More facts - snowmobiles and how they can disturb the environment or be used so as not to cause environmental problemsRanger Rick, Dec, 199ave a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.Snowmobiles are a type of off-road vehicle, or ORV. Other ORVs include motorbikes, dune buggies, and four-wheel-drive truckor many people, riding ORVs is a great way to have fun. Lots of people also use ORVs to get to roadless places, where they can work or enjoy the outdoorSometimes ORVs disturb wildlife, damage wildlife habitat, and annoy people who want peace and quiet. That's why there are rules about where and how people can drive them. By staying on special ORV trails and obeying all other rules, ORV users can cut down on these problems.Up to 1800 snowmobiles might enter Yellowstone National Park on a busy day in the winter. The pollution from their exhaust can form a blue haze in the air in some areas. And it's hard even in such a large park to escape the noise.Many people belong to snowmobile clubs or other organizations. Some of these groups help their members learn the best ways to enjoy their machines without causing problems for other people or for wildlife. Too bad that too many people follow their own rules.Washington: Tax imposed on snowmobiles delivered in state but used elsewhereState Tax Review, Aug 28, 2000Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)Snowmobiles delivered in Washington to Washington residents from Minnesota, but operated only in Idaho, were subject to Washington use tax. The residents' first exercise of dominion and control over the snowmobiles as consumers was a taxable use of the snowmobiles and that occurred when they accepted delivery of the snowmobiles at their Washington residence. Acceptance of delivery qualified as a use even though the snowmobiles were transported to the residents' Idaho vacation home on the day of delivery and were never driven in Washington. (Cool, Washington Board of Tax Appeals, No. 54893, June 16, 2000.Deere, Bombardier Align for utility vehicles: no snowmobiles, but Deere ATVs due before year's end … other "wheeled vehicles and technology" to follow - Industry News
Diesel Progress North American Edition, March, 2003 by Mike Osenga a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)Is history repeating itself? The late January announcement of the strategic alliance between Deere & Co. and Bombardier in Canada brought to mind earlier forays by Deere into consumer recreational equipment.ombardier manufactures the well-known Ski-Doo line of snowmobiles, while from 1972 to 1984 Deere had its own snowmobile program. Today, the only vestige of that program, beyond collectors, is the "Nothing Runs Like A Deere" slogan, which was first used in snowmobiles. nd with today's corporate environment creating some strange bedfellows, the thought of Deere, with its very popular Gator utility vehicle line, moving further into utility or recreational vehicles would not seem to be totally out of the question.ut such is not the case. Officially, the alliance between Deere's Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division and Bombardier Recreational Products is "to produce new concepts aimed at expanding the business opportunities for both companies," according to Deere's announcement. "Pooling our resources with a market leader such as Bombardier strengthens our total investment in research and development," said John Jenkins, president of Deere's Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division. The agreement calls for the two companies to develop new wheeled utility vehicles and technologies, and will in essence broaden the range of utility equipment offered by Deere & Co., as well as the recreational vehicles offered by Bombardier.n these asset lean times, Deere and Bombardier can thus add to their respective lines without building plants or adding people. The two companies will have joint platform development teams drawn from current staffs, but there will not be an alliance headquarters or alliance personnel. "It's an alliance, not a joint venture," said Deere's Ken Golden. "It is an alliance not significantly different in concept from our construction equipment relationship with 1-litachi. In that case we said to ourselves, 'who are experts at large excavating equipment?' In this case we said, 'who's great at ATVs?' Deere has a lot of customers out there that want something different or beyond the Gators in utility vehicles, such as being able to get from one side of the farm to the other, faster," Golden said. "Bombardier builds those type of vehicles for recreation, why couldn't they build a similar vehicle for the work market?" he said. "We're looking at someone who is an expert at the plat form, but isn't selling into our markets." While Deere would not be specific about future plans, it is also likely that vehicles based on Deere platforms will eventually find their way into Bombardier's line as well. "Whoever is the expert at the particular platform that we're talking about will be engineering the product, with the input of those who will be marketing the products," Golden said. We're in the work markets, they're in the recreational markets."The first product that comes out of the alliance will be John Deere-branded utility vehicles derived from a Bombardier ATV platform to be launched initially in the U.S. and Canada before the end of this year. The