Elevator tension member

A method of forming a tension member for an elevator system belt, comprising:

• arranging a plurality of fibers into a plurality of fiber bundles, the plurality of fibers extending parallel to and discontinuous along a length of the belt and having one or more lengthwise extending gaps between lengthwise extending fibers;
• bonding the plurality of fibers to a first polymer matrix;
• arranging the plurality of fiber bundles along a lengthwise direction of the belt, defining one or more lengthwise bundle gaps between adjacent fiber bundles in the lengthwise direction;
• stacking the plurality of fiber bundles in a thickness-wise direction defining a thickness-wise gap between thickness-wise adjacent layers of fiber bundles of the plurality of fiber bundles, relative to the belt thickness direction;
• and
• securing adjacent fiber bundles at the thickness-wise gap and the lengthwise gap with a second polymer matrix different than the first polymer matrix;
• wherein the plurality of discontinuous fibers of each fiber bundle are aligned with each other at least at one length end of the fiber bundle;
• wherein a first lengthwise bundle gap at a first thickness-wise layer of fiber bundles of the plurality of fiber bundles is offset in the lengthwise direction from a second lengthwise bundle gap at a second thickness-wise layer of fiber bundles of the plurality of fiber bundles;
• and
• wherein at least one fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles includes fibers of non-uniform sizes.