Design Condition of Belts

Belt Materials
Potential Failure Modes
Design Process
BELT MATERIALS

Flat Made of urethane and rubber-impregnated fabric

reinforced with steel wire or nylon cords to take the
Belts tension load.

Tension cords of modern high-performance belts are

usually made of polyamide strips or polyester cords

One or both surfaces may have a friction surface

coating.
BELT MATERIALS

Made of fabric and cord and impregnated with rubber.

V-Belts

Cords are usually made of polyester cords or aramid

cords for V-ribbed (Poly-V) belts.

For high-capacity V-belts, cords are made of polyester,

fiberglass, or aramid fibers.
BELT MATERIALS

Made of rubberized fabric and steel wire.

Timing
Belts
Cords are usually made of fiberglass or steel strands.
POTENTIAL FAILURE MODES

Tensile Fatigue
 Belt is subjected to fluctuating tension forces as it passes
from the tight side to the slack side (cyclic tension).
Bending Fatigue
 Belt is subjected to cyclic bending as as it passes about
each of the pulleys.

Adhesive/Abrasive Wear

Corrosion
DESIGN PROCESS
DESIGN PROCESS

Define
Determine Calculate Select pulley
operating Select belt
service factor design power diameters
conditions

Apply power Determine Determine the

Select center Determine
correction allowable number of
distance belt length
factors power per belt belts
  Type of machine
DEFINE  Transmission power
OPERATING  Shaft speeds
CONDITIONS  Space, layout or other constraints such as environmental
conditions
  

Velocity Ratio
DEFINE
OPERATING
CONDITIONS
  

Wrap Angle
DEFINE
OPERATING
CONDITIONS
  

Slip Equation
DEFINE
OPERATING
CONDITIONS
  

Slip Equation (for low speeds)

DEFINE
OPERATING
CONDITIONS
  

Power and Torque

DEFINE
OPERATING
CONDITIONS
DETERMINE  Service factors are used to downrate the power transmission
SERVICE capability listed by belt suppliers to account for the differences
FACTOR between practical applications and test conditions.
 Type of Prime Mover
Soft starts.
Electric motors:
AC—star delta start,
DC—shunt wound.
Internal combustion Heavy starts.
(IC) engines with four Electric motors:
or more cylinders. AC—star delta start,
Prime movers fitted DC—shunt wound.
with centrifugal IC engines with less
clutches, dry or fluid than four cylinders.
couplings or electronic Prime movers not fitted
soft start drives. with soft start drives.
Duty (hours per day)
Types of driven machine <10 10–16 >16 <10 10–16 >16
Light duty, e.g. agitators 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.3

DETERMINE (uniform density), blowers,

exhausters and fans (up to
7.5kW), centrifugal

SERVICE compressors, rotodynamic

pumps, uniformly loaded belt
conveyors.

FACTOR Medium duty, e.g. agitators

(variable density) blowers
exhausters and fans (over
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4

7.5kW), rotary compressors

and pumps (other than
centrifugal), nonuniformly
loaded conveyors, generators,
machine tools, printing
machinery, sawmill machinery.
Heavy duty, e.g. brick 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 .16
machinery, bucket elevators,
reciprocating compressors and
pumps, heavy duty conveyors,
hoists, pulverisers, punches,
presses, quarry plant, textile
machinery.
Extra heavy duty, e.g. crushers. 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.8

After Fenner Power Transmission UK. Belt Drives Design Manual.

 CALCULATE  This is the product of the nominal power and the service factor.
DESIGN POWER
  The type of belt is selected and a belt is chosen from a
SELECT BELT
manufacturer’s rating chart.
SELECT BELT

Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd V-Belt Design Manual.

SELECT PULLEY  Pulleys are normally available in standard sizes. Choose the
DIAMETERS smallest sizes available such that the speed ratio is acceptable.
SELECT PULLEY
DIAMETERS

Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd V-Belt Design Manual.

SELECT CENTER  As a general guideline, the center distance should be greater than
DISTANCE the diameter of the larger pulley.
  The required belt length is calculated, and the standard belt
DETERMINE
length closest to the calculated value is selected. Other design
BELT LENGTH
parameters are adjusted to fit the selected belt size.
  

Length of Belt

DETERMINE BELT
LENGTH
DETERMINE BELT
LENGTH

Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd V-Belt Design Manual.

APPLY POWER  These are used to compensate for speed ratio and the belt
CORRECTION geometry and are provided within belt manufacturer’s design
FACTORS guides.
APPLY POWER
CORRECTION
FACTORS
Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd V-Belt Design Manual.
DETERMINE
ALLOWABLE  This is a function of the belt dimensions and is available from
POWER PER manufacturer’s design guides.
BELT
DETERMINE THE
 The number of belts is given by dividing the design power by the
NUMBER OF
allowable power per belt and rounding up to the nearest integer.
BELTS
DETERMINE THE
NUMBER OF
BELTS

Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd V-Belt Design Manual.