Continental has revised its complete variable speed belts portfolio for agricultural applications and is bringing it to the spare parts market with improved quality. In the future, Continental will manufacture products for the spare parts market from the high-performance material ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), which is currently used primarily by original equipment manufacturers.
“We have been working closely with agricultural machinery manufacturers for a long time,” says Alexander Behmann, application engineer at Continental. “We use this original equipment knowledge to offer farmers high-quality, state-of-the-art products in the spare parts market as well. After all, the demands on components and efficiency are constantly increasing.”
Agricultural machines such as combine harvesters or tractors are becoming increasingly complex and place high demands on the components in the powertrain – including the variable speed belts. These ensure reliable power transmission and drive either the threshing drum or the rotors or even both in combine harvesters from various manufacturers. They thus perform the main task of a combine harvester, even under extreme conditions such as dirt, dust, humidity, heat and cold. This is where the modern material EPDM comes into its own: It has a 50° Celsius higher temperature resistance than comparable products. This ensures maximum flexibility over the entire loop time, making the belt even more durable, efficient and reliable.
Special machines are required to produce EPDM products. Continental has therefore installed a corresponding manufacturing plant at its Hanover-Vahrenwald location. The plant is already in operation and mainly produces drive components for agricultural applications.
Dealers can order the belts from Continental from the storage facility.The new EPDM wide variable speed belts for the European, Middle Eastern and African markets will be available from autumn 2020.