Deere ATVs will be built by Bombardier at its Valcourt, Quebec, facility and will be sold through the same outlets currently selling Deere utility vehicles. More product launches from the alliance are expected before the end of 2003. AAP Statement on the Hazards of Snowmobiles - report from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison PreventionAmerican Family Physician, April 1, 2001 by Monica PrebothSave a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)The Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed a position statement on the hazards of snowmobile use. This statement, which has been updated from a previous AAP statement, appears in the November 2000 issue of PediatricThe AAP committee makes the following recommendations for children younger than 16 years Children younger than 16 years should not operate snowmobiles. Furthermore, children younger than six years do not have the strength or stamina to be transported safely as passengers on snowmobiles. Advertisements that promote snowmobiling should not be directed toward young adolescentsThe AAP committee makes the following recommendations for the protection of snowmobilers 16 years and older: Graduated licensing for snowmobile operators is recommended, consistent with the AAP policy on graduated licensing for motor vehicle drivers.Newly licensed operators should be restricted to snowmobiling during daylight hours on groomed trails only and should have a learner's permit. Snowmobilers should travel at safe speeds, especially on unfamiliar or rugged terrain where hazards, such as difficult-to-see barbed wire, may be found. A speed-limiting governor, to limit the maximal speed, may be used. * Snowmobilers should avoid using alcohol or other drugs before or during the operation of a snowmobile. * Snowmobilers should wear well-insulated protective clothing, including goggles, waterproof snowmobile suits, gloves and rubber-soled boots. All drivers and passengers should wear helmets that meet current standards for use while operating motorized vehicles. Operators should carry a first-aid kit, a survival kit that includes flares and, if practical, a cellular phone. Snowmobilers should travel in groups of two or more and only on designated, marked trails away from roads, waterways, railroads and pedestrian traffic. The weather forecast should be checked before snowmobiling. Operators should know the signs of hypothermia and regularly check for frostbite. * Snowmobilers should avoid driving on ice if they are uncertain about its thickness or condition. * Snowmobilers should not carry more than one passenger. Headlights and taillights should be on at all times to improve visibility of the snowmobile to other vehicle operatorsUse of a saucer, tube, tire, sled or skis to pull someone behind a snowmobile is not recommended. Snow machines in the gardens: The history of snowmobiles in Glacier and Yellowstone National ParksMontana: The Magazine of Western History, Autumn 2003 by Yochim, Michael J Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)
Shards Of metal lay on the snow next to the machine, and the acrid smell of gunpowder permeated the air. The snowmobile was seriously injured. e one December night in 1974 on Marias Pass, Glacier National Park ranger Art Sedlack put a bullet through a snowmobile. With this shot, Sedlack not only gained the upper hand in dealing with group of law-breaking snow-mobilers, he also became an instant hero to all who valued wilderness. At heart, though, Sedlack's shot revealed the conflict Glacier officials faced over the question of snowmobile use in the park. In October 1975 Superintendent Phillip Iversen announced the decision to ban the use of snowmobiles in the park. me time, about four hundred miles to the south, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Jack Anderson was busily taking steps to allow snowmobiles into the park: opening a hotel at Old Faithful for winter use, maintaining roads for snowmobiles, and formulating a formal policy. Ariderson was personally fond of snowmobiling, touting it as "a great experience and a great sport, one of the cleanest types of recreation I know." To him, snowmobiling was the solution to a thorny dilemma: how to allow wintertime visitors to use the park without impairing it.1The actions of the National Park Service (NPS) in these two parks were in conflict with each other-and yet were both defensible in light of the agency's mission "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."2 One park leaned toward preservation while the other veered toward visitor accommodation. One park chose to accommodate visitors on skis while the other accommodated them on snowmobiles-and both decisions were heavily influenced by local opinion.ough snowmobile prototypes had been around since the 1940s, in the early 1960s design improvements led to the first mass marketing of the machines in the upper Midwest. Introduced at a time when the country's baby-boomers were reaching maturity, the snowmobile's popularity grew rapidly. They were the winter equivalent of the automobile, the machine that embodied Americans' infatuation with freedom and independence. Now, with snowmobiles to ride, Americans could explore their country in winter-and without the work that cross-country skiing entailed. The number of snowmobiles increased from fewer than a hundred thousand in 1965 to almost 2 million by