Before we start comparing companies, Bamco wants to state that all of these options are GREAT for tube winding applications. With that being said, we need to cover some basics when it comes to tube winder belts. There are multiple attributes that are crucial to tube winding and they are:

High abrasion resistance

Long service life
Anti-static
Non-marking
The ability to run on a small roller
Twist and tear resistance
Proper grip for paper conveyance

The belts being compared in this article all represent these attributes despite having factors that make them very different from each other. Some brands are just stronger in certain attributes than others. They also vary greatly on lead times and pricing.

Customers also need to keep in mind that tube winding is a very precise process and needs a precise belt to match. Esband recommends the belt be 5-7mm narrower than the final paper web. They calculate the length of the belt using the following formula: (2E)+D+F.

D is the circumference of the drum
F is the circumference of the tube being wound
E is the distance between the centers of the two drums

We, at Bamco, think that this a great way to get a proper belt for your machine. We always want to remind our customers that the mandrel of the tube winder is the biggest determinant of the thickness of the belt. is Nitta’s zeroseam is a little different in getting measurements and we will cover that later.

Nitta

At Bamco, we love Nitta and have been doing business with them for decades. For normal tube winders, they usually recommend their Polybelt series. A prime example of this is their H-750 belt. This is a 3-6mm thick, twist resistant belt. The Polybelt consists of a nylon core with blue, non-marking rubber on either side. These covers can range from 0.9-2.4mm thick. These belts are joined together using a skive splice and is NOT endless like some of the other options. These belts are made in America and have a drastically quicker lead time than some of the other options. These belts generally have an operating temperature of -20 to 60 degrees Celsius.

Nitta also has a belt line called the zeroseam. This is very similar to their SEB line of belting. Where the Polybelt is made for several different paper and power transmission applications, the zeroseam is MEANT for tube winders. The goal of this belt is to provide even contact pressure against the mandrel and the paper. This prevents uneven elongation, over tensioning, and uneven abrasion while ensuring low load, long belt life, and less power consumption. These belts can be installed on a small mandrel with a hard twist within short distance. This is due the seamless construction unlike the polybelt. The zeroseam has a construction seen below that gives it a reversable design. Maximum width on the belt is 280mm and the maximum length is 5000mm. One downside of the zeroseam belt are that they have long lead times due to lack of large production. Another downside is that they require more measurements than the Esband measuring approach. However, this is our job as a distributer and our outside salespeople will be happy to do it for you.

ESBAND

The great thing about Esband is how customizable their belts are. There are a variety of tension members and cover combinations can be used to assemble a belt that fits your needs. No matter what combination you pick, all of these items are FDA approved. Like the zeroseam, these belts apply constant pressure and are suitable for small rollers. There are two endless tension members that are used; polyester and Kevlar. Being endless gives these belts the benefit of no thickening at adhesion points. Kevlar will always be stronger than polyester, however, the tear strengths are as follows:

Polyester at 1.3-3mm belt thickness can withstand 120kg/cm of belt width
Polyester at 4-5mm belt thickness can withstand 250kg/cm of belt width
Polyester at 8mm or more belt thickness can withstand 375 kg/cm of belt width
Kevlar will be 500 kg/cm of belt width

Esband has several options when it comes to coatings. The two main coatings are PVC and TPU. Both options have the ability to have hardness rating that range from 35-90 A Shore. These shore hardnesses can also be combined into several variations. All options are non-directional, homogenous throughout, have no splice points, resistant to oil/grease/adhesives, and are customizable for different constructions. These belts have operating temperatures that range from -10 to 80 degrees Celsius.

Some downsides of these belts are that, for one, their customizability may lead to long lead times. On top of that, majority of products are made in Germany. This may lead to products having higher tariffs than American made belts.

Rainbow

It would be crazy for us to not discuss one of the biggest players in the tube winder industry. They have been active in the tube winding game for 25 years so it is safe to say that they know what they are doing. Rainbow provides truly endless cord belts that are coated in a rubber that is designed for spiral winding. The cord prevents elongation through its tensile strength and the rubber is antistatic and non-marking. Despite these belts being made overseas by another company, Rainbow has an extensive stock domestically in the United States. The product lines are as follows:

· Heavy Duty Covered Edge- Mono cord with extremely high tensile strength and low elongation. The rubber cover is highly abrasive and has an excellent grip. The rubber comes in black or white options. The HD is 7/16” thick while the standard duty is only 5/16” thick.

· Standard Duty Cut Edge Construction- These belts have a Kevlar fabric tension member that has high tensile strength, low elongation, and is very flexible. The 5/16” rubber cover has good abrasion resistance and grip. It comes in black and white.

· Consumer Duty Cut Edge Construction- These belts come with a mono cord that has a high tensile strength and is meant for small diameter tube. The only coating available for these belts are the 3/16” non-marking white abrasive rubber.

· PVC Winding Belt- These belts have a high tensile strength and are meant for small diameter tubes. We could not find any. Information about what the tension member is made of. The cover is a non-marking PVC that comes in ¼” and 5/32” options.

Conclusion

Like we said in the intro, All of these belts will get the job done efficiently. You just have to decide between other factors such as cost, lead time, operating temperature, and other small factors that differentiate these belts. If you have any questions, feel free to call out sales department.