Mulco PU timing belts used in a glass bending plant

Lightness, transparency and a high degree of aesthetics encourage an increasing number of architects and building owners to bend glass in an amount of different stylish forms which is only limited by the material itself.

Almost seamless, it lends entrance areas and claddings of buildings this futuristic and expressive style. The enthusiasts of the "New Transparency" do not even stop when it comes to large revolving glass doors of complicated design. As a consequence, the glass industry faces growing demands in terms of building glass flexibility.

In turn, the machines designed to bend float glass in any radius with all its problematic facets, place increasingly high demands on drive and controls. Here, the BRECOFLEX® polyurethane timing belt type T10 has found its ideal application and has been performing well for some time in a glass bending plant.

At the time of the design of this glass bending plant, the designers followed the basic thought that flat glass can only be bent into any desired radius, if the drive runs absolutely uniformly, jerk-free and at a continuously transmitted high torque.

Temperature deviations occurring between the pane leading and trailing edge should be compensated by corresponding corrections of shape and the bending process rolling outside in, to ensure that not only the external areas of the pane make full surface contact, but also the edges are carefully treated and possible waviness is avoided. Bending rollers running smoothly on the pane, when seen in a cross section, such was the designers' idea of a solution. Working in this manner would avoid any slipping of the panes on the rollers during the bending process from the very beginning. No question that the panes were to be carefully guided into the bending area on a flat roller conveyor.

Power requirement: P = 2.2 kW at nmax. = 200 rpm. This particular field of application favoured polyurethane timing belts rather than the alternative chain or angular drives, not only for cost reasons.

No less than 30 rollers have to be synchronously driven in the flat roller conveyor of the glass bending plant. Also the very compact design and the small centre spacings of the transport rollers posed a problem, although not an unsurmountable one. The solution currently in use today involving the BRECOFLEX® timing belt T 10 is based on a transport zone subdivided in 3 sections which are also driven by a BRECOFFLEX® timing belt T 10.

Advantages: simpler handling, lower elongation under load and a smaller pre-tension path.


Also this glass bending plant with its high requirements is an example of the many applications of SYNCHROFLEX®, BRECO® and BRECOFLEX® polyurethane timing belts.

These timing belts can only be purchased from the member companies of Mulco-Europe EWIV. A range almost uncomparable to any other with regard to number of products, quality and high technological standard, covers almost any application in power transmission.

The possibilities of use and design of polyurethane timing belts live up to the versatility and complexity of designers' ideas. The example of the glass bending plant presented here is only one of the many possibilities the use of polyurethane timing belts allows.

All those who co-operate with the members of Mulco-Europe EWIV rely on the know-how gathered throughout decades, on the knowledge of novel problem solutions and the technical advance resulting from continued product development.

The high quality standard gives the developers security, knowing that Mulco is the OEM of almost all renowned manufacturers. Users and developers alike almost always make use of the high consultancy standard during the planning phase prior to starting a design, another proof of the group's competency.


Mulco - Europe EWIV