For Immediate Release September 15, 2009
Contact: Kathy Brysse
mediaeurope@gates.com
New generation raw edge V-belts offer performance increase of 15%
By utilising a newly developed rubber compound Gates is taking its Quad-Power® V-belt range one step further. With an improved power capacity, reduced noise levels and an extended temperature range, Gates Quad-Power® III stands out against any other V-belt in the market. This third generation of raw edge, narrow section V-belts with notched profile offers numerous advantages for both design engineers and maintenance staff.
An increased demand for more efficient V-belts with lower maintenance have led Gates, a world-leading manufacturer of rubber belts for industrial and automotive applications, to introduce Quad-Power III. This range of raw edge V-belts is developed for energy efficient power transmission in a very broad range of applications in the machine building industry.
Improved belt construction
All components in the belt have been further improved in order to outperform all similarly sized V-belt drives currently in the market. For example, the main compound in the belt is a new rubber which withstands chemically aggressive environments (acid and base), ageing, ozone, UV and heat. Even with severe slippage, the belt will not catch fire from heat build-up. High performance fibres embodied in the rubber compound provide improved abrasion and wear resistance and the low-elongation polyester tensile cords are embedded in a newly developed blue-coloured adhesion layer that gives extra bonding of tension cords and undercord material.
Engineering benefits
Test results have shown an increase in performance of 15%. A significant advantage for design engineers since higher power capacity allows them to save space in their drive designs and develop more economical drive layouts. However, when drives are operating in more confined spaces, temperatures tend to rise putting more stress on the belt. The belt manufacturer addressed this by using highly advanced and heat-resistant materials in the belt construction. Quad-Power III belts can endure temperatures up to +110°C, a record in V-belt technology. The belt also withstands cold environments of -40°C. Another important improvement is the reduction of the noise level with 8 dBA when compared to previous generations. A reduction of 8 dBA is quite significant if you know that the human ear perceives a reduction of 10dBA in the sound level as a reduction of 50% of the noise level.
Quad-Power III belts do not only offer advantages for drive design, they also offer potential for reducing maintenance costs of equipment. For maintenance engineers and end-users, Quad-Power III drives substantially reduce day-to-day operational costs. Since the overall service life of the belt has been extended, replacement intervals are longer which automatically reduces the associated cost of machine downtime and lost productivity. In addition this new generation of raw edge V-belts requires less maintenance and inspections than previous generations.
Thinking green
For the production of the Quad-Power III belts the highest environmental standards are observed. Furthermore, in their commitment to minimise the environmental effects of their products, Gates development engineers have also used a belt construction which is halogen-free. This has a positive effect on the cost of waste processing and prevents acid rain. Gates takes its responsibility for human health and the environment very seriously. Therefore the company also complies with the requirements laid down in the REACH regulation, the European Community regulation – Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 – on chemicals and their safe use.
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