V Belt Drive

A typical V belt drive system will consist of a drive pulley, a driven pulley, and a belt. Some V belt drive systems also incorporate a tension system to facilitate in the correct tensioning of the belt. The belt could be a V belt, wedge belt, flat belt or multi-groove belt. The V belt drive system can consist of 1 or more belts. The most critical part of a V belt drive is the drive belt. Installation plays a major role in the lifetime and efficiency of the belt. Having a belt that is correctly tensioned will optimize the transmission of power and the efficiency of the V belt drive. If the belt is over tensioned, loss of the belts or reduction in efficiency will result. On the other hand, if the belt is under tensioned, the belt will slip resulting in power transmission and efficiency loss, wear on the pulleys and damage to the belt. Under tensioned belts also create more vibration in the V belt drive system which can have an adverse effect on bearings in the drive and driven machine. When installing belts onto a v belt drive system the belts should never be rolled onto the pulleys as this will damage the belt cords and reduce the amount of power that the belt can transmit. Allowance for belt installation should always be factored into the design of the v belt drive system.