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Four belts braced for the harshest conditions
Life is tough for drive belts, and getting tougher all the time. Wind turbines, recycling plants, ventilation systems, compressors, Hyperloop transportation and intralogistics all demand ever more powerful and more efficient power transmission solutions. Their components have to work extremely hard, often under harsh and demanding conditions – and drive belts are no exception.
That’s why heavy-duty timing belts, made from synthetic or natural rubber with a carbon tension member, have become increasingly popular. As an alternative to chain drives, they’re ideal when high levels of power and torque are needed, as they transmit power reliably and efficiently even in extreme applications.
But as four heavy-duty drive belts from Continental prove, that’s not the limit of what they can stretch to.
Geared-up for belts
Heavy-duty Continental timing belts have even been used to replace an entire gearbox. As part of a wind turbine’s rotor blade construction, Continental belts were specially designed to allow adjustment of the blades without the need for gears or hydraulics.
The low-wear, low-noise, special-purpose belts have a stable structure, durable design and low-maintenance characteristics. And a key advantage in offshore wind turbines permanently exposed to salty sea air is their high level of corrosion resistance compared to conventional designs.
n addition, the belts’ steel cords result in neutral running properties, making them extremely resilient. A lifetime of up to 12,000,000 reverse bending cycles is easily achievable.
The secret of heavy-duty success
As original equipment or replacement parts, Continental’s Synchrochain Carbon and Synchroforce Carbon heavy-duty belts are amongst the most powerful timing belts available.
Their secret is their carbon / polyurethane or rubber blend.
The Synchrochain Carbon is a reliable, efficient alternative to chain drives for the agricultural sector, where combine harvesters and other farm machinery are subject to extreme loads yet need to work reliably throughout the season. This heavy-duty belt ensures clean, smooth, exceptionally reliable power transmission, even at high torque and under heavy dynamic loads.
The Synchrochain Carbon belt is also found in construction machinery, forestry applications and energy systems. And the same belt is even being employed in a Hyperloop mobility technology research project: coping with the drive system’s high acceleration forces and operation in a vacuum.
Oil-wear and abrasion-resistant
The Synchroforce Carbon is Continental’s first ever oil-resistant rubber timing belt. Also resistant to wear and abrasion, it has a carbon tension member at its core which, combined with hard rubber teeth, greatly reduces the risk of ratcheting.
The belt reliably transmits not only high power levels but also rotational movements with great angular precision. Its high tensile strength and dynamic load capacity give it high power density, and enable synchronous drive configurations in very confined spaces. So it’s well suited to small, low-weight drive systems – such as skid conveyors on painting lines, and in shredders subject to extreme and uneven loads.
The Synchroforce Carbon also greatly enhances pump operation across a variety of applications, as a heavy-duty timing belt. Using a timing belt allows the pump to operate oil-free, and the belt drive results in a very robust, low-maintenance pump construction.
Both the Synchroforce and Synchrochain belts are also ideal for sorting, distribution and order picking applications in intralogistics, where they are used for roller conveyors transporting heavier goods such as engine blocks.
V. quiet and V. high-performing
Suitable for use in virtually any industrial application – including fans and compressors – the heavy-duty Conti V FO Pioneer V-belt features a modern EPDM material, with a polyester tension member and a cotton cover fabric for stability. Available in lengths up to 5 metres, it offers strong, permanent power transmission and very quiet running, in a compact design of light yet durable construction.
The Conti-V Advance is another Continental V-belt option, purpose-designed for heavy-duty industrial applications such as drive systems. A wrapped narrow-section V-belt with a reinforced polyester tension member, fibre-reinforced CR synthetic rubber compound and double fabric jacket, the Conti-V Advance can be found in compressors, fans, construction machinery and garden appliances. It is also suitable as a clutch belt.
As well as superior overall efficiency, it offers over 40% higher performance potential than standard V-belts.And enables drive systems employing sets of belts to be built with a slimmer design and fewer belts. Its fibre-reinforced compound makes it suitable for reverse flexing, and the greater length stability has the additional effect of reducing maintenance, as re-tensioning is not necessary.
4 belts. 1 manufacturer. And only 1 distributor to contact, of course.
Click or scan the QR code to learn more about Continental Belts
For more information on Power Transmission solutions, please contact your local ERIKS Service Centre, who will be happy to discuss your options.
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