When power needs to be transferred from one shaft to another, pulleys that rotate at the same speed or at a different speed are utilized in belt drives.
It is made up of two pulleys that have an infinite belt running through them. Because of the frictional grip that the belt has on the pulley surface, mechanical power or rotary motion is transferred from the driving pulley to the driven pulley.
The part of the belt with less tension is referred to as the loose side, and the part with more tension is referred to as the tight side. The difference in tension between the slack and driven pulleys determines the effective pulling power of the belt that rotates the driven pulley.
There is occasionally a chance for some sliding to occur in a correas de transmisión, which would result in the driven pulley rotating at a slower speed and less effectively transmitting power. Belt drives are therefore considered to be a negative form of power transmission technology.
Why are belt drives used?
To achieve the desired motion and work, it is necessary to transmit the available energy or power. Mechanical power transmission, also known as a drive, is the process of transferring power from an input to an output using mechanical components. Power transmission involves the employment of mechanical components such as friction discs, various belt kinds, ropes, chains, gears, couplings, etc.
Flexible drives are all drives that have an intermediary flexible part between the driver and driven shafts. This category includes belt, chain, and rope drives because there are flexible components like these between the driven and driver shafts. On the other hand, the rigid drive is defined as the connection of the driven and driving shafts by two rigid bodies. There is no intermediary flexible element included in this. This group includes drives with gears.
The following variables affect the power transmitted:
- How quickly the belt is moving.
- The amount of pressure put on the pulleys by the belt.
- Contact arc between a small pulley and a belt.
- Circumstances under which belts are worn.
Materials used in Belts: When selecting a material for a belt, it should have the following characteristics:
- It should be adaptable.
- It needs to be dependable and robust.
- High tensile stress can be withstood by the material.
- More heat resistance is possible.
- Low weight in relation to length.
- There is a lot of friction between the belt and the pulley.
- It should have great wear and fatigue resistance.