Urethane Flat Belt
Urethane Flat Belting
Urethane flat belting is a solid, elastic polyurethane belt that stretches to fit, used to drive boxes and totes on motor driven roller (MDR) conveyors without a tensioner. Its wide flat face puts far more surface in contact with the rollers than a round belt, which nearly eliminates slip and lets one belt power a long zone of rollers, even up an incline. Texas Belting cuts elastic flat belting endless to your width and length, in smooth or matte surface and several durometers, with same day shipping on stock belt from our Houston warehouse.
- Thicknesses: 0.031 to 0.125 in (0.8 to 3.2 mm)
- Widths: up to 34.5 in (876 mm)
- Durometers: 70A, 78A, 83A, 85A, 92A
- Length: endless, cut to your conveyor
- Surface: smooth or matte (higher grip)
- Colors: clear, black, orange
- Tracking: crowned rollers, sleeves, or V-guides
- Tensioner: none required, stretches to fit
- Inclines: to 16 degrees plain, 45 degrees cleated
- Stock belt: same day shipping from Houston
What Is Urethane Flat Belting?
Urethane flat belting, also called elastic flat belt or stretchy flat belt, is a monolithic polyurethane belt with a flat cross section. Like round belting, it is elastomeric, so it is made slightly shorter than the conveyor it runs on and stretched into place. The built in stretch provides running tension, which means no spring tensioners, take-ups, or adjustable idlers are needed.
What sets flat belting apart from round belting is contact area. A wide flat belt presses a large face against each roller, so slipping is virtually eliminated and the belt can transfer much more drive force. That lets one motor driven roller power a long zone of slave rollers, and because the belt flexes with very low bending loss, the conveyor runs efficiently on low power motorized rollers or pancake motors.
- No tensioners or take-ups, the belt provides its own tension
- Large contact area, slipping is virtually eliminated
- Moves heavier boxes than round belts on longer roller zones
- Low bending loss, energy efficient on low power MDRs
- Retrofits onto existing rollers, no roller change required
- Tracks with crowned rollers, sleeves, or fused V-guides, no V-belt back needed
- Food grade urethane and static dissipative options available
Flat Belting Specifications
Maximum belt width depends on thickness. Thinner belts are made very wide for light loads; thicker belts run narrower for heavier loads.
| Thickness | Maximum width | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 0.031 in (0.8 mm) | Up to 12 in (305 mm) | Light products, small parts, narrow zones |
| 0.063 in (1.6 mm) | Up to 34.5 in (876 mm) | General box and tote handling, wide belts |
| 0.094 in (2.4 mm) | Up to 18 in (457 mm) | Heavier loads and inclines |
| 0.125 in (3.2 mm) | Up to 18 in (457 mm) | Heaviest loads and cleated belts |
| Property | Range and Options |
|---|---|
| Length | Endless, cut and welded to your conveyor (typically any length above about 3.5 in) |
| Durometer (hardness) | 70A, 78A, 83A, 85A, 92A |
| Surface texture | Smooth (standard) or matte for higher grip on inclines and in dusty areas |
| Colors | Clear (0.031 and 0.063 in), black (0.063 in), orange (0.094 and 0.125 in) |
| Stretch | Low, for example a 0.063 in by 4 in belt is typically stretched about 3.3% |
| Tracking | Crowned rollers with tracking sleeves, or fused K6 V-guides |
| Food grade | FDA recognized urethane available; static dissipative version available |
| Inclines | To 16 degrees with matte surface; to 45 degrees with fused cleats |
How Elastic Flat Belts Track
Reinforced flat belts usually rely on a V-guide riding in a grooved pulley, but elastic flat belts track a different way. There are two proven methods, and you can mix them to suit the conveyor.
Crowned rollers with tracking sleeves
A tracking sleeve is a thin urethane sleeve that fits tightly over a roller, under the belt, to crown the roller. The slight crown centers the belt and keeps it from walking. Usually one set is installed on the drive roller, with the downstream sleeves aligned to the upstream sleeves. Sleeves come in sizes from about 0.031 in thick (92A) for belts up to 1.5 in wide, to 0.062 in thick (83A) for belts up to 34.5 in wide, in widths from 1/2 in up to roughly 80% of the belt width. You can use several narrow sleeves or two extra wide sleeves to make alignment easier.
Fused V-guides
For precise tracking, a V-guide can be fused to the underside of the belt. It eliminates the small bumps that sleeves create in the rollers and holds the belt firmly in oily or greasy areas where side forces could push a sleeve off. K6 V-guides are offered in 80A and 60A durometer, softer than the belt so they bend easily around the rollers without affecting belt stretch, and they seat in standard round grooves in 1.9 in or 50 mm rollers. Tell us where you want the guide located along the belt.
Flat Belting by Application
Motor driven roller (MDR) conveyor zones
This is the primary use for elastic flat belting. Because a wide belt grips so much roller surface, slip is virtually eliminated and a single motorized roller can drive a long zone, often 20 rollers or more. In practice the motor torque, not the belt, becomes the limit on zone length. Flat belts also retrofit cleanly onto existing rollers, so you can upgrade a zone without replacing rollers.
