NGF Hybrid cord provides strength in motion

An innovative hybrid cord from NGF EUROPE, part of Specialty Glass, has been launched on the market in the new high-performance Platinum drive belt from Spanish-based MegaRubber, part of Megadyne S.r.l.

The cord, containing a central strand of carbon fibre wrapped in outer strands of glass fibre, is an industry first and Megadyne have reported that belts containing the hybrid cord perform more than four times better than their existing high power Gold belt using a glass-only cord.

The cord’s exceptional strength and flexibility mean that drive belts can be made narrower – and Megadyne, who normally make belts for industrial machinery – are now supplying the Platinum belt for bicycles.

The hybrid cord was first developed at NGFE by Mitsuharu Akiyama, who has since returned to Japan to work in NSG Specialty Glass battery separator division. It took the applied effort of Development Technologist Craig Hayes to develop the production process machine that ‘plies’ the strands to make the finished cord.

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