Challenge

Polaris Industries, Inc. of Minneapolis has been manufacturing snowmobiles and other high-performance recreational vehicles since 1954 and has become a leader in the industry.

The newest ATV from the Polaris design team has a 498cc liquid-cooled engine that provides plenty of power for hard work or recreation.

In addition, the Sportsman 500 was designed using a state-of-the-art CAD system that enabled Polaris engineers to design an integrated, 38-component frame. Fewer pieces mean fewer potential stress points and a stronger overall vehicle. This frame is unique to the market – competitors' frames have up to 120 parts.

Solution

Where Loctite® brand Products are used in the Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV:

• Loctite® brand Superflex® RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealants seal the splines of the transmission output shaft at the point where the rear brake disc is attached.
• Loctite® 242® Threadlocker secures the bolts which fasten the front brake discs to the front wheel hubs.
• Loctite® 565™ PST® Thread Sealant is used on the magnetic drain plug located on the front wheel hubs of all-wheel-drive models, sealing the transmission fluid inside the wheel hubs.
• Loctite® 271™ Threadlocker fastens the fan blade retaining nut on the cooling fans.
• Loctite® 587™ Blue High Performance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker secures the inner clutch seal to the inner clutch cover. Polaris’ Variable Transmission housing requires a watertight seal.
• Loctite® 565™ PST® Thread Sealant seals the fittings on the coolant reserve tank.
• Loctite® 587™ Blue High Performance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker seals and retains the wheel hub seal sleeve.
• Loctite® 609™ Retaining Compound retains bearings in the drive and driven clutch assemblies.
• Loctite® 565™ PST® Thread Sealant pipe thread sealant seals the radiator thermal switch.

Results

On the ATV assembly line at Roseau, Group Leader Leroy Hamann says, “Not only are Loctite® brand products used to aid in the assembly of parts, but it would be hard to imagine our production line without them. One of the pluses of this application is that the liquid can be added before the pipe sealant cures without leakage occurring. Henkel has become an important partner in the production of Polaris ATVs.”