Eliminate Belt problems

1. Improper tension

Belts require very little maintenance. However, all belt types must be properly tensioned initially.
Additionally, V-belts should be rechecked periodically (no more than three to six months).

Synchronous belts require correct tensioning when installed, but then only need occasional monitoring
because they have a tensile cord that doesn't stretch over time like a V-belt does.

When troubleshooting for improper V-belt tension, make sure the drive is turned off and locked down, and
then look for glazed or hardened belt sidewalls that indicate the belt is slipping in the drive. Improperly
tensioned synchronous belts will have unusually heavy wear on the fabric tooth surface.

The calculated tension range at which belts should be installed depends on the drive components, and the
load and speed of the drive. The belt manufacturer's recommendations should be followed to determine the
calculated installation tension values. Due to system inefficiencies, belt drives are often carrying far less load
than they were selected to carry. A calculated tension that is based on the motor nameplate horsepower may
higher than what is required of the real load being carried. The ideal tension for a V-belt drive is the lowest
tension at which the belt will not slip at the highest load condition.

For synchronous belts, ideal tension is the lowest tension that properly seats the belt in the driveN sprocket
on the slack side. Ideal tension for both types of belt will result in the best belt life and lowest bearing loads
for a given power transmission application.

Several tools can be used for accurate tensioning. These include a pencil-type spring force tension gauge that
measures static belt tension by indicating force at a specified deflection of the belt span.

Sophisticated electronic sonic tension meters work on the theory that a belt vibrates at a particular frequency
based on its mass and span length. To test the tension, simply strum the belt to set it vibrating, and the
meter records the resulting oscillating sound wave.

For newly installed and tensioned V-belts, a run-in procedure is recommended. This process consists of
starting the drive, letting it run under full load and then stopping, checking and retensioning to the
recommended values. Running belts under full load allows them to seat themselves into the grooves. Once
properly installed, synchronous belts rarely need retensioning.

Overall, Oman says, proper belt tensioning will eliminate 90 per cent of belt failure problems.

2. Misalignment

When installing a belt, always check for sheave or pulley misalignment. Oman has observed that a
misaligned V-belt sheave will cause excessive belt wear on the sidewalls, instability and belt turnover.
Similarly, misaligned pulleys will wear synchronous belt teeth unevenly across the belt, as well as overload
the tensile cords at the edge of the belt. Improper alignment also can create objectionable belt noise.

The alignment of the drive should be checked both before and after belt tensioning, since belt tensioning can
possibly move some components, he advises.

Place a straightedge such as a straight board, straight piece of aluminum or steel stock, or string pulled taut,
along the outside face of both pulleys. Misalignment will show up as a gap between the outside face and the
straightedge. Pulleys and shafts can be checked for tilting with a bubble level.

Pulley misalignment may result from the motor shaft and driveN machine shafts not being parallel, the
pulleys not being properly located on the shafts, and the pulleys being tilted due to improper mounting.

As a general rule, sheave alignment on V-belt drives should be less than 1/2° or 1/10-in. per foot of drive
centre distance. Alignment for synchronous belts should be controlled to within 1/4° or 1/16-in. per foot of
drive centre distance.
3. Handling

Power transmission engineers regularly see examples of mishandling that can contribute to premature belt
failure. Here are some of the problems:

a) When installing new belts, never use force or pry them on sheaves or pulleys. This could break the internal
cord reinforcement or damage the outside of the belt. Rather, reduce the centre distance on the drive or
release the idler to relieve the tension. If necessary, remove one of the pulleys to install the belt. After the
new belts have been installed and tensioned, rotate the drive by hand for a few revolutions, and re-check the
tension. If necessary, adjust the tension and secure the motor mounting bolts to the recommended torque
values.

b) Never crimp (bend the belts below their minimum recommended diameter) or twist belts. This, too, could
damage the internal cord reinforcement.

c) With proper storage, rubber belts have a shelf life of eight years. Store belts in a cool area with no direct
sunlight, at temperatures less than 85°F and at a relative humidity below 70 per cent. If the belts are
packaged individually in their own boxes, they should be stored in their original shipping cartons. V-belts may
be stored by hanging them on properly designed belt racks or hooks. Synchronous belts should be stored on
their sides on shelves. Belts can be damaged by coiling them too tightly or by bending them sharply. Don't
allow them to become contaminated by oil, grease or other chemicals. Also, keep belts away from ozone
sources such as arc welders and other electrical equipment or motors.

