Gates, a manufacturer of highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions, is implementing a material transition within its PowerGrip HTD synchronous belt portfolio
As part of a running production change, standard chloroprene compounds used in HTD 8mm and 14mm pitch belts will be replaced with an advanced Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) compound.
The material update expands on the market success of the PowerGrip GT4 platform, where EPDM technology exhibited strong reliability and customer acceptance. Gates is standardising elastomer technology across its portfolio by extending EPDM across the standard HTD range manufactured globally.
The EPDM compound aligns with evolving customer expectations, material standards, and regulatory requirements. With this change, Gates 8M and 14M HTD belts are now static conductive in European ATEX environments. EPDM also provides enhanced temperature resistance, strong ageing stability, and excellent durability in demanding industrial environments. This update is limited to material composition only, with product dimensions, performance, part numbers, and product ordering remaining unchanged.
Heath Himstedt, global product line director, industrial synchronous drives at Gates, said, “Innovation at Gates is both building for what’s next and continuously looking at what we already make and asking whether we can do better. The PowerGrip HTD transition is a good example of that mindset. By applying the same advanced EPDM compound proven in our GT4 platform to an established product line, we are able to deliver broader application compatibility, better material choices and the same great performance to customers, with no disruption to how current customers specify or order them.”
