A Century and a Half of Innovation
TB Wood’s Inc. was founded in 1857 as a foundry producing wood burning stoves. The company’s tradition of product innovation began early as Wood’s entered the power transmission industry at the turn of the 20th century with the introduction of flat belted drives and line shafting. This development was a natural extension of its expanding foundry operations. Today, the TB Wood’s ISO 9001 certified foundry utilizes state-of-the-art channel furnaces and molding machines to produce gray and ductile iron commercial castings up to 10,000 pounds per cast part.
A Legacy of Successful Product Development
Since the introduction of V-belt drive systems in the 1930s, Wood’s has been a leading innovator in belted drives. In 1945, Wood’s introduced the quick detachable (“QD”) bushing system. In the early 1950s the company launched lines of variable speed pulleys and synchronous timing belt drive systems. Wood's developed and patented its Sure-Flex® couplings line in 1957, quickly capturing a significant segment of the elastomeric coupling market.
In 1968, Wood’s introduced a line of DC controls which was eventually sold, enabling the company to continue its strategic focus on its core electro-mechanical power transmission business. In the 70s, Wood’s, in an alliance with Uniroyal, began manufacturing and marketing high torque drives and synchronous belted drive systems which replaced a substantial number of chain sprocket systems in a variety of industries.
During the 1990s, Wood’s strengthened its tradition as a recognized innovator of power transmission products. Two new synchronous drives were introduced in 1992. In 1993, a strategic acquisition positioned TB Wood’s as the market leader in mechanical variable speed drives and complemented its strong coupling line with the Form-Flex® metallic disc offering. The award-winning Dura-Flex® elastomeric coupling line that combines the advantages of bonded and shear into one product was introduced in 1996.
New Frontiers
In April 2007, Wood’s was purchased by Altra Holdings, Inc. This beneficial acquisition positioned TB Wood’s as part of a larger company with complementary power transmission products to help grow its business. Transitioning from a privately held company to become part of company listed on NASDAQ, TB Wood’s has entered an ever-changing frontier with endless possibilities.
The TB Wood’s name is virtually synonymous with power transmission products. With hundreds of catalogued sheave types and sizes and some of the industry’s most popular couplings, Wood’s has become the No.1 producer in each of its mechanical product categories. With a brand name that is recognized for exceptional product quality and global end-user service, the company continuously builds on its significant market position for an even stronger future.