Christmas 1971.3 Conservationists nationwide decried the explosion of snowmobile use and clamored for regulation of the machines.4 Early snowmobiles typically had two-stroke engines that were both noisy and polluting, traits that brought them into conflict with cross-country skiers, who generally sought a quiet, contemplative experience. Though Congress investigated the matter and called for a resolution, members failed to enact it.5 President Nixon, however, answered public concern in 1972 by issuing Executive Order 11644. The "Use of Off-Road Vehicles on the Public Lands" order instructed agency heads to issue regulations that ensured off-road-vehicle trails and areas were situated so as to minimize wildlife harassment, conflicts with other users, and damage to vegetation and soils. The order noted that noise should be kept in mind when locating trails and that managers should only allow off-road vehicle use if it "will not adversely affect the natural, aesthetic, or scenic values of the managers' lands."6 An extension of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the executive order carried the force of law. In 1974, probably in reaction to Nixon's order, acting Rocky Mountain Regional Director Glen Bean directed all NPS superintendents in his region to prepare an environmental statement regarding snowmobile use.7 In Glacier that directive precipitated a controversy: the park had to decide how to reconcile snowmobilers' use of the park with skiers' demands for winter tranquility. To some observers, Art Sedlack's solution seemed the best option. iolations of federal and state law banning the use of snowmobiles on highways were common on the three-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 2 that lay inside the park boundary. On the night of December 27, 1974, Sedlack observed four snowmobilers on that stretch and warned them not to use the road to re-enter the park, but an hour later he again heard their roar. Jumping into his four-wheel-drive patrol vehicle, Sedlack gave chase. When two of the snowmobilers stopped on the roadway to let their engines cool, Sedlack plowed his rig into a snow bank and stepped out to confront them. As Sed-lack approached Ed Peterson and Jim Van De Riet, the danger of the situation sank in: he was the only law enforcement ranger within miles, confronting men who were possibly intoxicated and dangerous. He needed to establish control over the situation. Sedlack first tried to disable a snowmobile by pulling out a spark plug. When that effort failed, he pulled out his .38 caliber pistol and effectively disabled the machine. He then cited the men, who each paid a twenty-five-dollar fine.8 Within a day, the Associated Press had broadcast news of the shooting nationwide, and Sedlack quite unintentionally became a hero. In the nearby Flathead Valley, home to many cross-country skiers, his shot was memorialized by a parade float in Whitefish's winter carnival. Park officials received numerous letters, all in support of the ranger, and Sedlack himself received countless supportive letters, some containing monetary contributions. Montana Senator Lee Metcalf privately congratulated him. The Montana Wilderness Association even created an award in his honor-the Sedlack Award, given annually to the person (or being) committing the most outrageous act in defense of wilderness.9 edlack's actions also drew attention from fellow NPS employees. Yellowstone Park naturalist Paul Schullery suggested that Sedlack "had just done what we all had wanted to do, many times. Shooting the machine, someone remarked, was even better than shooting the driver. . . . There was no question in our minds that the man was a hero. There was talk of taking up a collection and buying him a [M]agnum. And a few days after the incident, a little note appeared on the ranger office bulletin board: 'Snow machines will not be shot. They will be live-trapped.'"10 Meanwhile, Sedlack was suspended for two weeks without pay, and the NPS held a hearing on the shooting. According to Sedlack, the Park Service reached no conclusion but did send him to the NPS law enforcement academy shortly thereafter.11 egulating snowmobile use in Glacier was not a new problem. Since the late 1960s as many as 1,393 snowmobilers visited Glacier each winter. Snowmobilers could use all of the park's no miles of unplowed roads, with the exception of the Going-to-the-Sun Road from Lake McDonald to the Jackson Glacier Overlook. However, by 1972 the number of snowmobilers was declining. At the same time, the number of cross-country skier visits increased from 877 in 1972-1973 to 2,998 two winters later.12 1974 Glacier administrators began to draft the requested environmental assessment on snowmobile visitation. Aware that Superintendent Anderson had formally designated Yellowstone's interior roads as snowmobile routes that year, Glacier Acting Superintendent Richard Munro wrote to Yellowstone officials requesting any Yellowstone studies evaluating the effects of snowmobiles on wildlife. Munro assumed that the park had also completed an environmental assessment of snowmobile use. In reality, Yellowstone managers did not formally study the environmental impact of snowmobiles until the late 1980s. Failing to obtain information from Yellowstone, Glacier officials turned to the flurry of scientific studies that had resulted from the sudden growth in snowmobile use in the