Gates recently introduced the world’s first wrapped V-Belt technology using Ethylene Elastomer (EE) compounds for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the agriculture, forestry and heavy industrial markets. The launch of the Xtreme V-Force Mega banded V-belt platform leverages Gates’ materials science and manufacturing process expertise to produce unique EE-based solutions that provide customers with increased performance and uptime, and extended operating temperatures. 

“At Gates, transforming our industrial belt platforms using Ethylene Elastomer compounds is a priority,” said Tom Pitstick, CMO and senior vice president of product line management for Gates. “With the development of our PowerGrip GT4 synchronous belts, G-Force RedLine CVT power sports belts and the new Xtreme V-Force EE banded belt family, we are leading the way in advanced materials development in our industry.”

The new Gates Xtreme V-Force Mega belt offers a number of benefits vs. currently available products on the market, including:

An extended operating temperature range from -40°C to 130°C;

A 30% increase in load capacity and durability, which enables:

Performance in even more demanding applications; 

The ability to design higher-load drives without increasing the design footprint on today’s high-powered equipment

Improved flex for higher-speed drives;

The elimination of chlorinated polymers, which improves the overall environmental impact of these products.

Ethylene Elastomers, which involve complex processing technology, help enable a number of the performance advantages of this new belt platform. Gates’ continued focus on the intersection of materials science and process engineering is what has enabled the company to bring these and other Ethylene-based products to market.