Specialist belts help student win Young Engineer prize

In May 2010, when Transdev published its story about the help that it had given to Andrew Cowan as the intermediate level winner of the National Science and Engineering Competition, nobody anticipated the success that the past year has brought him. With his impressive Search and Rescue Robot that features a traction system using Transdev's BRECOflex ATK10 series timing belts with special Linatex high-grip bonded backings, Andrew has now been awarded the senior level UK Young Engineer of the Year prize at this year's competition - and is the only competitor to have won a prize in every age category for three consecutive years.

Since Andrew received the intermediate level prize, he has refined and improved the robot's design and functionality by adding a water cannon, high-resolution camera, touchscreen sensor monitor and joysticks to control the robot and camera. In November 2010 Andrew was invited to exhibit his project at the ICT Education Show as a guest contributor to the Design and Technology Association's stand, having earlier won a British Science Association Crest Award, which requires more than 100 hours of project time linked with mentors from industry such as Transdev.

Now 18 years old and studying for an MEng in Electronic Engineering at Southampton University, Andrew topped his efforts in the 2011 Science and Engineering Competition finals at the Big Bang Fair in March with the senior level engineering prize after being shortlisted with five other candidates in a 'Dragons' Den' style presentation playoff to a celebrity judging panel. As the UK's new Young Engineer of the Year, Andrew will be an ambassador for engineering throughout the UK, encouraging and inspiring young people to pursue a career in engineering. Ian Osborne, Transdev's Chairman, comments: "Transdev are delighted to have been involved in helping Andrew with his thoroughly deserved award for the Search and Rescue Robot project and wish him continued success for his future career in engineering."

BRECOflex belts

With a central V-guide for guaranteed self-tracking, BRECOflex ATK 10 series polyurethane belts are used with low-profile flangeless pulleys that do not protrude above the belt line - which was an important design consideration for the Search and Rescue Robot's track transmission mechanism. These heavy-duty belts are part of the BRECOflex POWER range, featuring continuous helical tension members with 'S+Z' twist to further reduce belt run-off and provide superior resistance to the heavy side loads that the vehicle might experience. While the application is somewhat unusual, Transdev has supplied BRECOflex polyurethane belts in similar applications for film industry models; more common uses include high-speed conveyors and high-torque power transmission systems in both endless and jointed-belt versions.

Linatex natural rubber belt backing is one of several materials that Transdev supplies as an adhesive bonding across its wide range of polyurethane and rubber belts with toothed, vee or flat profiles. In addition to Linatex, which is most often selected for product conveying applications to restrict slippage, Transdev also manufactures adhesive-applied belt backings such as Supergrip that can provide a ribbed high-friction surface where an incline or diagonal conveyor is used. Bonded backings are also available to provide other surface characteristics including low-friction facings that allow slippage, as well as other materials that offer improved maximum resilience, increased lifetime with reduced belt wear rates.

A wide range of belt facing materials is also available using Transdev's in-house vulcanising process in which a high-vacuum autoclave process can offer even higher levels of durability, as well as a seam free bond for the face material and belt. The process is used for application areas to remove or significantly reduce any tendency for material delamination where fast reversals and high friction are apparent. Transdev also offers extensive in-house machining facilities to produce belts with flights, pockets, slots and holes for belt lengths up to 70m and widths to 600mm.

Contact Transdev for more information about specialist belts and pulleys.