Midwest.13Glacier environmental assessment concluded that winter stress determined population levels for many, if not most, wildlife species in the park and that snowmobile disturbances caused wildlife to lose body weight and increased their susceptibility to disease. Deer used snowmobile tracks to move from one area to another, and elk avoided and even ran from snowmobiles, keeping distances of at least a half mile between themselves and snowmobile areas. Compacted snow kept birds from roosting and displaced subnivean mammals such as mice and voles. Another problem was that poachers used snowmobiles to hunt and trap wildlife on the east side of the park. Vegetation could suffer as well, both through mechanical damage such as crushing and through compaction, which reduces the amount of insulating air in the snowpack.14 EPA Proposes Emissions Regs: New spark-ignited and marine diesel standards to cover snowmobiles, off-road motorcycles, ATV's; 2006 first model year - Industry News - Brief Article - Statistical Data IncludedDiesel Progress North American Edition, Nov, 2001 by Mike Osenga ave a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)
The latest from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a proposal for new emissions regulations covering certain recreational marine diesel engines, along with industrial spark-ignition engines over 25 hp (19 kW), as well as recreational spark-ignition engines. The proposal is a first step in the process of developing regulations. Written comments to EPA may be submitted until December 19, 2001. Two public hearings on the subject were held in October.Specific emissions levels and implementation dates can be found in the accompanying tables. According to EPA, these engines represent 13 percent of mobile source hydrocarbon emissions, 6 percent of carbon monoxide mobile emissions and 3 percent of [NO.sub.x] mobile source emissions. The regulations are expected to reduce CO emissions by 56 percent and HC+[NO.sub.x] by nearly 80 percent when the standards are fully implemented. he three engine categories include what EPA calls large industrial spark-ignition engines over 25 hp typically used in commercial and industrial applications such as forklifts, generator sets, airport baggage transport vehicles, and a variety of construction, farm and industrial equipment. e marine diesels to be regulated cover engines 50 hp (37 kW) and larger used in recreational applications. Sparkignited nonroad engines for off-highway motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles comprise the second group.Spark-ignited marine engines and on-highway motorcycle regulations are expected to follow within a few months. Plus EPA said it is requesting comment on its intention to propose standards for spark-ignition sterndrives and inboard engines at some future date, after completion of a technology study currently underway in California and expected to be completed within several yearsA said it is using California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards engines as the basis for proposing federal standards for these. EPA added that further engine testing and a concern for off-cycle emissions led the agency to propose several provisions in addition to those adopted by CARB. Most notably, this includes more stringent emission to more accurately reflect the in-use deterioration of emission control; transient duty-cycle and associated emission standard; field-testing and emission standards; basic engine diagnostic requirements; and measures to reduce evaporative emissions from gasoline-fueled equipment. S estimates, complying with these standards will cost about $600 per engine for the recreational diesels and large spark-ignition engines and $50 to $200 per engine for snowmobiles and less than $100 for engines used in ATVs.roposed Emissions Standards For Spark-Ignited Engines EmissionStandardsModel Year Testing Type HC + [NO.sub.x] CO 2004-2006 Dutye a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)
After a year-long dispute over how many snowmobiles are considered too destructive to Yellowstone National Park, the National Park Service (NPS) has announced a Temporary Winter Use Plan Environmental Assessment that will be used for the upcoming 2004-2005 winter season. The new guidelines are scheduled to be announced later this month, with a final adoption of the rules to be released prior to the winter season beginning Dec. 15. During this time, NPS will complete a long-term analysis of the environmental impacts of winter use in parks and hopefully end the debate that has called into question Executive Branch decisions made by two different administrations. In March, a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals judge ruled in favor of a district court judge's February decision upholding a Bush Administration ruling of allowing 780 snowmobiles a day into Yellowstone. This decision overruled a U.S. District judge's December 2003 judgment that upheld a Clinton Administration policy effectively banning snowmobiles from Yellowstone park. Even Congress has played its own role in trying to solve the problem of access in parks. In June, a bi-partisan amendment to effectively ban snowmobiles from three national parks including Yellowstone National Park was proposed in committee from Reps. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), among others. It was defeated 224-198.Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)Against the backdrop of the ongoing debate on whether to allow snowmobiles into Yellowstone National Park, engineering students from 15 universities across North America's snow belt competed in a contest that could help address some of the problems associated with the vehicles. The Clean Snowmobile Challenge, held at Michigan Technical University in mid-March, put to the test team efforts to retool snowmobile engines. Each team took a stock snowmobile and reengineered it to reduce emissions and noise while maintaining or improving performance. Teams put their vehicles through a series of performance and emissions tests, including a 100-mile endurance run in northern Michigan that only 5 of the 14 teams completed. The emissions and noise standards are key to winning the contest. "We've been building and designing based on the rules [for the competition]," says William Hotchkiss, an engineering student at the University of Maine. "Fuel efficiency, emissions, and noise are the most important things. A lot of the teams have been working on their engines to increase speed, but that's worth only a small number of points." The winning team, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, competed with a snowmobile that had an experimental hybrid gas-electric engine. In the last four years, snowmobiles have been the focus of controversy, particularly in Yellowstone because of a Clinton administration rule that would have phased out their use in the park until December 2004, when a total ban would have gone into effect. This would have been a victory for environmental groups claiming the noise and pollution snowmobiles emit harm plants, wildlife, and even the gate guards--who are subjected to relatively high levels of air pollutants from idling vehicles. (The National Park Service recently issued gas masks to help protect rangers working at the gates.) The Bush administration reversed the rule, but in December 2003 in Washington, D.C., federal judge Emmet G. Sullivan overturned that reversal, noting that the decision was "completely politically driven." However, in February, a Wyoming judge issued a temporary restraining order on Sullivan's ruling. Snowmobiles do not represent an enormous business but are popular recreational vehicles--and are sometimes used as transportation--in many U.S. states and Canadian provinces in winter. According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturing Association, more than 1.6 million snowmobiles were registered in the United States in 2002 and nearly 730,000 in Canada in 2003. Combined snowmobile sales for the neighboring countries last year was estimated at about US$1.07 billion. Full Throttle On the TrailSouthern Living, a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)Skiing isn't the only way to get down the trails at Snowshoe Mountain resort in West Virginia. If you're in a hurry, hop on a snowmobile. m no Evel Knievel. I don't go skydiving or parasailing. I don't race over mountain trails on a snowmobile. Or at least I didn't until this afternoon. Hunger made me do it. Half an hour ago, I was relaxing in front of a cozy fireplace in my room. But I wanted to try Outdoor Adventure Dining at the resort's Sunrise Backcountry Hut. The hut sits high on Cheat Mountain, 3 miles from the Village at Snowshoe. The fastest way to get there is on a snowmobile.Snowmobile manager Mike Phillips arrives to pick up Senior Photographer Art Meripol and me. We climb in the back of a trusty Korean War-era ambulance that the resort's Outdoor Adventure Program uses to carry passengers to the trailhead.hen we reach the trail, six shiny black snowmobiles sit waiting at the ready. "We're going to put you on one by yourself," Mike says. "You'll be fine. Just watch the turns. Take it slow. We don't want you to tip over."I put on a helmet, swing into the seat, and ease back on the throttle. The controls are heated. My hands feel toasty inside my gloves, but there's so much snow, I have to flip up the visor of my helmet to see. My mustache soon turns into an icicle. But, boy, am I having fun. I come close to a spill on the first mile; then I get used to the steering, and it doesn't seem much different than riding a bike. 'm almost sorry it's time to stop when our line of riders eases up to the porch of Sunrise Backcountry Hut. Ben Brannon is waiting with bowls of meaty stew and apple pie fresh from the oven. It tastes delicious. Guests can overnight here in rustic surroundings, but when the meal is over, I'm happy to head back to the comfort of my room. gun the engine and ease into line. Maybe I am Evel Knievel. When you're riding a snowmobile, every minute is a thrill. LES THOMASutdoor Adventure Program at Snowshoe Mountain: Call toll-free 1-877-441-4386, or snowshoemtn.com. The season runs late November-early April. Contact the resort to check on snow conditions. One-hour snowmobile tours on weekends are $85 per person ages 16 and older. Two-hour backcountry tours are $95 and require some experience. Adventure dining is $95 per person. The Outdoor Adventure Center also offers horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiingThe latest addition to Snowshoe's Adventure Dining program involves an after-dark plunge down the mountain aboard a snowcat (that converted 1950s ambulance) to The Boathouse. This rustic restaurant perched on the frozen shore