4. Hardware

A common misperception is that metal sheaves and sprockets never wear out. Gates application engineers
report that a significant percentage of the belt drive problems they investigate can be traced to something
wrong with a metal component. A sure sign of sheave wear is abnormal belt wear, and belt service life that
progressively worsens with each belt that is installed. Most sheave wear is due to abrasion caused by
airborne particulate matter in the vicinity of the drive. The abrasive material can range from sand to iron ore
dust. Oman says he has seen talcum powder and PVC dust totally destroy drives that were not protected
properly.

It is important that belt drives be protected from abrasive damage by using adequate drive guards. Keep
drive guards clear for proper ventilation and clean pulley grooves to remove the build-up of dust, grime, rust
or other foreign materials.

5. Environmental factors

Certain environmental factors must be considered when drive-performance does not meet expectations.
These include high or low temperature extremes, dust and grime, chemical vapours, lubricants and cutting
fluids. Harsh weather, high humidity and sunlight exposure also can decrease drive performance. Check for
foreign material that has become trapped in the lands and grooves of a synchronous sprocket.

If rubber dust from a belt drive or lubricants from a roller chain drive in a food processing operation are
causing contamination problems, Oman recommends installing a polyurethane synchronous drive system
with stainless steel pulleys. This combination is clean running and is not affected by caustic cleaning
solutions. Polyurethane synchronous belts are much more resilient to potential damage that could be caused
by lubricants or cutting fluids.

6. Design factors

Finally, drives must be properly designed and built to last. In addition to determining the best size and
number of belts to use, the plant engineer must consider other drive-design factors.

For example, pulleys must be manufactured according to industry-accepted tolerances. Belt guards must be
designed for adequate drive protection, yet provide ventilation. Structural members of the drive, including
framework, motor mounts, machine pads, etc., must be heavy-duty components that are properly sized to
carry the load. Drives should be designed for minimal vibration and also for ease of maintenance and
inspection.

A defective drive component is rarely the cause of a drive problem. If you have eliminated other possible
causes and feel that you do have a defective part, contact your belt or pulley distributor or supplier to verify
your concern and correct the problem.

Before sending a defective or worn component to the manufacturer, Oman offers one last piece of advice.
Invest in a digital camera with a close-up lens, and email the "evidence" to the manufacturer's product
application staff.
Oman relates, "Although we do extensive phone interviews with customers, when troubleshooting, we often
get answers that the customer wants us to hear. But, if the customer is looking at the failed drive component,
and we are viewing a digital image, we have two sets of eyes looking at the same problem, and more often
than not the answer will be immediately obvious."

Brent Oman, general market group manager in the power transmission product application department of
Gates Corporation, Denver, Col., helped prepare this article exclusively for the readers of Machinery &
Equipment MRO.

For other belts, see Belt.

Timing belt

Timing covers, lower pulley, accessory belts removed, exposing timing belt

A timing belt, timing chain or cam belt is a part of an internal combustion engine
that controls the timing of the engine's valves. Some engines, like the flat-4 engine
used in the VW Beetle, use timing gears. The term "timing belt" is also used for the
more general case of any flat belt with integral teeth. Such belts are used for power
transmission or to interchange rotary motion and linear motion, where either high
loads or maintaining a specific drive ratio are important. A common non-automotive
application is in linear positioning systems. Such belts have also been used in efforts
to make a cleaner, lower-maintenance bicycle transmission, but have never become
popular in this application.

http://www.maintenanceworld.com/Articles/mro/eliminate-belt-problems.htm
 Properties of Belt Drives -

Flat Belts, V-Belts, Tooth Belts

This section describes the general properties of V-belt and Toothbelt transmission
systems, and provides a detailed explanation of PRELOAD, a necessary component
of all types of belt drives.

