Why Consider Steel Belts for Your Application?
Engineers who specify steel belts have options available to them that they don’t have when working with other products or materials. Some essential features and benefits are talked about below.
HIGH STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO:
This is an advantage in practically every application where high strength, light-weight, or both are essential.
DURABILITY:
Metal belts can withstand sustained exposure to extremes of temperature, hostile conditions, and vacuum. A variety of alloys can be utilized, each using its own resistance to chemicals, humidity, and corrosion. Engineers generally select a belt material based on physical properties, availability, and cost.
NO LUBRICATION:
Unlike the links of a chain, a metallic belt is an individual element and, therefore, will not generate any component friction that will require lubrication. This reduces system maintenance, increases reliability, and keeps the system clean.
NONSTRETCHABLE:
Springtime steels with a high modulus of elasticity make metal belts virtually nonstretchable when compared with other belt types and chain. This makes them ideal in powerful applications for precision positioning.
SMOOTH OPERATION:
Metal belts are free from the pulsation of chordal action often seen in additional belt types and chain. This results in specific translation of the control system motion profile.
ACCURATE AND REPEATABLE:
Metal timing belts could be fabricated with a pitch accuracy of ±0.0005 inches station to station. This high degree of precision is extremely precious in creating indexing, positioning, or processing equipment.
GOOD THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY:
Metal belts can transmit energy in the form of heat, cold, and electricity.
NO STATIC BUILD-UP:
Steel belts discharge static electrical power, a crucial capability in the manufacture of electronic components such as integrated circuits and surface mount devices.
CLEAN:
Unlike HTD or smooth neoprene belts, steel belts usually do not generate particulate and are well suited for food and pharmaceutical digesting.
CLEAN ROOM COMPATIBLE:
Metal belts usually do not require lubricants and will not generate dust that would introduce foreign substances into clean room environments. Additionally, they might be sterilized within an autoclave.
PRECISE CONSTRUCTION:
Edges are simple and sizes are tightly toleranced.
Metal conveyor belt pulleys are critical to the look of any automated conveyor belt system. They act as the driving pressure behind the motion of the belt, generating torque and speed. In very general terms it can be said that pulleys are categorized as friction drive or timing pulleys (type I and II). Precision may be the name of the game when it comes to pulleys. A metallic belt is only as good and exact as the pulleys. Most pulleys suggested by Ever-power are made of anodized aluminum (hard layer) with the proper friction coefficient to drive the metal belt. Stainless steel may also be used but it is costly and heavy, though it might end up being indicated in certain applications where extra hardness is necessary. If your application requires a lighter pulley, the experts at Ever-power will help you choose the best material.
Selecting the correct pulley size and construction can have a significant influence on the lifespan and efficiency of a conveyor belt. Ever-power engineers have the data and experience to help you choose the right pulley type, diameter, and composition to minimize maintenance downtime and increase product volume.
Metallic Conveyor Belt Pulley Types
Ever-power designs custom metal conveyor belt pulleys and configurations to bring optimum efficiency to one’s body. While metal conveyor belts are usually made of stainless steel, pulleys can be produced from a number of materials, including light weight aluminum or a number of plastic composites. Depending on the unique requirements of your system, the pulleys may also be fitted with customized timing attachments, relief stations, and more.
Independently Steerable Pulley
Ever-power has developed an innovative concept in smooth belt tracking called the ISP (independently steerable pulley), which can be used in the next system designs:
· Two pulley conveyor systems where the ISP may be the idler or driven pulley
· Systems with multiple idler pulleys on a common shaft
· Systems with serpentine or additional complex belt paths
Steering toned belts with an ISP is based on the concept of changing tension human relationships across the width of the belt simply by adjusting the angle of the pulley in accordance with the belt.
Instead of moving the pulley shaft still left/right or up/straight down by pillow block adjustment, the ISP fits a adjustable steering collar and sealed bearing assembly to the body of the pulley.
The steering collar was created with the skewed or an offset bore. When rotated, the collar changes the position of the pulley body, leading to controlled, bi-directional motion of the belt over the pulley face.
