Challenge

Ryobi Outdoor Products, Inc. of Chandler, Arizona is a leading manufacturer of gas-powered string trimmers. Their products are sold to consumers under the Ryobi name and private-labeled to other companies, such as Sears under the Craftsman name.

One new product Ryobi had in development was a state-of-the-art blower which reaches speeds of up to 210 mph. The engine components were subjected to temperatures of 500-600°F, and high vibrations from the engine, which runs at over 8000 rpm. Due to space limitations, conventional solutions, such as lock nuts, were not an option for specific engine parts. That's when Ryobi called on Loctite for help.

Solution

Loctite® 266 is a single component, surface insensitive, high strength and high temperature threadlocker. It fixtures within 40 minutes and is fully cured in three hours.

Loctite® 266 is tolerant of oil and other mild surface contamination, making application quick and easy, with no surface preparation.

Loctite® 266 is applied on the Ryobi assembly line to the zinc-dichromate bolts that join the muffler to the cylinder head, and the bolts that join the crank case to the cylinder. Three hours later, at the end of the assembly line, a Dynamotor test is performed on each engine, at wide open throttle for 6 min. at 8000 rpm.

Results

According to Bill Gest, vice president new products for Ryobi, "This new blower unit has helped us maintain our competitive edge in a very competitive market. Loctite provided a quick, permanent solution to a difficult problem. The ability to apply Loctite 266 on the assembly line was a plus. But, to have it cured enough to perform our engine test at the end of the line, allowed us to introduce the new product on time, decrease our projected in-process inventories, and ship our products faster."