2024-07-08
Guide to V-Belt Selection and Replacement
V-belts look like relatively benign and simple pieces of equipment. They're basically a glorified rubber band, right? Need a replacement? Just measure the top width and circumference, find another belt with the same dimensions, and slap it on the drive. There's only one problem: that approach is about as wrong as you can get.Like their synchronous belt cousins, V-belts have undergone tremendous technological development since their invention by John Gates in 1917. New synthetic rubber compounds, cover materials, construction methods, tensile cord advancements, and cross-section profiles have led to an often confusing array of V-belts that are highly application specific and deliver vastly different levels of performance.In this article we'll review some V-belt basics to help you make better sense of which belt to use in a given application to make your belt drives last longer, run more efficiently, and save you downtime and money.