of the ski resort's main reservoir serves as a simple snack bar for skiers by day, but at night it presents a fine-dining experience for a select few. The menu changes according to the chef's whims, but we enjoyed a mixed-greens salad with a honey-apple cider vinaigrette, a choice of filet mignon or sun-dried tomato pesto halibut steak, roasted vegetables, red pepper whipped potatoes, and a dark chocolate mousse cake. Coolant delivery system clears the air for specialty manufacturer - Better Production - Brief ArticleModern Machine Shop, May, 2002 by John M. Jordan, Shauna R. Pope a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)Ward Staniforth and his wife, Ellen, had an intense interest in snowmobiles. In fact, Ellen had become the world drag racing champion in two separate classes of the winter sport. As a result of this interest, Mr. Staniforth started making special parts to enhance their snowmobile's performance. Friends and then dealers began asking him to supply them with parts, so he and his wife started their own business, WMS Enterprises (Evanston, Wyoming). In addition to a snowmobile product line, the company also manufactures parts for rock climbing equipment and for medical equipment. The shop has four CNC vertical machining centers and two GNC lathes, as well as standard milling machines and lathes. t one point, the future of the shop seemed cloudy--literally. "Misting was a most serious problem in our shop, as a foul smelling cloud was hanging in the air," recalls Mr. Staniforth. He was aware that there have been widespread discussions about coolant delivery systems. While dry machining has been a recent trends that he was watching with interest, he saw that machines capable of milling, drilling or turning in the dry state present a very expensive alternative to flood coolant. Delivery of coolant through the spindle was also found to be very expensive. Special spindles and high pressures are often required, he learned. Regular coolant systems, which use large amounts of coolant to flood the workpiece, also presented problems in his shop. Wastes, contaminants and way lubricant were getting mixed into the coolant, necessitating an oil separation system to keep the coolant from going bad prematurely. Other systems we've tried in the past, such as spray coolant, released the coolant in such a fine mist that a coolant cloud can and often did develop in the shop," Mr. Staniforth says. Therefore, the challenge was to find a system that could deliver the coolant at low pressure without excessive misting. For WMS Enterprises, the solution was a relatively new system called the Fog Buster from Hench Manufacturing Inc. (San Clemente, California). According to Mr. Staniforth, this system met his objective of minimizing coolant usage while reducing or eliminating the misting problem. The Fogbuster system is now used on the shop's CNC machines instead of the usual flood coolant. The system is adaptable to commands from the control unit and the strong airflow created works well for chip control, Mr. Staniforth says. e system delivers coolant without fine atomization. A small stream of coolant is carried precisely to the work zone by an accurately aimed flow of air. In essence, the liquid spray is surrounded by the column of air, rather than mixed with the air, preventing the coolant from turning into a mist or a fog. This method allows the sprayer to produce a small but effective spray pattern several inches or more from its target. A precision needle valve at the sprayer head adjusts the coolant flow, an adjustment that Mr. Staniforth says is very easy to do on the shop floor.e of the main benefits, in addition to a cleaner shop environment, is improved tool life. According to Mr. Staniforth, the cutting tools used in his shop could stand up to high temperatures and high cutting speeds but could not tolerate temperature changes, a problem he experienced even with flood coolant. Surface finish on parts also improved because the Fogbuster's accurate but strong air stream not only cooled and stabilized cutting tool and workpiece temperatures, but it also cleared chips. Finished workpieces are described as drier and cleaner.he new coolant system operates on 10 to 20 psi and uses most types of coolant. The system comes with 1/2 a or a 1-gallon coolant reservoir. A clear coolant bowl on the smaller model allows quick visual inspection of the coolant level, whereas the larger system comes with a sight gage. According to Mr. Staniforth, the system's quick mounting features allow it to be used on all of his machines. r. Staniforth sums up his shop's experience with the non-misting coolant system: "Ellen and I breathe much easier. We save on coolant while meetiag machining requirements with a system that accurately places the coolant where it is needed." or more information about coolant systems from Hench Manufacturing, call (949) 492-0125, enter 45 at www.mmsinfo.com to visit Online Showroom, or write 45 on the reader service card.accidents involving children riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a growing problem, with a new study finding hospitalization for such injuries jumping nearly 80 percent between 1997 and 2000. rofessor of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine and a staff physician at the Arkansas Children's Hospital, in Little Rock. "I think we have an alarming problem overall," she said. "This