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Linear Motion Tips

Covering Linear Motion Systems, Components and Linear Motion Resources

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Belt + chain drives for linear

Self-lubricating toothed belt axis for clean use in food manufacturing

April 22, 2022 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

belt actuator

igus has introduced a maintenance-free toothed belt axis specifically designed to improve sanitation in food manufacturing systems. The new drylin ZLW toothed belt axis is based on hygienic design principles and uses FDA-compliant materials. Cleaning complex machines and systems in food production leads to longer and therefore expensive downtime. For instance, industrial bakeries are faced […]

Filed Under: Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, Featured, Linear actuators (all) Tagged With: igus

Troubleshooting V-belt wear and failure

January 24, 2022 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Broken V-belt

Although there are more than a dozen symptoms of premature wear and impending failure for V-belts — ranging from visible damage to audible noise — there are a few key ways that these friction-based belts can fail during operation. To help users determine the root cause of a failure or signs of potential failure, V-belt […]

Filed Under: Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

What do the belt section designations H, J, K, L, and M mean for ribbed V-belts?

January 6, 2022 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

ribbed v-belt

V-belts rely on friction caused by the “wedging” of the belt between pulley flanges — together with internal fiber cords — to transmit power in a wide range of industrial and consumer-goods applications. One variation of the traditional V-belt is the ribbed V-belt — also referred to as a V-ribbed, poly V, or serpentine belt. Ribbed V-belts take […]

Filed Under: Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

Causes of tooth shear in synchronous belts, and how to avoid it

November 23, 2021 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

synchronous belt failures

Synchronous belts transmit power via positive engagement between belt teeth and pulley grooves, making them suitable for applications that require high torque and making them less prone than traditional V-belts to slip in dynamic applications. But even synchronous belts can experience failure if they’re not installed, maintained, and applied properly. One way that toothed belts […]

Filed Under: Applications, Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

How to account for belt and pulley inertia during system design

September 1, 2021 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

drive and driven pulley diagram

In order for a motor to accelerate or decelerate a load, it must overcome the load’s inertia, or resistance to change in motion, as explained in Newton’s First Law. In belt-driven linear motion systems, the motor has to overcome not only the inertia of the applied load, but also the inertia of the belt, pulleys, […]

Filed Under: Applications, Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

What are some linear motion options for moving multiple loads independently?

July 7, 2021 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

move multiple loads independently

From a mechanical standpoint, one of the more challenging applications in linear motion has traditionally been to move two or more loads independently, as is required in some handling, transport, and inspection applications. While using multiple linear systems, or preassembled actuators, is a simple solution mechanically, this option typically requires a significant amount of space […]

Filed Under: Applications, Ball + lead + roller screws, Ball + leadscrew driven, Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured, Linear motors, Rack + pinion driven, Rack + pinion sets

How to specify pulleys for synchronous belt drives

June 17, 2020 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

belt and pulley dimensions

When designing a belt drive system, the first step is to choose the most suitable belt for the application. But the pulleys also play an important role in the performance of the belt — especially in synchronous belt drive systems, where proper meshing of the belt teeth with the pulley grooves can affect everything from […]

Filed Under: Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

Synchronous belt materials: What’s the difference between urethane and neoprene?

February 24, 2020 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Synchronous belts for linear motion applications — such as general transport conveyors or high-speed gantry positioning — are available in a wide range of materials suitable for virtually any application. The most common synchronous belt materials are neoprene and polyurethane, but specialty materials and backing surfaces are also available to address requirements such as temperature extremes, […]

Filed Under: Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

What’s the best timing belt tooth profile for high-speed applications?

January 14, 2020 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Synchronous belts (also referred to as timing belts) are used in a wide range of power transmission and transport applications that require good positioning accuracy. Tensile cords molded into the belt material help eliminate or minimize belt stretch, and positive engagement between the teeth of the belt and the pulley make synchronous belts less likely […]

Filed Under: Applications, Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

What causes synchronous belt noise and how can it be reduced?

November 25, 2019 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

synchronous belt noise

Synchronous belts are common in motion systems, providing smoother operation and better high-speed performance than chains and lacking the problems of slipping and stretching that can plague V-belts in precision applications. But one downfall of synchronous, or toothed, belts is the noise they produce. Although quieter than a chain drive, a synchronous belt can still generate noise […]

Filed Under: Applications, Belt + chain driven, Belt + chain drives for linear, FAQs + basics, Featured

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