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Types Of Belt Drives Used For Power Transmission and Industrial Application

Belt drives are called flexible machine elements. Flexible machine elements are used for a large number of industrial applications, some of them are as follows.

1. Used in conveying systems

Transportation of coal, mineral ores etc. over a long distance.

2. Used for transmission of power.

Mainly used for running of various industrial appliances using prime movers like electric motors, I.C. Engine etc.

3. Replacement of rigid type power transmission system.

A gear drive may be replaced by a belt transmission system

Flexible machine elements has got an inherent advantage that, it can absorb a good amount of shock and vibration. It can take care of some degree of misalignment between the driven and the driver machines and long distance power transmission, in comparison to other transmission systems, is possible. For all the above reasons flexible machine elements are widely used in industrial application.

Although we have some other flexible drives like rope drive, roller chain drives etc.

Types of belt drives:

According to power transmitted

1. Light drives:

These are used to transmit small power at belt speed up to about 10 m/s. It is usually used in agricultural machines and small machine tools.

2. Medium drives:

These are used to transmit medium power at belt speeds from 10 m/s to 22 m/s. It is used in machine tools.

3. Large drive:

These are used to transmit large power at belt speeds above 22 m/s. These are used in compressor, generator and heavy machinery.

According to the arrangement of belt:

1. Open belt drive:

These belt drive used with shaft s arranged parallel and rotating in same direction. In this drive the driver pulley pulls the belt from one side and delivery it to the other side. Thus the power is transmitted form driver pulley to driven pulley. The tension in the lower side of the belt is more than the upper side. So the lower side is known as tight side and upper side is known as slack side.

2. Crossed belt drive:

This belt drive is used when shafts are parallel to each other but rotating in opposite direction. In this case the driver pulls the belt form one side and delivers it the other side. In this drive tension is more on that side where driver pulls the belt, so this side is known as tight side and other is known as slack side.

3. Quarter turn belt drive:

This belt drive is also known as right angle belt drive. This drive is used when shafts arranged at right angles and rotating in one definite direction. To prevent the leaving the belt in this drive the width of face of pulley is 1.4 times greater that the width of belt.

A compound belt drive is used when power is transmitted on more than one shaft. In this arrangement power is transmitted form one shaft to another through a number of pulleys.

4. Compound belt drive:

Timing/toothed belts

Timing belts are toothed belts that use their teeth for power transmission, as opposed to friction. This configuration results in no slippage, and therefore, the driving and driven shafts remain synchronized. It’s more expensive to manufacture due to complexity of the belt and pulley shapes
.