Threadlockers Drive Specialty Vehicle Innovation

Challenge

For both a high-performance off-road racer and a car with 49 parts, every part must work every time, and LOCTITE® threadlockers make sure fasteners do their jobs.

Local Motors, a technology company, faced two different challenges when it set out to build two very different vehicles: the Rally Fighter®, a high-performance off-road machine; and the Strati™, a 3-D printed, electric-powered car that had just 49 parts. To meet both challenges, Local Motors turned to LOCTITE® threadlockers.

Making sure the Rally Fighter® could withstand racing in extreme conditions without constant maintenance was a challenge. So was eliminating from the Strati™ many of the 25,000 or more parts found in a normal car.

Solution

Off-road racers like the Rally Fighter® are subject to jarring bumps and vibration that can shake loose even the sturdiest nuts and bolts. And every one of the 49 parts in the Strati™ is critical, so making sure those nuts and bolts stay tight was essential to realizing Local Motors’ concept for Strati™.

Applying LOCTITE® threadlockers to those fasteners gave Local Motors confidence that once their mechanics tightened a bolt or screw, it would stay tightened, even under the challenging conditions of off-road racing.

In addition to 3-D printing, Local Motors’ business model includes new concepts in crowd-sourced design and co-manufacturing, being flexible in its designs, and, as in the case of the Strati™, going from concept to driving in four months. Local Motors credits LOCTITE® with helping make that possible.

About Local Motors

Founded in 2007, Local Motors combines co-creation and micromanufacturing to bring hardware innovations to market at unprecedented speed. Local Motors’ global co-creation community is made up of enthusiasts, hobbyist innovators and professionals. It operates a growing global network of microfactories. 

About LOCTITE® Threadlockers

By filling the thread roots and preventing side-to-side movement, LOCTITE® threadlockers have dramatically increased the reliability of threaded assemblies for over 60 years. New advancements provide higher temperature resistance, improved oil tolerance and primerless performance.

Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the leading solution provider for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings worldwide.

Except as otherwise noted, all marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Rally Fighter is a registered trademark of LM Industries Group Inc. Strati is a trademark of LM Industries Group Inc. © 2018 Henkel Corporation. All rights reserved. (2/18)

See how LOCTITE® can help you secure success. Call 1-800-LOCTITE (562-8483).

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