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Particle Separator finds its home in UTV market

S&B Filters entering industry with new filtering product

S&B Filters has released a solution to keep side-by-side filters clean, allowing your customers to ride worry-free.

More than 40 years ago, S&B Filters began in the automotive industry, manufacturing performance filters and intake kits, specializing in diesels, SUVs and trucks. Recently, the Fontana, Calif.-based company crossed over into the powersports segment with a new product designed for UTV use. The S&B Particle Separator is made to fit Polaris, Yamaha, Arctic Cat and other popular UTVs and extends the life of stock filters.

Berry Carter, owner of S&B Filters, purchased the company in 2003. Once the Particle Separator was built, he said, the company searched for the industry that needed the product the most.

“Our engineering team is constantly pushed to innovate and differentiate and in doing so, we came up with a great new technology for our industry,” he said. “We were looking for what the industry needed the worst. That’s when we came across the UTV market because they are constantly dealing with this dust issue and filtration.”

S&B Filters’ Particle Separator features the same technology used by military helicopters in dusty, desert terrain.
S&B Filters’ Particle Separator features the same technology used by military helicopters in dusty, desert terrain.

Carter said the Particle Separator features the same technology used by helicopters in dusty, desert terrain, which enables users to ride in extreme conditions while still maintaining power and protecting the vehicle’s engine. Lab tests reported that the Particle Separator ejects 94 percent of dust before it reaches the stock filter, meaning users won’t have to replace their filters as frequently, saving them both time and money.

“We are accustomed to testing everything in the lab, and we are extremely precise,” Carter said. “We did that as well with the Particle Separator, and to tell you the truth, when we got into the field, the results were even better than we found in the lab, which is a pleasant surprise.”

In fact, S&B touts that the Separator will make a stock air filter last 15 times longer and guarantees that it will make a stock air filter last for a year. If for some reason the stock filter does not last for a year, S&B Filters will replace the filter for free.

The Particle Separator has 19 vortexes to filter dirt from the air.
The Particle Separator has 19 vortexes to filter dirt from the air.

It’s important to note that the Particle Separator does not replace the stock filter; it attaches directly to the stock intake system and extends the life of the stock filter. “You can’t really compare a Particle Separator to a filter; you still need a filter,” Carter explained. “Our system still works with the stock filter, so what we advise is for people to keep their stock system in place, and then we piggy back on top of that, and that allows the stock filter to last for a year before they need to replace it, or we send them a free filter.”

The Particle Separator attaches to the stock intake system with billet clamps, which allows it to be installed on either the upper or lower roll bars of a UTV, and it can accommodate most roof configurations. Once installed, the dirty air enters the Particle Separator’s 19 vortexes, using centrifugal force to throw the dust against the outer side of the tube and out the rear slot of the device. The clean air continues on through the center of the tube and is directed to the stock air filter, while a scavenge fan ejects the dust through the exhaust. The fan is powered by 3.1 amps on average, giving the unit power without adding more stress to the UTV engine.

“As soon as the dust hits that slot, the scavenge fan sucks the dust out and shoots it out the back,” he said. “So the 3.1 amps, which is really very low in terms of power drawn from a motor, is very nominal for what we’re trying to do. You need that so that you have a high efficiency and you’re getting rid of that dust.”

The S&B Particle Separator is made to fit Polaris, Yamaha, Arctic Cat and other popular UTVs.
The S&B Particle Separator is made to fit Polaris, Yamaha, Arctic Cat and other popular UTVs.

The Scavenge Fan is IP55-rated and was designed to endure harsh conditions, including exposure to water and dust for over 50,000 hours of operation. The company also warranties the fan for three years from the date of purchase. The Particle Separator itself as has a 5-year limited warranty.

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“We want to be able to put our money where our mouth is and show them that it really does work,” Carter said. “In terms of the actual construction of the unit, it’s a 5-year warranty. We think our warranty will outlast the UTV.”

Heading into the rest of 2016, S&B Filters aims to make a Particle Separator to fit a variety of UTVs and looks to add to its dealer network. “The Particle Separator is our key. We’re focused on making sure that it can fit all the various applications, from Wildcat to Ranger and all the model years,” Carter said. “We’re definitely focused on that, so we can make sure that we cover all models, but we’re also going to be offering air filtration as well as intake kits for the UTV marketplace.”

S&B Filters has its own distribution facilities in Kentucky, Texas and Canada. “We do that in order to get product to our dealers quicker, and at a lower cost,” Carter added. “This product is important to dealers because they want happy customers, and if you’ve got customers coming back with damaged engines because of dust ingestion, that’s not a happy customer,” he said.

S&B Filters goes the extra mile to not only take care of its customers, but also its dealers. “In the automotive industry, we have one of the best unilateral pricing policies in the industry. We’re respected for that, and we’re bringing that same thing to the powersports market,” said Carter. “The bottom line is our dealers can make their full margins — we think it’s absolutely critical.”

 

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