What kind of “magic” can the successful development of PU herringbone timing belts hold?
Guangzhou Yonghang Transmission Belt’s answer is to crack open a brand-new $1 billion market.
Over the past two days, Yang Junliang, General Manager of Yonghang Company, has been keeping a close eye on the production workshop. His focus isn’t on the rubber timing belts whose annual output could circle the equator six times, but rather on a small order worth only tens of thousands of dollars.
“This is a trial order from an Italian client—500 pc PU herringbone timing belts. This customer once looked down on our products, yet now they’ve proactively reached out, specifically requesting samples to take back for testing.”
Test order for PU Herringbone Timing Belt
In April 2025, the PU Herringbone Timing Belt from Yonghang was first unveiled at the Hannover Messe in Germany. Following this debut, trial orders poured in rapidly, exceeding 100 within just three months. The majority of these orders came from entirely new, top-tier customers worldwide.
Yonghang Synchronous Belt has always specialized in small-batch, multi-variety orders. This batch of trial orders marked a significant breakthrough, as the company not only shattered international market monopolies but also quickly penetrated the world’s most advanced synchronous belt application fields.
Yang Junliang acknowledged that to transition from being a domestic leader to an internationally first-class company, and to move from mid-to-low-end markets to the high-end segment, Yonghang was precisely in need of such a “key opportunity.”
Herringbone Timing Belt，why are they so “magical”?
The story begins two years ago.
Since its founding, Yonghang Synchronous Belt has devoted all its energy to the research, development, and manufacturing of synchronous belts. Starting in 2023, the more Yang Junliang delved into the field, the more he recognized the limitations of conventional synchronous belts.
Conventional belts typically feature trapezoidal or curved teeth. Trapezoidal belts offer simple construction but suffer from lower transmission precision and higher noise levels. Curved-tooth belts, while significantly improving transmission accuracy and load capacity, remain constrained by their shape. No matter how materials were upgraded or parameters adjusted, conventional belts could not achieve more efficient and smoother power transmission.
What should I do? Should I switch to a herringbone pattern?
herringbone teeth, named for their distinctive “人” configuration, transform the contact surface of meshing transmission from parallel contact to inclined contact. This design not only eliminates axial sliding forces and enhances the meshing precision between synchronous pulleys and belts but also increases radial load capacity, boosts load-bearing strength, and reduces noise compared to other synchronous belts of the same specifications.
Currently, herringbone timing belts primarily serve high-precision, compact transmission equipment, representing the international cutting edge in synchronous belt design and manufacturing. The market size stands at $1 billion.
However, China has yet to achieve independent R&D capabilities, leaving most domestic enterprises to watch this market with frustration.
Development Process of the herringboneTiming Belt
Without equipment, molds, or manufacturing processes—not even design parameters—we had only a few sample parts sourced from the market. Yet we were confident we could develop China’s first herringbone synchronous belt. Yang Junliang assembled the company’s elite talent in material R&D, tooth profile design, process engineering, and testing verification, and they sprang into action.
The first prototype belt design failed due to incorrect tooth profiles and asymmetry—back to the drawing board. The second sample broke during production and couldn’t be demolded—back to the drawing board. The third version’s test data fell short of sample specifications—back to the drawing board. The fourth synchronous belt didn’t mesh tightly enough with the gear—back to the drawing board…
Time and again, the team revisited the process. For the synchronous belt formula alone, they made over a hundred adjustments.
“Linear transmission versus oblique meshing—different shapes alter both force application and transmission points. It’s like how varying ratios of flour, yeast, and water, along with differing kneading, fermentation, and steaming times, yield bun textures that differ in countless ways,” explained Yang Junliang.
Yonghang team achieved significant breakthroughs in low-temperature brittleness resistance, high-temperature creep resistance, and wear resistance by specially modifying the polyurethane substrate, introducing novel reinforcing fibers and wear-resistant additives, and simultaneously optimizing the manufacturing process.
Simultaneously developed were herringbone gears.
Finally, in early 2025, Yonghang’s synchronous belts showcased their capabilities to the global market with a complete herringbone gear transmission system. Compared to conventional models, this system reduces vibration by 20%, increases transmission power by 50%, and reduces system weight by over 15%.
This month, trial orders for the herringbone synchronous belts will begin shipping. Whether integrated into high-end precision transmission equipment or new energy machinery, these belts are poised to make a significant impact.
Insights from Industry Experts in China
Yonghang’s ascent into the high-end market hinges on technological breakthroughs driving precision marketing. Its success stems not from low pricing or economies of scale, but from addressing industry pain points to create differentiated advantages. This innovation serves as the golden key unlocking doors to international premium clients.
Yonghang’s approach—meeting premium demands with disruptive technology, complemented by targeted channel exposure and flexible trial order strategies—offers SMEs an effective pathway to break international monopolies and win top-tier clients. Technology is the “1,” while marketing strategy is the “0s” that follow. Only their integration maximizes value.
