Learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of belt drives compared to gear drives in this article.
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Compared to a gear drive, a belt drive can be used to bridge greater distances between two shafts in a simpler way. Chain drives also offer this advantage and are therefore used for bicycles where a relatively large distance has to be covered between pedal and rear wheel.
Frictionally operating belts such as flat belts or V-belts also offer a natural overload function. In contrast to gear drives, overload simply causes the belt to slip through (sliding slip). This protects the transmission from major damage. In the worst case, only the belt needs to be replaced and not the entire gears and shafts as in the case of a damaged gear drive.
Another advantage of belt drives is the elasticity of the belts compared to rigid gears. This offers good damping characteristics (shock absorption), especially in the case of sudden torque changes. This is why belt drives are used, for example, in grinding plants or stone crushers. The starting and stopping behaviour is also damped accordingly and is not as jerky as with rigid gear drives. Note, however, that a high elasticity of the belt also results in increased elastic slip. Belts can therefore not be made too elastic, but neither can they be designed too inelastic, as otherwise the positive shock absorption properties would be missing.
An additional advantage of belt drives over gear drives is their insensitivity to angular misalignment as long as the axes continue to run in a parallel plane to each other. In many cases, such a misalignment is even deliberate. This makes it easy to redirect the direction of rotation. If the axis of the output shaft is turned by 180° and the belt is crossed, the original direction of rotation can easily be reversed. In contrast to an open belt drive, this is also referred to as a crossed belt drive.
Belt drives do not have to be lubricated in comparison to gear drives. This reduces maintenance costs accordingly. Belt drives also have lower noise emissions than gear drives, since no metallic teeth engage but only relatively soft, elastic belts drive the pulleys. This enables the transmission of high rotational speeds.
In addition, pulleys are usually not complete solid wheels, as is often the case with gears. Pulleys usually have recesses to reduce weight and manufacturing costs. As a result, belt drives are generally lighter than comparable gear drives.
However, the above-mentioned advantages of belt drives are also countered by disadvantages. Depending on the ambient conditions, belts are subject to more or less severe ageing phenomena, i.e. they lose their elastic properties over time and must be replaced. For this reason, belts can only be used within a certain temperature range. In addition, over time the belts become plastically stretched, so that they have to be re-tensioned at regular intervals.
Another disadvantage of some belt types such as flat belts or V-belts is the associated slip, which reduces the efficiency of the transmission accordingly. Slippage can only be prevented with timing belts due to the positive force transmission.
In some cases, the increased space requirement of a belt drive compared to a gear drive can also have a disadvantage. This is due to the fact that the belt pulleys cannot be placed directly against each other, while the toothed wheels of gear drives can even mesh with each other and thus be set up in a more space-saving manner. In addition, the wrap angle decreases with decreasing centre distance, so that wrapping can become unacceptably small. Although this can be compensated by idler pulley, it not only increases the design effort but may also increase the required space again.
While gear drives and belt drives may be fairly straightforward on the surface, they're actually far more versatile than most people give them credit for. In terms of what they have in common, they're both intended to be used with either multiple gears or a pulley and belt system. This is, however, where those similarities end.
Durability. Size. Power. Even the amount of noise generated during operation varies and all of these factors need to influence your decision of which option to go with for your next big application.
Belt drives are designed with a rectangular-shaped cross-section. They sit on top of a flat pulley during operation. A belt drive is made up of just two pulleys - one driving and one driven. Here, the pulleys only transfer energy. The belt is what receives and makes use of all transmitted power. They're commonly found in not only compressors, but also certain types of fans, sawmills, water pumps, and more.
Maybe the biggest benefit that comes with using a belt drive is that they are inherently flexible. If you want to change the outcome of the drive, all you need to do is change the installed belt type.
Do you need to increase the torque? Using a timing belt. Do you need to increase the speed? Use a V-belt.
Due to the way that they're designed, the belts used in a belt drive are also optimized for endurance. This means that they can run for far longer distances than you might otherwise expect. The belts are also inexpensive and (relatively) easy to replace.
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Finally, know that belt drives absorb a lot of noise, which makes them much quieter than gear drives during routine operation.
Some people find that a major issue with belt drives is that they create a lot of extra friction during operation. This isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but it does result in energy loss - making them the far less energy efficient of the two options.
It should be noted that this extra friction also prevents belts from reaching higher speeds. Depending on the application you have in mind this might not matter, but it should still be noted.
Finally, know that the belts used in belt drives can occasionally slip off of the pulley they're attached to. This will result in downtime until the issue is fixed and things can resume to normal working order again.
Unlike with belt drives, the gear system itself - which is made up of two wheels with a tooth-like structure - creates energy directly. Gear drives are most commonly found in not only vehicle transmission systems, but wheel differentials as well. They are also present in a lot of marine equipment and, of course, gear motors.
The major advantage of a gear drive system is that it is efficient in more ways than one. They tend to be smaller than their counterparts, which is a great way to save space in smaller applications. They're also highly energy efficient as well.
Another major benefit of gear drive systems is that you don't have to worry about issues like belt slippage. While this won't necessarily be a concern in a general sense, it's still a big part of the reason why gear drives are typically considered to be safer than their belt-driven alternatives. Depending on the application you have in mind, this may be a top consideration.
With regard to durability and longevity, gear drives usually last far longer than belt drives in particular. There are fewer moving parts, thus there are fewer points of failure to concern yourself with. If maximizing the total cost of ownership of a drive is one of your top priorities, gear drives would be the clear winner to that end.
Beyond that, gear drives also have a significant advantage in terms of their overall power output. They offer more torque and with that comes more power. The gears themselves create less friction than alternatives during operation, which lets them accelerate to much higher speeds far faster than belt drives.
None of this is to say that gear drives are "perfect," because nothing meets that descriptor. Gear drives tend to be slightly more expensive than belt drives. They also require more maintenance in that regular lubrication is not a recommendation, but a requirement.
Gear drives may have a smaller footprint, but they're also heavier than belt drives. This has the potential to weigh down any machine that they're installed in.
Gear drives also create more vibration and thus noise during operation. There is only so much you can do to mitigate this because of their design. Finally, you have a lot less flexibility with gear drives than you do with belt drives. If you can't fit two gears close enough together to operate, you can't use a gear drive - end of story.
As always, the decision of whether to use a belt drive or a gear drive will come down to the application you have in mind. In some situations, you have the freedom to prioritize certain benefits like durability or quiet operation. In others, the decision will largely be made for you. But don't worry - at Illinois Pulley & Gear, we're here to help.
We've earned our reputation over the years as a reliable and trustworthy gear manufacturer and we'll work directly with you to understand your needs. Will help make sure that your options are clear so that you can rest easy knowing that you're making the right decision for your business.
If you'd like to find out more information about choosing a gear drive vs belt drive for your next big application, or if you have any additional questions that you'd like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don't hesitate to contact the Illinois Pulley & Gear team today.
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