Belt Working Tension Ratings

For long length or linear applications the maximum dynamic drive tension should be compared to the belt’s allowable working tensions for proper belt width selection, rather than the ultimate tensile, or breaking, strength. Working tension ratings are based on the HP ratings for our belts. We simply convert the HP rating to a torque rating at a given speed, and then divide by the sprocket’s radius. It is much better to base drive designs on the prime mover output ratings instead, as this better represents the amount of energy that can potentially be applied to the system. We recommend basing your design on our published HP rating tables or design software, and using an appropriate service factor.

Each driven and driver sprocket should have 60 degrees of wrap and 6 teeth in mesh. 20% of the HP rating will be lost for each tooth less than six not in full contact. For example, if only 5 teeth are in mesh around a driver or driven sprocket the HP rating will be 80% of what’s shown in the attached tables.