Buying guide

Open-End Timing Belt by the Metre: When and How to Use It

An open-end belt is cut to length, ideal for gantries and linear axes where a closed loop will not fit.

An open-end (open-ended) timing belt is sold by the metre or in a full reel. You cut it to length and fix both ends, so it works where a closed loop cannot be installed.

Typical uses

• Gantries and linear axes on CNC routers, laser cutters and large 3D printers.
• Belt-driven sliders and automation stages with long travel.
• Prototypes where the final length is not known yet.

What you need

The belt, two pulleys (drive and idler) and a way to hold both ends: belt clamps or a clamp plate that grips the teeth. Choose a width and profile (GT2, HTD 3M, HTD 5M) to match your pulleys, and allow extra length for the clamps and for tensioning.

The whole reel is sold as one continuous length; a metre quantity is cut from a reel.

See also: tensioning · choosing a pulley · all products