Snowmobiles have featured heavily in extreme sports events in recent years. Courses with long-distance jumps, freestyle competitions and good old-fashioned races have been tackled by snowmobilers and snocross racers using these hardy vehicles to achieve victory. These snowmobiles have to be able to withstand heavy loads, high temperatures, huge stress and, of course, the occasional crash. Fortunately, engineers and sportspeople alike have a secret weapon – metal adhesives.
Extreme adhesives for extreme sports
The use of a metal bonding adhesive guarantees the integrity of the snowmobiles and minimises the risk of assembly failure while withstanding broad temperature changes and heavy vibration. Vibrational loosening is eliminated via the application of threadlocking adhesives at critical points throughout the vehicle, including the engine mounts, thus permanently and reliably securing the engine to the chassis body.
Interference fits also require attention. These fits consist of one component inserted into another, and they rely solely upon high levels of friction to keep different parts of the machine together.
Components for interference fits have traditionally had to be extremely accurately machined in order to attain sufficient levels of friction. The application of retaining compound adhesives allows designers to create fitted interference joints by lowering the amount of precision required by providing a reliable and very strong bond, and these are seeing increased usage in many different areas of industry.
Technological advances
Retaining compounds available from companies such as http://www.ct1ltd.com/en are used in cylindrical assemblies to achieve the maximum possible load transmission capability, along with a more consistent stress distribution. When used properly, these adhesives also minimise wear and tear, oxidation and galvanic corrosion by functioning as a seal around the joint.
Retaining compounds can also be engineered in during the design phase, allowing the production of lighter and smaller assemblies with just as much reliability and strength. The strength of the bond created by these adhesives even allows for the use of a structurally bonded slip fit, removing the need for an interference fit in the first place.
For extreme sportspeople, the weight, size and overall efficiency of the snowmobile build could mean the difference between winning or losing a competition. The use of these extreme adhesives to strengthen interference fits and deliver a vehicle with lower weight but increased durability and dependability helps to give competitive racers the edge they need to succeed.