One layout detail matters: a motor driven roller does not have a through shaft, so belt tension pulling on one end can bow the MDR and run it on its bearing edges. To avoid that, place the MDR next to the last downstream roller and drive that downstream roller with two round belts or a short flat belt. Remember that any flat belt sags between rollers, so add support rollers underneath long spans to keep the belt off the cross members. We supply elastic flat belts and tracking sleeves for motorized roller conveyors built around rollers from suppliers such as Interroll, Itoh Denki, Holjeron, and Pulse Roller.
Inclines and declines
A matte surface raises the belt coefficient of friction and sheds dust, so plain elastic flat belts move boxes and padded envelopes on inclines or declines up to about 16 degrees. With short cleats fused to the belt, the same belts handle inclines or declines up to 45 degrees. Container surfaces vary, so test your actual cartons or envelopes at the intended weight and angle before committing to a large run.
Short and wide belts
Most flat belts must be longer than they are wide to track properly. Elastic flat belting is the exception: it tracks regardless of the length to width ratio, so it can run very short and wide, for example 34.5 in wide on 9 in roller centers. That makes it useful for transfers, merges, and short heavy duty sections where a conventional belt would wander.
Warehouse, distribution, and general transport
Elastic flat belts are a workhorse in distribution and fulfillment, moving cartons, totes, and parcels across motorized roller conveyor in receiving, sortation infeed, pick zones, and shipping. They are typically more economical than ribbed multi groove belts for the same zone, while still moving heavy loads at useful speeds.
Round Belt or Flat Belt for a Roller Conveyor?
Both are elastic, both stretch to fit, and both need no tensioner. The difference is contact area and load. Round belting is the lower cost choice for line shaft conveyors and standard powered roller zones. Flat belting moves heavier loads on longer zones because its wide face nearly eliminates slip.
| Factor | Round belting | Flat belting |
|---|---|---|
| Drive style | Line shaft and powered roller | Motor driven roller (MDR) zones |
| Roller contact | Small, sits in a groove | Large, wide belt face |
| Slip resistance | Limited by groove contact | Very high, slip virtually eliminated |
| Load and zone length | Light to medium per roller | Heavier loads, long zones (20 rollers or more) |
| Tracking | Seats in the groove | Crowned rollers, sleeves, or V-guides |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Low, below ribbed multi groove belts |
| Best for | Retrofits, curves, standard live roller | Heavy boxes, long zones, inclines |
Need the round version instead? See urethane round belting. If your application is friction driven conveying or accumulation that needs a reinforced, low stretch belt rather than an elastic one, see polyurethane flat belts (F1.0 to F6.0, steel and aramid reinforced).
Choosing the Right Flat Belt
- Thickness and width: match width to your rollers and load. Use a thin wide belt (0.031 to 0.063 in) for light to general loads; step up to 0.094 or 0.125 in for heavy boxes and inclines.
- Durometer: softer grades cushion and grip; harder grades carry more load and resist abrasion.
- Surface: smooth for flat runs; matte for inclines, declines, and dusty environments where you need extra grip.
- Tracking: tracking sleeves are simple and economical; fused V-guides give precise tracking and hold up in oily areas.
- Material: standard food grade urethane covers most lines; choose static dissipative for electronics and dusty zones, or ask about metal detectable and low temperature grades.
Give us the belt width, the roller centers or overall length, the load, and the incline angle if any, and we will size the belt, recommend a tracking method, and confirm the right surface and durometer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elastic urethane flat belting drives motor driven roller (MDR) conveyors, moving boxes, totes, and parcels across long roller zones and up inclines. Its wide face nearly eliminates slip, so one motorized roller can power many slave rollers without a tensioner.
Elastic flat belting is solid, monolithic urethane that stretches to fit and needs no tensioner, made for motorized roller conveyors. Reinforced polyurethane flat belts use steel or aramid tension members, stretch very little, and are friction driven and tensioned by adjusting center distance for accumulation and transport. For the reinforced type, see our polyurethane flat belts page. We stock both.
No. The belt is made slightly shorter than the conveyor and stretched into place, and that stretch supplies running tension. No spring tensioners, take-ups, or adjustable idlers are required, which is why elastic flat belts retrofit so easily.
Tracking sleeves slip over the rollers under the belt to crown them, which centers the belt and keeps it from walking. Square the conveyor frame and align the downstream sleeves with the upstream sleeves. For precise tracking, or in oily areas, a K6 V-guide can be fused to the underside of the belt instead.
Standard thicknesses are 0.031, 0.063, 0.094, and 0.125 in (0.8 to 3.2 mm). Maximum width depends on thickness: up to 12 in for 0.031 in, up to 34.5 in for 0.063 in, and up to 18 in for 0.094 and 0.125 in. Belts are cut endless to your length.
Yes. With a matte surface, plain elastic flat belts move boxes and padded envelopes on inclines or declines up to about 16 degrees. With short fused cleats, they handle up to 45 degrees. Because container surfaces differ, test your actual cartons at the intended weight and angle first.
Round belting is the lower cost choice for lighter loads and standard powered roller zones. Flat belting puts far more surface against the rollers, so it nearly eliminates slip and moves heavier boxes on longer zones. For lighter or retrofit jobs, see our urethane round belting page.
Standard elastic flat belting is available in FDA recognized urethane for food contact, and a static dissipative version is available for electronics and dusty environments. Tell us the line and the washdown chemistry and we will confirm the right grade.
Need Urethane Flat Belting?
Send your belt width, roller centers or length, load, and any incline angle. We cut elastic flat belting endless to your conveyor, recommend the tracking method, and ship stock belt the same day from Houston.