[ratdude747]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

The only belt failures I have come across in FIRST are an improperly tensioned, aligned, or designed system. Belts can be stronger and more precise than chain when correctly executed. Please run some numbers, and examine the use of belts in applications other than FIRST, as we tend to be a fairly trigger happy bunch at discarding solutions.




A correctly designed belt (the ones for high torque applications, ie part # 6486K116 from McMaster) will hold about even, if not more than equivalent sized chain (#25 in this case).



Incorrect. A Steel Belted belt (ie anything by Brecoflex) will not stretch under FIRST loads. Examine Outback Tracks as an example.



Again, false. SDPSI sells aluminum pulleys that are fairly lightweight, and can be hand lightened if need be. Proper design of a robot (ie proper weights set during design, and so on) should allow decently heavy pulleys (up to 1lb) without penalty. Being overweight is a result of sloppy design, and nothing more.



This one has merits, but again points back to design. If you need that much variance in the design, you shouldn't even be looking at belts.



I've built a 200lb robot that has pulled a FORD F150 in first gear (engine off) that ran entirely on McMaster timing belts. High torque can be achieved with belts.

we were using KOP belts. kevlar gates timing belts.

as for belts, why use them if chain already works? its not broke, so don't fix it.