The cost of energy in manufacturing has a major effect on overall cost of a product. In fact, energy cost is currently one of the main drivers in reshoring, the growing movement of bringing manufacturing operations back to the United States from offshore locations. By introducing energy efficient belt drives, you can implement a simple, cost-effective solution to achieve energy savings. Proper installation and maintenance combined with the latest drive belt technology can improve efficiency through reduced energy consumption and enhance drive performance.

Regular Maintenance – Synchronous and V Belt Drives

Proper Tensioning – One third of electric motors employed in industrial and commercial applications use belt drives. The majority of these drives use wrapped (fabric covered) V belts, relying on the friction between the belt and sheave groove to transmit power. Relatively inexpensive, wrapped V belts are designed to allow for limited slippage; intended to slip only in potentially problematic situations, this slippage prevents damage to expensive driven equipment by acting as a safety fuse. The belt can slip or break rather than damaging the more expensive driven unit.

But without frequent periodic maintenance, these belt drives tend to slip excessively during normal operation and result in reduced efficiency and increased operating costs. A correctly installed wrapped V belt drive can attain 95-98% efficiency soon after installation, rapidly declining to approximately 93% efficiency during the course of normal operation. Without continued periodic tensioning maintenance, efficiency will decrease even further and components will wear more quickly. Belt drive tensioning maintenance is often neglected due to higher maintenance priorities, meaning belt drives receive attention only when a belt finally breaks. This situation can be avoided by periodically monitoring the tension and adjusting if necessary, increasing the lifespan of belts and reducing the frequency of service interruptions.

Proven Energy Saving Solutions

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends replacing V belts with proven belt drive solutions, including cogged raw edge V belts and synchronous belts, as best practice for increasing belt drive energy efficiency. Upgrading from a wrapped V belt to a raw-edge cogged belt yields an average 2% increase in efficiency, a good return for a very low-cost investment. For new drives, using synchronous belts can provide an average 5% efficiency increase compared to V belts. While increases of 2–5% may seem insignificant, when considering the energy cost savings over multiple drives and longer running times, the savings soon become substantial. The following overview of the available belt options, as well as the pros and cons of each solution, is a useful guide for evaluating and selecting the best belt for the task.

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