Many maintenance managers report V-belt drives only last two-three months but the reality is premium heavy-duty industrial V-belts are designed to run at least 22,000 hours, which equates to almost 2.5 years of continuous 24/7 operation. So why aren’t V-belts lasting as long as they should? Here’s five key reasons, according to recent data:

1. Improper maintenance: It’s estimated that over two-fifths of failures are caused by improper drive maintenance. Not going back to check tension on belts, improper sheave alignment and not checking sheaves for physical damages or wear.
2. Poor drive design: Approximately 1 out of every five belts doesn’t last as long as it should due to improper drive design. This includes using the incorrect belt for the application, having an over-designed or under-designed belt drive and using the wrong sheaves.
3. Improper installation: About 20% of failures are due to improper belt installation. This includes incorrect belt tension, rolling or prying of the belts and general mishandling.
4. Environmental factors: About 1 in 6 problems are due to environmental factors, like dust, sand and high temperatures. It’s important to choose a belt construction that can help to reduce and minimize external factors and its influence on belt life.
5. Improper storage:  Belts should be stored in a cool dry environment. Excessive heat, light or humidity can impact their shelf life. In addition, they need to be used in the order received which is not always what happens.

Getting the Most out of V-belts

One way to address these issues is by implementing a proper V-belt preventative maintenance program. It can help your company save thousands of dollars in labor costs and downtime, parts usage and administrative costs. Dayco provides unparalleled technical support, including free training, engineering assistance and top-quality products to help minimize the emergencies in your plant. Our team offers a free preventive maintenance seminar to customers on site for maintenance personnel that can dramatically increase belt life and service intervals.

Your Dayco team can also help ensure you are picking a belt that will save money and reduce down time.

The reality is V-belts are not always put at the top of the priority list or companies are choosing to select price over quality and that’s a big mistake. Replacing V-belts is time consuming so there is a significant disadvantage to having to replace belts more frequently than necessary.

For more information on Dayco’s industrial belts or maintenance program, call 800-848-7902.