In BattleBots, contestants design and build radio-controlled robots that employ an array of destructive weaponry to defeat opponents in one-on-one combat within a hazard-filled, Plexiglas-enclosed arena. Since fall of 2000, the contests have been broadcast on the Comedy Central Network, and in 2001, Loctite signed on as a major sponsor.

Jase Doane, Loctite's MRO marketing manager, says the decision to sponsor a BattleBot competitor made perfect sense for the company.

"Our industrial customers can really relate to the challenges these BattleBots competitors face," says Doane. "Just like maintenance technicians, BattleBots builders are using Loctite adhesives, sealants and other specialty products to keep their equipment together in the most brutal environments and repair them in between battles."

Doane says not only do BattleBots builders and maintenance technicians face common problems, they use some of the same solutions.

"When we were first introduced to BattleBots, we learned that most, if not all, of the competitors used Loctite products on their robots," he says. "They use threadlockers and sealants to prevent failures and shutdowns. Since it's a single-elimination tournament, if their vehicles fail for even a few seconds, they could be out for the season."

For the sophomore season of the hit cable series, Loctite sponsored the past robot champion of the heavyweight division, "Vlad the Impaler." Within Vlad's tempered aluminum body is a powerful electric drive secured to an alloy steel frame on four polyurethane wheels. Extending from the front is a compressed CO2-powered forklift, the prongs of which are sharpened for maximum stabbing ability. When the machine puts its 208 pounds into opponents, Vlad the Impaler truly lives up to its name.

Vlad and its builder, Gage Cauchois, have been making a name for themselves in the robot competitions for years. BattleBots began as a low-profile, biannual competition held in various cities throughout the United States and Europe. Eventually, one of the weekend-long tournaments appeared as a pay-per-view special on cable TV. Then, in late 2000, BattleBots became a prime-time series on Comedy Central. Vlad prevailed as the heavyweight champion in both the pay-per-view special and the initial televised season.

Going into the 2001 season, Cauchois and Vlad were favorites to sweep their division once again. Up until the final round, it looked as though Vlad was going for a "three-peat." But Vlad was narrowly defeated in the heavyweight championship and had to settle for second place.

In a laid-back fashion typical of most of the competitors, Cauchois says though he would have preferred to win first place, of course, he was just happy to entertain the audience.

"I'm just glad that all of the battles I was in were as fun to watch as they were," Cauchois explains. "Half of the fun of competing in BattleBots is putting on a good show, and Vlad and I were in some pretty intense battles."

Encore presentations of the 2001 BattleBots season are currently airing Tuesday nights on Comedy Central at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m.CDT.