Custom Timing Pulleys
& Synchronous Wheels

A timing pulley (also called a synchronous pulley, synchronous timing belt pulley, or synchronous wheel) is a toothed pulley that meshes with a toothed timing belt to transmit power with a fixed speed ratio and no slip. Unlike V-belt or flat-belt drives, a timing belt drive is synchronous — the speed ratio is determined precisely by the tooth count ratio. This makes the synchronous belt wheel ideal for positioning, indexing, and any application where shaft synchronisation matters.

GT2/GT3 (2GT/3GT) timing pulleys (Gates Tooth Profile): trapezoidal teeth with curved flanks — very smooth engagement, low noise, and high positional accuracy. The most popular GT2 timing belt pulley profile for robotics, 3D printers, and CNC machines. HTD (High Torque Drive): circular tooth root — the HTD high torque drive timing belt pulley carries more torque than GT2 for the same belt width, with slightly less positional accuracy. Preferred for high-load conveyor and industrial drives. HTD 3M, HTD 5M, HTD 8M, and HTD 14M timing pulleys cover light to heavy duty; 2GT, 3GT, and 5GT cover precision to moderate load.

HXC machines the full range of metric and inch pitch timing belt pulleys: HTD (3M, 5M, 8M, 14M), GT (GT2/2GT, GT3/3GT, GT5/5GT), AT (AT3, AT5, AT10, AT20), T (T2, T2.5, T5, T10), S (S3M, S5M, S8M), and the classic inch series — MXL, XL, L, and H. Both metric pitch and inch pitch timing belt pulleys are available, standard or non-standard custom. Tell us the belt profile, tooth count, and bore and we will confirm the correct synchronous timing pulley geometry.

HXC produces timing pulleys with: Pilot bore (finish-bore to your size in-house, in aluminum or pilot bore steel timing pulley form); Keyway bore (DIN 6885 keyed timing pulley for key and set-screw torque transmission); Set-screw bore (tapped radial hole for grub screw, light-duty low-cost assembly); Taper lock bore (timing pulley with taper lock bush for quick-release hub assemblies); Keyless / clamping bore (custom keyless timing belt pulley for backlash-free fitting); and D-shaped or large bore profiles for direct motor shaft fitting. Specify bore diameter, tolerance, and configuration when ordering.

Al 6061-T6 (anodized): the most common aluminum timing pulley — lightweight, inexpensive, good for most automation. Al 7075-T6: for high-load or weight-sensitive aerospace/robotics alloy timing pulleys. C45 / carbon steel (zinc plated or black oxide): for high-torque or high-tension drives, e.g. a carbon steel HTD 5M transmission timing belt pulley. SUS304/316 stainless steel timing pulleys: food, pharma, marine. POM (Delrin/acetal) and nylon: light-duty, low-noise, self-lubricating plastic timing pulleys. Polycarbonate: clear or light-load applications. PEEK: high-temperature or sterilizable medical applications.

Yes — a flanged timing pulley with one or two flanges keeps the belt tracking on the pulley face. HXC produces aluminum timing pulley with flanges, aluminum double flanged timing belt pulleys, and steel flanges press-fitted onto aluminium bodies on small pulleys. Flange diameter, thickness, and material are all specifiable. We also produce double timing pulleys (two tooth tracks on one hub, including double MXL timing pulley designs) for multi-belt drives, and self-tracking timing pulleys where belt guidance is built into the tooth form.

T5 is the standard trapezoidal 5 mm pitch profile — widely used in European industrial automation as a T5 timing belt pulley. AT5 (Advanced Technology) has a modified tooth form with improved tooth root radius, giving the AT5 timing pulley higher torque capacity and longer belt life than T5 at the same pitch. AT5 and T5 pulleys and belts are not interchangeable — always match the timing pulley tooth profile to the belt profile exactly. The same applies to AT10 vs T10 and AT3 vs T2.5. AT is preferred for new high torque designs; T5/T10 are used when replacing existing belt drives.

HXC's CNC timing pulleys achieve tooth pitch accuracy of ±0.02 mm and tooth runout (OD to bore TIR) of ≤ 0.03 mm. These meet or exceed standard catalogue timing belt pulley specifications. CMM pitch measurement is performed on a batch sample basis; tighter tolerances (±0.01 mm pitch, ≤ 0.01 mm runout) are available for servo timing pulley and precision T2.5 type applications at additional cost.

Aluminum timing pulleys are the default for most automation, robotics, and CNC machine applications: lightweight (reduces inertia), inexpensive, and adequate for most belt tensions and speeds. Steel timing pulleys are better when: belt tension is very high (heavy-duty or high-torque conveyor drive); the environment is abrasive (steel is more wear-resistant than anodized aluminium); or the bore is large relative to OD (a thin-wall aluminum pulley may not be strong enough). For the same application, a steel timing belt pulley is roughly 3× heavier and 1.5–2× more expensive than an aluminum equivalent. For corrosive or hygienic environments, a stainless steel timing belt pulley is the right choice.

HXC focuses on precision machining of custom timing belt pulleys. We do not manufacture belts — belts are sourced from Gates, Bando, Optibelt, and other belt manufacturers. We can advise on belt length calculation and recommend belt suppliers based on your application, but belts are supplied separately. For complete belt drive assemblies (pulley + belt kit), we recommend purchasing pulleys from HXC and belts from a specialist belt distributor with our pulley specifications.

Minimum pulley OD: approximately Ø10 mm — small and miniature timing pulleys such as GT2 16T or MXL 16T. Maximum pulley OD: approximately Ø400 mm — large diameter timing belt pulleys for HTD 8M and HTD 14M conveyor drives. Miniature pulleys below Ø15 mm require 5-axis milling rather than hobbing — lead time is slightly longer. Large timing pulleys above Ø200 mm are produced from steel or cast iron blanks with additional stress relief before machining to maintain dimensional stability.

Yes. HXC is a China timing pulley factory and custom timing belt pulley manufacturer supplying customers worldwide. As a CNC customized timing belt pulley manufacturer, we produce standard and non-standard custom timing pulleys, clamp-type high-torque timing pulleys, light-duty conveying timing belt pulleys, and metal, aluminum, steel, stainless and plastic timing pulleys — from MOQ 1 prototype to wholesale volume. Lead times: standard profiles (GT2, HTD 5M, AT5) in Al 6061 ship in 5–8 days for prototypes and 10–14 days for 500–2,000 pcs; steel and stainless add a few days; custom or very large pulleys take 12–18 days. Rush production is available on most standard profiles.