The high bearing load when using flat belts can be significantly reduced by using V belts. The wedge-shaped cross-section leads to high frictional forces on the flanks due to the “wedge effect”. Therefore, only relatively low preload forces are necessary to generate the required frictional forces for power transmission. Accordingly, the bearing load is also significantly reduced.

Conversely, with the same pretensioning forces, much higher torques can be transmitted when using V belts instead of flat belts. To further increase the power transmission, two or more V-belts can also be arranged parallel to each other.

The so-called groove angle α is 38° or 32°, depending on the pulley diameter, whereby the belt only has contact with the pulley on the inclined flanks. The V belt must therefore not touch the groove bottom, as the contact force must only come about by the flanks. Otherwise there would be no wedge effect! For the same radial force (bearing load), the total friction force is significantly higher for V belts.

This article comes from tec-science edit released