Gates, a global provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions, now offers its customers a range of modular hoses in the aftermarket industry. Over the past six months, Gates has introduced more than 200 hoses to its product line. These new hoses expand Gates’ catalog coverage which helps automotive replacement channel partners meet market demands as cooling systems shift towards modular hose assemblies.
“As technology advances to more complex designs, Gates’ modular hoses are the ideal solution to support modern internal combustion engine, hybrid, and electric vehicle applications because of the diversity of products and options for customization,” said Dave Miller, vice president of aftermarket global product line management of Gates. “… Our extensive product coverage means we are ready and able to serve the upcoming replacement cycle for these products.”
As propulsion technologies become more complex with hybridization, electrification, and the increasing use of turbochargers, cooling systems have become more complex as well. Modular hoses address this complexity by routing cooling fluid around the vehicle to the various systems that require cooling. Moreover, quick connecting modular systems reduce time and labor in the assembly process allowing for more efficient production and simplified replacement in the aftermarket. Electronic sensors have also been added to Gates’ modular hoses allowing data to be collected and stored in the car’s computer to improve vehicle performance and reliability.
“In addition to our continued investment in materials science and process engineering, our recent acquisition of Rapro in Turkey confirms our commitment for future growth in this product line and has given us the opportunity to grow our new product capabilities,” Miller said. “We have already launched over 1,200 variations for the European market, and we are staffing up to accelerate new product introductions to address upcoming shifts in the vehicle mix such as electric vehicle applications.”
Gates’ modular hoses meet rigorous OEM performance specifications and are duplicates of the OEM parts, including clamping, shielding, and connecting necessary components to give an exact fit replacement for the customers and partners. Gates modular hoses are currently available in the U.S. and Europe, with plans to launch in China next month and South America and India later this year.
