Connecting motor to treads

[Madison]

Originally posted by Carl Owenby
Our team wants to use tank type treads this year. Can the motor be connected directly to the timing belt drive pulley? If not, what's the best method to transfer power from the motor to the drive pulley? Chain and sprocket? Gears?

In most cases, you will want more torque to propel your robot than the output shaft of a motor can provide. There are some motors, however, that can be used for direct drive.

I'd recommend using sprockets or spur gears to transmit power, as well as establish a favorable gear ratio. Each have their pros and cons.

In short, spur gears seem more reliable because they don't rely on chain. However, changing the ratio between them is more difficult, as you'd be faced with the challenge of finding a new, acceptable ratio and maintaining the same center-to-center distance.

Sprockets allow more flexibility where changing ratios is concerned as all that is required is to change the sprockets and adjust the chain length. Chain, however, has the potential to skip teeth or fall off altogether. A tensioning system is a must.