With car manufacturers increasingly looking to reduce space requirements and weight on their latest compact engines, OE component suppliers are having to come up with ingenious solutions to help achieve them achieve this. Gates has used its expertise in the field of drive systems to help produce an engine with the latest hot oil belt technology that has a footprint no larger than an A4 sheet of paper.

Gates has been manufacturing hot oil belt drives for industrial application since the early 1990’s and has used this experience to refine this technology for automotive engines, driving both camshaft, crankshaft and oil pump drives, replacing the traditional chain drive systems. Gates now works in close cooperation with the automotive OE manufacturers on various projects and has an impressive track record of success.

In 2008, Ford altered their crank to fuel pump design on the 1.8 Litre Common Rail diesel engine from a chain and sprocket to a belt in oil system.  Since then, this has been followed by further crank/cam applications at Ford on their 1.0 three cylinder Eco boost engine, PSA 3 cylinder EB series engine and also applications driving oil pumps on VW 1.6 & 2.0 Litre TDI common rail diesel engines.

Gates’ latest hot oil wet belt construction exceeds the durability of current known hot oil market application serial production belt. The belt has to withstand a continuous assault by all the different types of oils and additives that can be used in engines in a wide range of operating conditions, temperatures and different environments all over the world. The properties of the belts must be able to withstand the worst case scenario. A mapping exercise has therefore been devised looking at all chemicals and composition changes that happen in engine oil throughout its life and how they effect on belt materials and physical properties.

All of the materials in Gates hot oil belts are tested at elevated temperatures up to +1500C for set periods of time. The belts properties are then measured and rated to understand the damage caused on the belt sub components. The worst chemicals at different concentration levels have then been utilised in dynamic rigs where Gates tests to validate its system component against OE prescriptions.

These tests ensure that Gates latest hot oil wet belt systems can fully meet the needs of new compact engines. The same advanced technology is also utilised in replacement components available in the Gates aftermarket range.