Timing Belts for 6W Drive

[ttldomination]

Might i advise that you/your team not make any major purchases/decisions before the game is announced...Bill and Dave have strongly advised that teams don't make major plans....

[Jacob Paikoff]

We used belts on one of our robots a couple of year ago. We found that if you dont tension the belts then they will skip. It doesnt seem to hurt performance, but it can scare people with how loud the skipping is.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Mechkrunch

We used belts on one of our robots a couple of year ago. We found that if you dont tension the belts then they will skip. It doesnt seem to hurt performance, but it can scare people with how loud the skipping is.

If your belts are slipping, it has to hurt your performance-it means you're losing tons of efficiency.

I believe 125 used belts either last season or in 2007, and they did not like them at all. If I remember correctly they ended up swapping them for chains. Do a search and you can find the thread about them.

[sdcantrell56]

125 actually used belts this past season with very positive results if I'm not mistaken. I think they said they never had a failure.

[gorrilla]

wait, why not just use v-belts?(as in what are the advantages of using timing over v-belts)

[Jonathan Norris]

Just stick with chain... it works. I've seen a couple teams try timing belts, and I haven't heard anything positive yet. Timing belts are very tough to do in high load situations, chains are designed for higher loads. Why change what's proven to work?

[sdcantrell56]

V-belts require very high tension to work which equals high friction and inefficiency. Timing belt is a much better option in every factor except perhaps cost although it is definitely worth it to not use v belt

[Cory]

Originally Posted by sdcantrell56

125 actually used belts this past season with very positive results if I'm not mistaken. I think they said they never had a failure.

Oops. Maybe I totally invented that in my head then.

I recall someone using belts recently and not liking it much. Guess it wasn't 125.

[sdcantrell56]

There was one team that tried v belts I believe in 2007 and the belts failed miserably. A couple teams have used timing belts successfully such as team 125 and team 118 uses them to some extent. You just have to design for them instead of using them the exact same as chain. For instance, you need to have a lot of wrap around the pulleys and the belt must be tensioned properly, although once tensioned the belt stretches much less than chain.

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by Cory

Oops. Maybe I totally invented that in my head then.

I recall someone using belts recently and not liking it much. Guess it wasn't 125.

Maybe it was 499 you were thinking of?
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=61512

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Cory

Oops. Maybe I totally invented that in my head then.

I recall someone using belts recently and not liking it much. Guess it wasn't 125.

Cory,
We did use belts this season (2008), but ended up having a lot of success with them. We used 25 chain in 2007.


As for the original topic,
I have posted on a few threads already (a quick search should churn them up). Belts are definitely something teams can do, but as stated above, tension is key with them. We used kevlar reinforced belts which basically eliminated "stretching" so we did not need an active way of adjusting the tension. I would suggest doing a lot of research to make sure they are something you want to consider.

Right now I could not tell you what our plan is for the upcoming season. We are proud we used belts effectively and we will see what the game is before we commit to using them again.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Brando

[colin340]

did 118 use that ajustable v-belt stuff to power form the v6 to the swerve drive wheels

Brandon could you post or pm me were you got you belts

[sdcantrell56]

I'm almost positive that 125 purchased there belts from sdp-si.com They have a great selection and some helpful calculators as well.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

The statement that belts cannot handle high torque is false. Lots of machines like large mills and motorcycles use belts without any trouble.

The problem with belts is that they are not good at changing directions quickly. Often, when they go from forwards to reverse very quickly, (as in a FIRST robot) they skip teeth or go flying off.

Notice how 118 only needs to drive their wheels 1 direction?

[Brandon Holley]

We ordered our belts from http://www.sdp-si.com/. They are a reliable source, equivalent to any kind of supplier. They offer a large variety of sizes, lengths, and materials in both the pulley and the actual belt.