Reducing Maintgenance Costs

Belt drives can have many hidden costs if not properly maintained. We should always want to reduce our overall service and maintenance costs. This does mean spending the least amount of time possible when replacing or servicing a drive. Unexpected breakdowns and early belt failures cost big money. Today's high performance drives require accurate alignment and tension in order to achieve maximum life. 

• Tension - Belts must have sufficient tension to transmit the peak power delivered by the drive. Any slipping will turn electricity into heat, which will travel into bearings. This heat will cause the belt to deteriorate. Slipping also causes unnecessary abrasive wear on belts and pulleys. 
  
• Alignment - Belts must be aligned to perform most efficiently. Any misalignment will cause the belt to rub or slip into the edge of the pulley, essentially causing the same heat and wear issues as tension. Severely misaligned drives will cause the belt to jump off the pulleys during changes in loading.
• Pulley Wear - Pulleys should be inspected any time a drive is serviced. Wear on the pulley sidewalls will make them curved ("dishing"). This causes uneven contact with the belt and can cause early belt failure.

Spending the time up front to install and service belts properly will pay dividends in avoiding unplanned and unnecessary downtime. High-performance v-belts can last 5 years on properly designed and installed drives.