Thursday, April 8, 2010

When Should Belts be Replaced?

There isn't a standard interval for belt replacement. A well-designed belt drive may last for months or years depending on the specifics of the application. Many factors influence belt life, including actual loads, belt installation tension levels, drive alignment, sheave condition, environmental conditions (chemicals, abrasives, temperatures, humidity, etc.), product manufacturing variations, etc.

The best way to determine a replacement interval for your particular drives is to look at old maintenance records (if they exist). If there seems to be a common point at which belts fail, reducing this number by approximately 30% should provide a good replacement interval.

Periodic inspections of the belt drive (every 3 - 6 months depending on how critical the application is) will also help to determine when the belts need to be replaced. More information on drive inspection is available in the Belt Drive Preventive Maintenance & Safety Manual at
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=1224&location_id=3288/.

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