Smallest belt ever

    Jan. 24, 2008
    Engineers at Fenner Precision, Manheim, Pa., have a 60-mm circumference belt with a 1-mm pitch, the smallest belt they’ve ever made.

    The FHT-1 consists of polyurethane and withstands temperatures of –40 to 80°C (–40 to 176°F).

    Fenner Precision worked with Tensys Medical, Inc., a medical manufacturer in San Diego, to develop the belt for use in a blood-pressure monitor. The tiny belt lets motors and gears maintain precise positioning of a sensor above an artery.

    This 60-mm-circumference belt could have applications in oxygen pumps, insulin pumps, home dialysis, and prosthetics.

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