120 years of Continental drive belts

From steam engine to HyperPodX

Andreas Mühlbauer, 10.10.2019, 12:55

120 years of Continental drive belts

Continental has significantly shaped the history of the drive belt and thus the progress of the industry. The registration of the Continental brand for drive belts dates back to 1899. It all began with a simple V-belt. Since then, the company has been developing and producing belts that provide drive in almost every industry.

Images

The Synchrochain Carbon powers the HyperPodX, which was developed by students on the cooperative Engineering Physics course at Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences and the University of Oldenburg. © Continental

150 years ago, steam engines powered looms and spinning wheels. The energy was transmitted by leather belts. At the beginning of the 20th century, the V-belt with connecting lock, which was produced by Continental from a rubber compound, set new standards for the transmission of rotary motion. Its predecessor, the flat belt, could only transmit around a third of the power with the same width. The belts had to be able to transmit more and more power and be as space-saving, robust and easy to use as possible.

The V-belt with connecting lock set technical standards for the transmission of rotary motion as early as the beginning of the 20th century. © Continental

In the 1950s, the company produced polyurethane timing belts. With a steel cord tension member, they were even more efficient and could maintain a more constant belt tension. With their teeth, they were form-fit and precise. Higher rotational speeds and smaller installation spaces were therefore possible.

Flat belts from Continental already proved to be a reliable drive solution in agriculture in the 1950s. © Continental

In the 80s, V-belts could be manufactured without a fabric cover. This made them even narrower and more powerful at the same time. A type of toothing improved their ability to bend. Timing belts underwent a similar development.

The positive-locking, open-flank Conti FO/Z V-belt from 1982 was able to transfer significantly more load than its predecessors. © Continental

Today, the focus has shifted to improving materials and combining them: fiber-reinforced mixtures, EPDM, aramid tensile cords and, later, carbon. The latter stretches only minimally even under high tensile loads. The company now has more than 18,000 dimensions and designs in its portfolio. Last but not least, Continental 's belts provide valuable support for Hyperloop technology, which experts see as a revolutionary approach to mobility. Students at the Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences and the University of Oldenburg, for example, used a Synchrochain Carbon from Continental for a Hyperloop project. With the Synchroforce Carbon, Continental also launched its first oil-resistant rubber timing belt on the market.

The latest development is belts with integrated sensors for condition monitoring.

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