2024-07-30
Synchronous Belts vs. V-Belts
The prevalent types of power transmission drive components used in industrial applications today include chains, gears and belts. From large rock crushers to tiny sewing machines, the variety of applications is wide. Selecting the best type of drive for a particular application is key to providing optimal performance. While the range of applications with belts in the distant past was limited by their horsepower capacity, continuous development has resulted in products that today can compete with metal components such as gears and chains in very high torque and horsepower applications. Belts also offer the added feature of acting as a "safety fuse" in the drive system. In a peak torque or drive blockage situation, the belt (often the least expensive component of the drive) will break, sacrificing itself rather than the breakage of much more expensive components (shafts, etc.) in the system.