BELT DRIVE BASICS

In order for a belt drive to operate properly, the residual tension in the "loose" span
(the non-driving span) of the belt can never be allowed to get near zero (unlike a chain
drive, where the "loose" span can actually be loose.). That requirement is
accomplished by establishing a static "preload" on the belt. The term "preload" means
the establishment of a static tension value in all the spans of the belt.

For V-belt drives, preload maintains the contact force between the belt and the
surface of the pulley grooves so that friction can transmit the power. For toothbelt
drives, preload maintains the correct contact pattern between the belt teeth and
sprocket grooves. The preload for V-belt drives is usually greater than that required
for toothbelt drives.

Any belt will stretch when a load is applied to it, although the amount of stretch is
usually very small. The amount of force to produce a specified stretch is known as the
belt modulus.

The static preload in the system stretches each span (spring) of the belt equally, as
illustrated in the picture below.
The amount of preload required in a belt drive depends on a number of factors,
including:

1. the maximum amount of torque which the drive must transmit;

2. the diameter of the driving sprocket (pulley);
3. the minimum arc of contact between the belt and sprockets ("wrap");
4. the properties of the belt.

Preload can be established by means of adjusting the centerline distance between

shafts (shimming) or by using an idler which imposes a side load on the "loose" span.

Everyone is probably familiar with establishing preload on an automotive fan-belt

system by wedging on the pivoting alternator and locking it in place with the slotted
locator arm. You are also probably familiar with the result of not having enough
preload in the drive: the belt will slip and squeal under high load. That happens
frequently with power steering belts when you turn the steering wheel up against one
of the stops.

When torque is applied to the driving sprocket (pulley) of a belt drive, one span of the
belt gets tighter and stretches slightly in response to the additional load applied by the
driving torque. At the same time, the load in the loose span reduces by the same
amount, and the loose span shortens by the same amount the tight side stretched.

Clearly then, the tension in the tight (driving) span becomes greater than the preload,
and conversely, the tension in the loose span becomes less than the preload. This
behavior is illustrated in the picture below.
When a belt drive is operating and transmitting power, the amount of force being
transmitted from the driving sprocket (pulley) to the driven sprocket (pulley) is the
difference between the tension in the " tight" (driving) span of the belt and the
tension in the "loose" (following) span of the belt.

NOTE that the sum of the tight and loose strand tensions is always the same, which
means that the bearing loads and shaft bending load caused by a belt drive will be
essentially constant, regardless of the torque being transmitted. (Only the angle of
application changes with applied torque).

The value of the tension in the tight (driving) span is the sum of two values: (a) the
"driving tension" plus (b) the existing "loose-side" tension, as shown above. The
"driving tension" is the tension in the tight span produced by the torque applied to the
driving sprocket (pulley), and has the value:

Driving Tension = applied drive torque / drive sprocket pitch radius

For example, a torque of 2760 lb-in (230 lb-ft) applied to a sprocket of 2.155 pitch
radius (4.311 pitch diameter) produces a driving tension of 1281 pounds (2760 /
2.155). If a smaller diameter driving sprocket is used, say 1.705 pitch radius (3.409
pitch diameter) then the driving tension increases to 1620 pounds (2760 / 1.705).