increase is very concerning." ATV Mailing Drives Down Costs - for Polaris IndustriesDirect, June 1, 2003 by Larry Riggs Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)Byline: LARRY RIGGSl printing helped Polaris Industries cut costs in half for a recent lead generation mailing to promote the 2004 Sportsman all-terrain vehicle. The Medina, MN company expects to beat the industry average response of 2% for the 400,000-piece mailing. Polaris spent more than 50 cents per piece on this effort, mailed in April to a combination of existing customers and prospects, said Steve Penn, CEO of Penn-Garritano, Polaris' Minneapolis-based agency. The leads were collected through telemarketing, online inquiries, trade shows and other sources. This was the company's first mailing that made use of a new digital approach to production it undertook with the help of Penn-Garritano and printer Vertis Direct Marketing. The technique avoided the need to shop for multiple vendors for lettershop, creative and other services, said Penn. "We could turn this work over in a day and we wouldn't print more envelopes than we needed," said Don Schoenleber, Vertis' vice president of creative services. With more conventional printing technology, he said, such work could easily have taken a week. he mailing used a 5-1/2-inch-by- 10-inch envelope showing the company's new 2004 Polaris ATV on a desert background with the cover line "It's Gotta Be Bad to Look This Good" and a separate box enticing recipients to look inside to find out how to get $100 in cash. On the back was the headline "Out Here, Looks Don't Really Matter. Right?" The $100 offer was glued to the envelope's inner flap.were urged to call a toll-free number, 1-800-Polaris, or visit a Web site (www.polarisindustries.com) to find the nearest dealer. The Web site also had locations where users could request one or more of Polaris' product catalogsSave a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)
When I first fired up ATV2, I wasn't very impressed. Pretty graphics aside, the tracks were boring and the controls frustrating because the game's spring-loading technique (used for high jumps) is not nearly as natural as that in Sony's Offroad Fury 2. But after playing for a couple hours, I started enjoying myself. Yes, the control is a bit sloppy, but the tracks really improve as the game progresses. I can deal with a little uneven control if the rest of the game is good, and there's plenty to do here; an assortment of innovative, fun minigames extend the experience. Not only do these diversions teach you how to do tricks like Wheelies and Two-Wheelers (which you need to master in order to win the trick competitions), but they also give you a bunch of really cool obstacle courses to navigate. The challenges include everything from competing on classic slalom courses to climbing massive towers that stand on thin, precarious ramps and bridges. Basically, ATV2 is a fun, if flawed, game. It's quite an improvement over the PS1 original, and at this rate, the third game should be just about right. ave a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)
Anyone who wants to play in the mud, follow me," hollered Kevin Bates, our tour guide from Bandit's Ridge Riders, and owner of Bandit the dog. Earlier I asked Kevin to locate a mud splashing photo opportunity and he indubitably delivered. ior to the mud bathing, Bandit and Kevin led our group through a portion of the 500 miles comprising the Hatfield- McCoy trails system. The system traverses the valleys and peaks of the Appalachia Mountains where America's most famous family feud ever done took placeNo shrapnel from loose hillbilly gunfire was recorded, but Tucker Rocky product line manager James Cramer did have a row with his machine that ended with a visit to the local infirmary. Another casualty was Logan Motorcycle Sales, the local dealer who, along with the help of Honda and Suzuki, supplied the 50-plus ATVs being used. We never could have done it without them," says TR's Glen Urquhart. "Their store was flooded twice the week before the event, and they never once called and said, 'We ain't coming.' They called with encouragement even though they were standing knee-deep in water in their showroom. They really came through!" Also introduced was the final production version of the Ducks Unlimited soft goods, and the '05 Answer and MSR gear. A new partnership between the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority and TR ensures the Authority's rangers and staff members will be properly outfitted in the new apparel. We are thankful to have this support from Tucker Rocky," says Mike Pinkerton, director of marketing for Hatfield-McCoy. "It was a pleasure to have Tucker Rocky host their annual ATV Retreat here, and we're looking forward to a great sponsorship from them." TR employees should rejoice in the news that Texas will host next year's event. "There are a lot of people behind the scene who help me get this thing done but they don't get to attend, so we're going to host the event in Texas every five years to let the local employees and their families come out for a day and do some riding," says Urquhart. ealers will be happy to hear they will be invited to next year's retreat also. "I do want to include dealers in some fashion next year," says Urquhart. Log on to www.trdealer.com for more photos and a chance to post whether attending the