This month, we are highlighting team member Corey Helgeson, who is a project engineer based out of our Lake Zurich, Ill., headquarters. Since joining CCTY six years ago, he has been heavily focused on motion control solutions for the ATV/UTV market, in addition to other product lines.
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?
From a young age, I enjoyed putting things together and understanding how they worked. My father was also a talented engineer, and I found that math and science came easier to me than any other subjects in school. After taking a few focused engineering courses in college, I was confident that it was the right path for me.
What are some of the unique challenges you face when designing motion control solutions for the ATV/UTV market?
The off-road market is generally a more difficult application, with much less data available. For instance, off-road vehicle suspensions typically handle higher ultimate loads compared to automotive suspensions because of their harsher operating environments and greater suspension travel. With automotive designs, the loading conditions for each cycle a part may encounter is detailed meticulously—and they’re even backed by extensive historical testing and specifications from OEMs. By contrast, off-road vehicle designs often lack detailed application data and specifications, meaning it’s easier for something to be overlooked during the design process—which is why we have many rounds of reviews with our internal team and the customer.
Can you share a recent project you worked on that you’re particularly proud of and explain what made it successful?
We recently developed a new sway bar link design that has exceeded expectations in terms of wear and durability. While it’s a product we are very familiar with, there are certain designs in the market that are lower cost. We considered how to meet our customer’s cost target while producing a design that performs to the standards of the application. So far, we’ve had thousands of hours of testing with great results.
What ATV/UTV trends are you most excited about, and how is CCTY positioned to take advantage of them?
One trend I’ve seen is developing ATVs/UTVs more specifically for the user’s application, as opposed to basic utility or sport models. The categories now go much deeper, tailoring to each user’s desires and use cases. This aligns with how CCTY already operates, in that we focus very heavily on customizing our designs to a customer’s specific application.
Another recent trend is that the demand for UTVs is starting to surpass that of ATVs—yet another representation of how vehicles are becoming bigger and stronger. CCTY regularly works on projects—ATV/UTV or otherwise—where a component must be designed to handle more load than the current part without changing any of the mating dimensions.
To learn more, visit: www.cctygroup.com/atv-utv-bearings-tie-rods
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