The amount of preload which a belt drive requires is specified by a value known as
"tension ratio" (TR), which is expressed as:

TR = Tight-Side Tension / Loose-Side Tension

Knowing that Tight-Side Tension is the sum of the Driving Tension plus the Loose-
Side Tension, that equation can be rewritten as:

TR = (drive tension + loose-side tension) / loose-side tension

or (by means of some high-school algebra)

TR = 1 + (drive tension / loose-side tension)

Rearranging that equation produces the more useful form:

Loose-side tension = Drive-tension / (TR - 1)

The value of the preload can be measured by applying a side force to one span and
measuring the force required to deflect the belt a specified amount. Note that the side-
load force you apply at midspan is NOT the preload. The force required to produce
the specified deflection just a rough measure of the belt preload.

The force and deflection values used to measure preload are a function of the
"springiness" of the belt and the length of the span, and can be calculated from data
provided by belt manufacturers.

V-BELT DRIVES

The transmission of force from a pulley to a V-belt (and the inverse) depends on
friction between the belt and the pulley. The friction force between the belt and the
pulley depends on three factors:

1. the normal force between the belt and the pulley (that is, the force which is
perpendicular to the side surface of the groove),
2. the coefficient of friction between the belt and the pulley, and
3. the arc of contact between the belt and the pulley.

You already know (explained in Force and Friction) that the frictional force between
two objects is the product of the coefficient of friction and the normal force. The
coefficient of friction is independent of the shape of the belt, but the normal force
between the belt and sides of the pulley sheave depends on:

1. the included angle between the sheave sides, and

2. the tension on the belt.

Because of the wedging action between the belt and the pulley, the normal force is a
significant multiple of the belt tension.

In order for the system to transmit the required torque, the belt(s) must be wedged into
the groove(s) tightly enough to transmit the applied force.

In order to achieve the necessary wedging, it is necessary to apply a static preload to

the drive system. The required preload is calculated from three factors:

1. the maximum torque to be transmitted by the drive,

2. the minimum arc of contact, and
3. the pitchline velocity of the belt(s) (to account for the effect of centrifugal force,
which reduces the wedging effect).
Belt manufacturers recommend that the tension ratio for a system with 180° of contact
on each sheave should be no tighter than 5:1 (when a new belt has been installed) and
no looser than 8:1 (after the belt has run-in).

If the arc of contact on any load-transmitting pulley in the system is less than 180°,
then the required tension ratio decreases, which means more preload.

TOOTH-BELT DRIVES

Preload in a toothed-belt system is required in order to keep the teeth from attempting
to climb up the sides of the grooves in the sprockets, and, in extreme cases, from
jumping ("ratcheting") under the most severe loading conditions.

In a static (non-moving) toothed-belt drive, the tension force in each span of the belt
is equal, and is determined by the required preload. The required preload is
determined by four factors:

1. the number of teeth engaged on the driving sprocket,

2. the pitch diameter of the driving sprocket,
3. the maximum torque to be transmitted by the drive, and
4. the recommended tension ratio.

If the preload of a toothbelt is slightly less than required, the teeth will try to climb the
sides of the grooves at high torque loadings, which leads to (a) rapid wear of the belt,
and (b) very high shaft bending loads (higher than if the preload were correct).

Belt manufacturers recommend that the tension ratio for a system with more than a
defined minimum number of teeth in contact on the smallest sprocket should be in the
range of 8:1 to 10:1 (after the belt has run-in).

The curved-tooth profile allows good surface area contact between these belts and
pulleys, giving you high torque capacity, a strong grip, and quiet operation. All are
interchangeable with HTD (high torque drive) and Power Grip GT belts and pulleys.
The 5 mm pitch belts and pulleys are also interchangeable with HPPD (high
.performance power drive) belts and pulleys
Belts— All are black. 5 mm pitch belts are synthetic rubber with Kevlar cords. 8
.mm pitch belts are neoprene rubber with fiberglass cords
Pulleys— Unless otherwise indicated, use these pulleys with quick-disconnect
.(QD) bushings (sold separately, see page 1027). All are steel
Belt Pulley