New modular type ATN timing belt

Flexibility being one of its high standards

With their brand name products BRECO® and BRECOFLEX® BRECO Antriebstechnik Breher GmbH & Co., one of the most innovative manufacturers in timing belt technology and member of Mulco-Europe EWIV, has always been one of the top names in this line of industry.

The name of the latest BRECO development is ATN. A product which impressively shows the possibilities of further design development of a product which has been proven several million times.

The ATN, specially developed for use in conveying applications, offers an unrivalled flexibility compared to other flight fastening methods such as welding. The secret of this flexibility resides in the flight being replaceably fastened in the belt tooth. Now it is possible to use one and the same timing belt for the transport of different products merely by replacing the type of flights. To do so, awkward dismantling and equipping with different welded flights is no longer required.

With BRECO a dominating factor for the development of the ATN was the combination of the unsurpassed polyurethane material properties used for the belt body and steel tension members with a detachable flight fastening method in the belt tooth, in order to allow for the replacement of the type of flights fitted.

The result is the " ATN modular system " consisting of the timing belt as a carrier and a fastening system for replaceable flights, the design and mechanical features of which represent an innovative yet simple solution.

And there are more great advantages of the ATN series:

• Use of different flight materials
• Variable flight pitches
• High flight position precision in relation to the timing belt
• Now designers are able to carry out quick tests and trial runs with varying types of flights. No new PU timing belt has to be produced for this purposes, with all the effort this takes in the tool and mould shop.
• ATN lowers development costs through the time factor because tested designs ready for use can be obtained much quicker.

ATN - its special features

The ATN is based on the material composition proven millions of times in practice, which has given BRECO's PU timing belts their reputation. Instead of the different types of flights being permanently welded on, each tooth of the belts currently available in the dimensions ATN 10, ATN 12,7 and ATN 20, and all coming in four widths, has up to 4 width dependent almost oval cut-outs, which are initially factory closed with a 0.2 mm thick PU skin to prevent dirt particles from falling through.

Easily and simply opened using a punching tool available as an accessory, fastening elements made of polyamide or brass, depending on the individual application, are inserted in these cut-outs and the corresponding flights then screw fastened. Polyamide is ideally suited for small or low dynamic loads and at room temperature. Brass is used for medium and high loads and low temperatures.

ATN offers a multitude of advantages over conventionally welded on flight solutions. BRECO and Mulco-Europe EWIV are convinced that this belt will conquer further shares of the market. First reactions from the conveying technology and automation industries are more than positive, they highlight above all the cost advantages resulting from a high degree of availability and the variability of the ATN 10, ATN 12,7 and ATN 20 standard belts.

This cost/benefit calculation also shows the effect of the short downtimes during a flight change in relation to the machine running time, as the belt no longer needs to be dismantled, and the minimised trial run costs due to the exchangeability of the flights as part of the development phase. BRECO talk of cost advantage figures in the two digit range.

For the user and developer, the newly developed ATN belt puts an end to time consuming trial runs with repeatedly new PU timing belt versions with welded-on flights. The 'trial and error' phase is now replaced by the ideal solution of a quick test series with definite results and easily changeable parameters. With their ATN 12,7, an imperial tooth version, BRECO enters a field so far dominated by the chain.

Here it will be interesting to observe in how far the innovative ATN will make inundations into the market shares of the "classical" drive, becoming a genuine alternative with all its known advantages.

Due to the fact that PU timing belts can be conveniently held in stock, the possible number of flight-related solutions will in the future only be limited by the creativity of the designer. BRECO understanding its role as an idea generator, is opening up many new fields of application in transport technology and automation with their ATN innovation.

Hanover, February 2001
Mulco - Europe EWIV