An increased demand for more efficient V-belts with lower maintenance have led to the introduction of the 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.
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.
Test results have shown an increase in performance of 15% leading to a longer service life when placed on existing drives. For new drive designs the increased power capacity also offers a significant advantage for the design engineer since higher performance allows them to design smaller drives which offer a more economical use of energy.
When drives are operating in confined spaces, temperatures tend to rise, putting more stress on the belt. The previous generation V-belts saw their service life significantly reduced when exposed to temperatures exceeding 60°C. In extremely cold environments there was even a risk of the belt breaking during the start-up of the machine. The Quad-Power III belts can endure temperatures up to 110°C and also cold operating conditions down to -40°C. This resistance against heat and cold makes it the suited belt for applications which have to operate in extreme weather conditions or for applications where heat and/or cold cannot be avoided such as industrial ovens, metal processing applications, ventilation systems, etc.
Another important improvement when compared to previous generations is the reduction of the noise level up to 8 dBA. 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.
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.
Up to now belt manufacturers hadn’t succeeded in placing a barcode on the back of a belt. The most important requirement for a barcode is that it is well legible for a scanner and this proved to difficult on a rubber surface. However, the development of new marking techniques has made the placement of barcodes on belts possible. For distributors this offers a substantial advantage since the costs and lead time for order processing in their warehouses is reduced.
For the production of the Quad-Power III belts the highest environmental standards are observed. Furthermore the belt construction is halogen-free. This has a positive effect on the cost of waste processing and prevents acid rain. Gates 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.
