training programs provided ensure that ski resorts get the most out of the technology and machines. “You can only manage what you can measure,” Blier says, and the SNOW HOW technology provides the tools needed for both measurement and management.

Stratton, Vt., mountain manager Paul Maitland is impressed with the accuracy of PRINOTH’s snow measurement system, which is put to work on a daily basis there. He says the cost savings are real, especially in snowmaking recovery efforts. “After weather events, we can definitely tell where the weak areas are,” Maitland says. This allows snowmakers and groomers to pinpoint their resurfacing efforts where they are really needed, and avoid wasting time, energy, and money, making snow where there is already sufficient depth.

PistenBully’s SNOWsat GPS fleet management and snow depth measurement system feeds information to both operators and managers so grooming crews can cover more acres per hour with lower engine speeds and reduced idle times. More ground covered, less fuel burnt, more efficient patterns, and reduced idle time combine to deliver productivity gains and costs savings. It helps reduce snowmaking costs, as well. Operators are fed reliable data on snow depth, and are then able to build up thin areas by farming from deep zones, reducing the need for additional snowmaking.

New developments include integration of SNOWsat snow depth data into automated snowmaking systems, giving snowmaking managers more and better info when deciding which guns to light up, and for how long. With these benefits, PistenBully believes the SNOWsat system will become more and more a “need to have, not just nice to have.”

At Mount St. Louis in Ontario, director of operations Andre Huter is very pleased with the SNOWsat implementation: “Knowledge is power,” he says. “Across the board, it’s taken the guesswork out of everything.”

Huter reports that with the new technology, managers and groomers always know where the snow is, and snowmakers can focus on more target-specific objectives, saving time, costs, and helping to produce a better product. —P.T.

SLOPE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS

The number of fleet management systems deployed at resorts, or available to them, has been growing fast. Some (AT&T, Verizon) are quite limited, others are more comprehensive. Here’s a partial list of solutions providers:

AT&T Fleet Management: www.business.att.com/solutions/Service/internet-of-things/vehicle-solutions/

EcoTecSnow: www.EcoTecSnow.com

Earth Analytic, Inc.: www.earthanalytic.com

SnowRight Snow Systems: www.snowright.ca

Leica: www.leica-geosystems.com

RDO Integrated Controls Ski Slope Management: www.rdoic.com

SNOWsat: www.pistenbullyusa.com/snowsat

Verizon: www.networkfleet.com