All-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility task vehicles (UTVs), snowmobiles, jet skis, and various other power sports vehicles produce a great deal of heat as part of their operations. Such vehicles can also be quite noisy, with vibrations that can cause component damage and decreased user satisfaction.
At Technicon Acoustics, Inc., we specialize in thermal and acoustic product solutions to support North American OEMs in diverse industries. For our clients in the power sports vehicle market, our company offers thermal insulation and acoustic absorbers for vehicle exhausts, engines, and more. Read on to learn about the various components that generate heat and noise within such vehicles, as well as ways to mitigate these issues and achieve industry compliance.
Noise Reduction for Power Sports Vehicles
The engines within power sports vehicles are the noisiest of their components. While in use, a running engine can be quite loud — and even a distraction to operators. The same is true of these vehicles’ exhaust systems.
By decreasing the volume of the engine and exhaust, you enhance the user experience. The vehicles will be more pleasant to ride without overwhelming noise levels, and this can potentially give users greater awareness of their surroundings, allowing them to be more alert to sounds beyond their vehicle and its cab.
Acoustic absorbers are an ideal solution to help OEMs achieve noise reduction in their power sports vehicles. Installing insulation from Technicon Acoustics in a vehicle’s engine bay can effectively improve sound absorption to limit its impact on a vehicle’s operator.
Heat Management
Engines and exhaust systems also give off a great deal of heat during operation, resulting in high-temperature conditions within a vehicle’s cab that can be quite uncomfortable for the operator. Additionally, this high heat can negatively impact vehicle components surrounding the engine and exhaust system, causing damage to heat sensitive materials like plastics.
Our products can address both noise absorption and thermal insulation concerns. For example, PF-091 UL94 HF-1 blended fiber is our proprietary, eco-friendly alternative for polyurethane foam. It’s sound absorptive and can tolerate temperatures of up to 350 °F, giving it heat insulation properties, as well. When OEMs add this blended material to their engine compartments, this effective heat-shielding fiber can reduce both temperature and noise levels within power sports vehicles for greater user comfort.
Exhaust wraps are another beneficial option. Incorporating these wraps into power sports vehicles lowers an exhaust pipe’s surface or external temperature while maintaining exhaust gas temperatures within. OEMs can decrease the risk of thermal damage to parts within the vicinity of exhaust pipes with such products as our innovative Tech Shield Sleeve™. This braided exhaust sleeve is a proprietary, highly texturized fiber blend with cure-in-place structure for effective and versatile exhaust pipe heat shielding in a convenient wrap. Using our Tech Shield™ TS-040 adhesive heat shield along with the Tech Shield Sleeve™, you can effectively manage heat.
Vibration Damping
A source of the problematic noise we mentioned is vibration. Power sports vehicles generate significant vibrations from sound waves while running. Using vibration damping materials, these products help prevent vibrations from affecting a power sports vehicle’s components, allowing the operator to enjoy quieter conditions in the cab.
Our products work well with such vehicle components as:
- Vehicle cab insulation
- Roof interiors
- Floors
- Doors
- Vehicle underbodies
Maintaining Compliance
When creating our thermal and acoustic solutions, one factor we consider is a product’s noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), or the analysis and measurement of vehicle noise and vibration. Our products take both structure and airborne noise sources into account, mitigating obnoxious and damaging noise through acoustic barriers, acoustic absorbers, and damping materials.
To lower NVH, our customers can choose between open and closed cell absorbing foam insulation solutions. Open cell foam, which has a porous structure to facilitate air permeability, is ideal for good sound attenuation and absorption at an affordable price. Closed cell foam is more rigid and dense as its cells are closed and don’t allow airflow, and it offers durable, water-resistant performance for gasketing and sealing applications.
Whatever options you choose for your power sports vehicles, the Technicon Acoustics team can help you implement compliant solutions.
Reduce Noise and Heat in Power Sports Vehicles With Technicon Acoustics
Through our heat-absorbing and vibration-damping products, we assist OEMs in reliably reducing NVH in their projects. We strive to enhance equipment performance and longevity while increasing satisfaction for end-users. Contact us for more information on how Technicon Acoustics can support noise, heat, and vibration reduction in your power sports vehicle application, or request a quote today.