The ISP is exclusively available from Ever-power. It offers a simple method of steering flat steel belts. Users may combine ISP steering with the original belt tracking designs of crowning, flanging, and timing elements to make a synergistic belt tracking system which efficiently and specifically steers the belt to specified tracking parameters.
Unique Characteristics and Benefits of the ISP
· Smooth belts are tracked quickly by rotating the steering collar.
· ISP designs minimize downtime when changing belts on creation machinery.
· ISP system is simple to use and needs simply no special tools or schooling.
· ISP simplifies the design and assembly of conveyor systems using toned belts.
· Existing idler pulleys can normally be retrofitted to an ISP without major system modifications.
· No maintenance is required once the belt monitoring parameters have already been established.
· It prolongs belt life by minimizing side loading when using flanges and timing pulleys.
ISP Pulley (picture and cross-section view)
Installation and Use
The ISP is mounted to the machine frame using commercially available pillow blocks. A clamp is utilized to prevent the shaft from turning.
The Rotated Shaft Method of ISP Flat Belt Tracking
· Is used in combination with systems having a single pulley on the shaft.
· Is ALWAYS utilized when the pulley body is definitely a capped tube design.
· Is NEVER utilized when multiple pulleys are on a common shaft.
· Utilized selectively when the ISP is certainly a steering roll in a multiple pulley program.
Secure the ISP to the shaft using the split training collar and locking screw included in the ISP. Rotate the shaft and collar as a device. When the desired tracking features are obtained, avoid the shaft from rotating by securing the shaft clamp. The pulley body will at this point rotate about the bearing included in the ISP assembly. This method enables the belt to become tracked while operating under tension.
Protected the ISP to the shaft using the split collar and locking screw included in the ISP. Rotate the shaft and collar as a device. When the desired tracking features are obtained, avoid the shaft from rotating by securing the shaft clamp. The pulley body will now rotate about the bearing built into the ISP assembly. This technique allows the belt to end up being tracked while operating under tension.
The Rotated Collar Method of ISP Flat Belt Tracking
· Used to individually change each belt/pulley combination when there are multiple pulleys on a common shaft.
· Used when systems possess a cantilevered shafting typical of serpentine and various other complex belt route systems. It is suggested that these adjustments be made only once the belt is at rest.
Fix the shaft via the shaft clamp, loosen the locking screw of the steering collar, and rotate the steering collar about the shaft. When the required belt tracking characteristics are obtained, secure the locking screw.
Which Design Is Correct for You?
There are many applications because of this new product, so Ever-power designs and manufactures independently steerable pulleys to suit your needs. Contact Ever-power to go over your queries or for design assistance.
Ever-power may be the worldwide leader in the design and production of application-specific pulleys, steel belts, and drive tapes. Our products provide unique benefits for machinery used in precision positioning, timing, conveying, and automated manufacturing applications.
System Configuration
Number 1 1 – The drive pulley is a friction drive pulley.
· 
The ISP is definitely a friction-driven pulley. This configuration can be specified for a monitoring accuracy of 0.030″ (0.762 mm) or greater.
· Teflon® flanges are attached to the pulley body to establish a lateral constraint. The steering feature of the ISP is used to set one edge of the belt against the flange with reduced side-loading to the belt.
System Configuration
#2 2 – The drive pulley is a timing pulley.
· The ISP is a friction driven pulley. One’s teeth of the drive pulley and the perforations of the belt set up a lateral constraint. The steering feature of the ISP can be used to minimize side-loading of the belt perforations. Tracking accuracy is between 0.008″ (0.203 mm) and 0.015″ (0.381 mm) for metallic belt systems.
OR
· The ISP is a timing pulley. One’s teeth of the ISP and the perforations of the belt are utilized for precise monitoring control of the belt with the steering feature of the ISP utilized to minimize side loading of belt perforations. Again, tracking accuracy can be 0.008″ (0.203 mm) to 0.015″ (0.381 mm) for metal bells.
Note: Although it is generally not recommended to possess timing elements in both the drive and driven pulleys, this design can be used selectively on steel belt systems with lengthy center distances between pulleys and in applications where particulate accumulation on the top of pulley consistently changes the tracking characteristic of the belt.