event is of value to you and your business QUADIVATOR from Swisher Inc. turns an ATV into a multipurpose minitractor. The unique Quadivator frame accepts attachments that allow an ATV to do the work of a harrow, cultivator, chisel plow, box scraper, tandem disk, lawn aerator, dump box or cart, and more. Electric depth control for some implements is switch controlled and mounted on the tow vehicle. E GLACIER PLOW from Polans attaches in less than 30 seconds and includes an electric lift system to raise and lower the blade. The system has four blade options for moving snow, dirt or sand. They range in width from 48 to 60 inches and can be raised up to 15 inches for transport or work. When used with the Ranger utility vehicle, the system can handle a 72-inch blade. That wording recognizes that as many as 50,000 of John Deere's traditional customer base are current or potential ATV users, says Jon Chase, product manager for Deere's new ATV division. Chase sees the Buck as a complement to the company's long-popular Gator series of utility vehicles. In fact, Deere likes to describe their entry into the ATV field as a "utility" ATV. he Buck is rigged for work. It can be used to patrol fencelines, scout fields or haul a bale of hay to a horse pasture. But whatever its use, Deere figures there are plenty of folks in the country who will be attracted to an ATV that is John Deere green. For the recreation-minded customer, there is a Trail Buck line decked out in camo paint. It is sure to stir the hearts of the hunter and sportsman crowd. compact series Gator line of utility vehicles also was introduced by Deere this fall. The Gator CS comes with an 8-hp, Kawasaki 4-cycle engine, while the CX is powered by a 10-hp Kawasaki motor. The units are sized and priced to appeal to folks with a small farm, ranch or acreage. (They can be hauled in the bed of a full-sized pickup.)Forming wheels—by spinning: at Kawasaki, ATV wheels are produced in house—and even for other companies. While other companies may roll form their wheels, they've found spinning to be advantageous to meet the requirements of their production system - Equipment & ApplicationsAutomotive Design ve a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)They're awfully busy at Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. USA (Lincoln, NE). Not only do they produce all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) at their plant, but they also produce jet skis, motorcycles, utility vehicles, robots, and light rail cars. And in its manufacturing of the ATVs, of which they'll be making some 140,000 this year, they produce their own wheels. Not only do they produce wheels for their own products, but they produce them for other manufacturers, as well. Which puts their wheel production on the order of 1.6-million. It's worth noting that they once outsourced the wheel production. But in order to reduce costs and to control their just-in-time production, they decided it was better to do the job themselvesety of products produced at the plant, flexibility is a must, because mixed-model production is a way of life there. "A lot of manufacturers do batch production, where they'll run a large batch of a single ATV model, and then change over and run a batch of another model," according to Kent Grothe, engineering supervisor at Kawasaki. "We find that to be inefficient. But by running different models down the same assembly line in small quantities, we can level our schedule throughout the year and stabilize our manpower requirements so we aren't caught in the cycle of hiring and laying people off." Another thing that they do that some other companies don't is to spin form the wheels, Grothe said that while auto companies often roll form wheels, spin forming "allows us to stay true to KPS principles"--that's "Kawasaki Production System." "If necessary, we can run as few as 500 wheels on a single setup, which is unheard of for a roll-forming line. They have to setup for several thousand to be efficient." The spinning machines are custom-built for Kawasaki.uce the wheel blanks, Kawasaki installed a stamping press line that employs a hydraulic press from AP&T (Monroe, NC) and coil handling equipment from Coe press Equipment (Sterling Heights, MI). "Before the AP&T/Coe line," Grothe said, "we were buying all of our blanks outside. Every rectangular blank used to make the wheel tube was handled by three vendors: a steel mill to make the master coil, a service center to slit the master into smaller coils, and a processing center to cut the slit coils to length. With the new line we have replaced one of these vendors with an in-house process--and as you take any of the middlemen out of the process, you cut the material costs significantly." In addition to which, Grothe calculates that they'll get payback on the equipment in two-years. zes are generally in the 2,000-to 3,000-piece range. Five hundred pieces is the lower limit because otherwise the changeover would be excessive. Wheel blanks vary in width from 7.5 in. to 12 in. and in length from 26 in. to 40 in. For steel wheels, the outside rim material is made from 13-, 14- or 16-gage material and the center discs are made from 6- to 12-gage material. nking, the blank is rolled into a circle, and the two ends are flash butt-welded. The rim is spun in a CNC-controlled flow-forming operation to create the basic shape. Then, a second spinning o