Buy Polychain GT Carbon Belts Online in Australia
Gates Polychain GT Carbon Belts
The Gates Polychain GT Carbon range is the benchmark for high-power synchronous belt drives in industrial applications — designed to replace roller chain in many drives while delivering longer service life, quieter operation, and lubrication-free running. AIMS Industrial supplies the standard-length Polychain GT Carbon belt range for industrial drives across mining, conveying, machine tool, and process industries.
What makes GT Carbon different
The "GT Carbon" designation refers to two key features: GT tooth geometry (the curvilinear tooth profile with high power-transmission capacity), and carbon-fibre tensile cords (significantly stiffer than aramid or polyester). Together, they produce a synchronous belt that handles industrial drive loads competitively with roller chain at the same drive width.
The pitch sizes we stock
- 8MGT — 8mm pitch, for fractional-power through medium-power industrial drives
- 14MGT — 14mm pitch, the workhorse for heavy-duty industrial drives
- Various widths — sized to match the power requirement of the drive (wider belts handle more power)
Belt designation explained
A typical Polychain GT Carbon designation looks like 14MGT-1610-37 — that's the pitch (14MGT), the pitch length in millimetres (1610), and the belt width in millimetres (37). All three numbers must match the drive specification — substituting a different length or width is rarely workable without redesigning the drive.
Why workshop and maintenance teams choose Polychain
- Quieter operation — significantly quieter than equivalent roller chain
- Lubrication-free — no oil to apply, manage, or contain
- Lower maintenance — no chain stretch, no link wear, no fragmentation in service
- Cleaner — no oil film on surrounding equipment, no debris from chain wear
- Longer life — properly specified Polychain drives often outlast multiple chain replacements
Drive specification — getting it right
Polychain GT Carbon performance depends on the entire drive being specified correctly: the belt, the pulleys (which must be Polychain-specific tooth profile), the centre distance (within the design range), the tensioning system, and the alignment of the drive components. A single wrong specification — incorrect pulley profile, oversized pulley diameter, misalignment — and the belt's life is dramatically reduced. For new drive design, work from Gates' design data; for replacements, match exactly to the existing belt and pulley specifications.
Pulley alignment — the make-or-break
Synchronous belts are unforgiving of misalignment. A few millimetres of pulley misalignment translates into edge-loaded teeth, cord stress, and premature failure. Use a laser alignment tool or a straight-edge to confirm pulley alignment is true before installing the belt; check periodically in service. The belt's tracking should be straight and stable — visible drift toward one edge is the symptom of misalignment.
Tensioning
Use the manufacturer's belt tension specification and verify with a frequency tension meter. Hand-tension testing is unreliable on Polychain belts — the carbon cords are stiff enough that traditional deflection tests don't translate to the actual tension. A frequency meter measures the belt's natural vibration frequency and converts to tension; it's the right tool for synchronous belt tensioning.
Need help with belt selection, drive specification, or cross-reference from existing chain drives? contact our team — we'll work through the application.
Available in Australia and New Zealand
This range ships across Australia from our Milperra (Sydney) warehouse — typically 1-3 business days for in-stock items. New Zealand customers: contact our team for freight quote — typically 5-7 business days via air freight to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Trade and B2B accounts available on application both sides of the Tasman.