Latest MICRO-V Belts Reduce Drive Bending Losses

Press Release Summary:

The MICRO-V Belts are designed for engine accessory drive systems and meet SAE J2432 specification for accessory drive belts. The material compounds and product design used in MICRO-V belts reduces belt weight by an average of 15% and bending stiffness by 35%. The design enhancements enable tighter pulley configurations and minimize CO2 emissions and heat generation.


Original Press Release:

Gates Introduces New Platform of MICRO-V® Belts

Next generation belts designed to meet performance requirements of multiple market segments; EXTEND™ series for emerging markets launching in Q4 2018

DENVER, Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gates (NYSE: GTES), a leading global provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions, today announced the launch of a new platform of belts for engine accessory drive systems.

The next generation platform leverages Gates' materials science and process engineering capabilities to deliver improved product performance tailored for specific market segments. The combination of newly developed material compounds and product design reduces belt weight by an average of 15% and results in approximately 35% lower bending stiffness. These improvements enable tighter pulley configurations and reduced drive bending losses by up to 30% as compared to existing belt technologies; lower losses result in reduced energy consumption, CO2 emissions and heat generation.

Gates belts, including this new platform, are validated to the latest industry standards including the SAE J2432 specification for accessory drive belts, and are put through extensive field trials to confirm performance in real-world conditions. The advanced processes developed to manufacture this product portfolio reduce manufacturing waste and enable use of elastomers which are more environmentally-friendly than the chlorinated compounds frequently used in belt constructions. 

"The launch of our new platform of MICRO-V® belts broadens our power transmission portfolio and positions us for additional growth in the replacement market," said Tom Pitstick, CMO and senior vice president of Product Line Management for Gates. "This product launch is another example of our engineering, product management and commercial teams working with our customers to develop application-specific products, and of our commitment to continually bring new innovations to the market. Perhaps most importantly, this new platform will help our channel partners support their customers' needs and further strengthen the partnerships we have built over many years."

The first family of products from this new MICRO-V® platform is the EXTEND™ series which is specifically designed to meet the performance requirements of customers in emerging markets where the population of vehicles that are in or are entering into the traditional maintenance cycle is growing rapidly. It is launching in Q4 2018 and will be available in a variety of sizes to cover a wide portfolio of vehicles in operation within these markets.

Additional MICRO-V® products based off the same platform and manufacturing capability, but with performance levels targeted for at developed markets, as well as heavy-duty and first-fit applications, will be launched throughout 2019.

About Gates

Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers and to original equipment ("first-fit") manufacturers as specified components. Gates participates in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Gates products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets ranging from harsh and hazardous industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and energy, to everyday consumer applications such as printers, power washers, automatic doors and vacuum cleaners, and virtually every form of transportation. Gates products are sold in 128 countries across four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Greater China; and East Asia and India. More about Gates can be found at www.gates.com.

CONTACT: Ani Vattano, Ani.vattano@gates.com, 303.744.4821

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