{"id":12821,"date":"2022-02-08T16:36:41","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T14:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/?p=12821"},"modified":"2024-12-16T11:41:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T09:41:38","slug":"belt-drives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/belt-drives\/","title":{"rendered":"Belt Drives & Types of Belts"},"content":{"rendered":"

A belt drive is one of the most popular types of power transmission methods<\/a> besides gears, chain drives, shaft couplings<\/a> and lead screws. The use of these highly efficient mechanical drives is increasing with every passing year.<\/p>\n

Due to the many advances in belt technology, they are now able to meet high-power demands while being extremely safe, efficient and durable. In this article, we shall take a detailed look at the different types of modern belt drives and belt types.<\/p>\n

What Is a Belt Drive?<\/h2>\n

A belt drive is a frictional drive that transmits power between two or more shafts using pulleys and an elastic belt.<\/strong> In most cases, it is powered by friction but it may also be a positive drive. It can operate at wide ranges of speed and power requirements. It is also highly efficient.<\/p>\n

When it comes to cost, a belt drive is considerably cheaper than gear and chain drives<\/a>. It costs less to install as well as maintain. Belt drive sheaves or pulleys undergo little wear compared to chain drive sprockets over extended periods of use.<\/p>\n

Contrary to most chain and gear drives, a belt drive can handle some degree of misalignment. Correct alignment, however, increases service life. Excessive misalignment is responsible for issues such as improper belt tracking, uneven pulley wear, noisy operation and belt edge wear. The intensity of these issues is directly proportional to the belt’s width.<\/p>\n

Belt tracking refers to the belt’s ability to be centrally located on the pulley and not shift to either side when in operation. Crowned pulleys can alleviate belt tracking issues.<\/p>\n

It is also worth noting that a belt drive usually reduces shaft speed. For this reason, the driving pulley is usually smaller than the driven pulley. This provides a greater wrap angle on the driven pulley which is beneficial in friction-based drives. Designers may also use an idler pulley to increase the wrap angle and to maintain the recommended belt tension.<\/p>\n

Belt Tension and Slack<\/h2>\n

The belt is subjected to tension when the driving pulley pulls it. This belt tension, in addition to the static belt tension, is responsible for the transfer of mechanical force. High belt tension prevents heat buildup, slippage and alignment problems as there is little to no relative motion between the belt and the pulleys.<\/p>\n

On the other side, the driving pulley pushes the belt away towards the driven pulley. This causes slacking of the belt. Thus, a belt drive sets up fluctuating loads in the belt. If these loads are not considered in the design process<\/a>, premature belt failure can occur. Fatigue is responsible for more belt failures than any other issue.<\/p>\n

It is easy to identify the slack side from the side under tension. Whichever side of the belt approaches the driving pulley is under tension. The other side is the slack side.<\/p>\n

Types of Belt Drives<\/h2>\n

As discussed above, belt drives today are capable of handling a wide range of speeds and power transmission needs. This has prompted further R&D, providing us with an array of different belt drive designs. All engineers should be familiar with the different types to facilitate an informed choice when selecting a belt drive for their application.<\/p>\n

We can classify belt drives into seven main types, these are:<\/p>\n