Maintenance-free v-belts, High drive uptime

In crushers and vibrating screen applications, drive belt maintenance-related requirements can result in very costly downtime. Conveniently, as an alternative replacement, where they have been used, Optibelt GmbH’s Red Power3 Belts, a cutting-edge innovation, have accomplished the following: drastically increased V belt service life, eliminated ‘belt slip’, and increased production throughput.

Currently, mining companies are ramping up production. Thus, ideally, critical components like high-impact load drives for crushers and screens need to be available at all times. Yet, the reality is that this cannot be guaranteed as the condition of their belts can impact uptime. At best, their belts can be removed for long spells of ‘routine’ maintenance; at worst, they can be damaged with production at its peak, in most cases, when least anticipated. In both cases, the ensuing downtime can result in a loss of productivity of the crushers and screens, which can translate into a loss of revenue, when the bottom line is factored in.  

The ideal alternative  

Concerned about how damage to belts impacts crusher and vibrating screen availability, the team of application engineers at Belting Ware are informing mining companies about an alternative to the problematic ‘conventional’ belts in high-impact load drives. As the ideal alternative, Optibelt GmbH’s Red Power3 Belt, “Maintenance free” V-Belts, eliminate the limitations of ‘conventional’ belts.  

Specially designed materials for construction 

Most exceptional in the Optibelt Red Power 3 V Belts are the specially designed raw materials which enhance its mechanical advantages. The specially designed raw materials used in Optibelt Red Power 3 V Belts, consist of special Rubber coated cover fabric, very low stretch Polyester Tension cords and the innovative mixture of High-Quality Polychloroprene Rubber filled with traverse fibres. Combined, these materials create a product which drastically reduces maintenance and re-tensioning requirements.

Mechanical advantages of Optibelt Red Power 3 V Belts 

The application engineers particularly cite the following mechanical advantages of the Optibelt Red Power 3 V Belts:

•   Maintenance-free Set and Forget Technology – no re-tensioning required. These belts just do not slip.
•   Transmits up to 50% more power on the same pulley diameter and same RPM, thereby reducing the number of belts required on a drive design.
•   Matched Set Guaranteed – Optibelts quality materials and specially developed Rotary Vulcanization manufacturing process ensure the tightest V-Belt length tolerance in the world, ensuring belts are manufactured and supplied in matched sets, regardless of the date of manufacture. Optibelts Set Constant [S=C Plus] V Belts will reduce inventory and maintenance costs and improve drive efficiency and production output.
•   High Temperature range – – 30 to +100C as standard
•   Up to 97% belt efficiency achievable
•   High Service Life – minimum theoretical service life of 25,000hrs fair wear and tear.
•   Increased pulley service life of up to 3 times, due to minimal operational belt slip.
•   Flame Resistant to DIN EN 60695-11-10 HB40 – Self Extinguishing
•   The Optibelt Red Power 3 V-Belts are “DROP IN” on existing pulleys. No Special pulleys Required
•   Increased productivity, reduced maintenance, increased belt service life by up to 6 times, and huge safety improvement.

Optimal performance in projects

 In projects where they have been used, the Optibelt Red Power 3 V Belts have exhibited optimal performance, among several common cases, in high-impact load drives and slurry tailings lines.

In high-impact load drives, as commonly found in crusher and vibrating screen applications, the introduction of the Optibelt Red Power 3 has resulted in several advantages. Commonly cited are the following: drastically increased V belt service life, eliminated ‘belt slip’ and increased production throughput.

The installation of the v-belt on the slurry tailings line has resulted in due reduced belt slip. This has resulted in energy savings of around 9 – 10% recorded to pump the same amount of slurry as a drive fitted with conventional V Belts. Generally, an increase in productivity and less wear and tear on equipment were experienced.  

Raring to go 

In 2023, the team at Belting Ware are keen to replicate the successful installation of Optibelt Power3 Belts in African mining projects in the past few years. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, the vastly experienced team are raring to go.  

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Products of meticulous R&D 

Manufactured by Optibelt GmbH, Optibelt Power3 Belts are a product of years of meticulous research and development (R&D).

Optibelt GmbH is the pioneer of “Maintenance Free” V Belts, with the launch of the first series of Red Power belts in the late 1990s. This innovation was followed by the Red Power 2 and now the Red Power 3 series.

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A wide range of services  

The team at Belting Ware offer a wide range of services to cater for the unique needs of clients, mainly the following: 

•   Assistance with V and timing belt drive design for both New and Existing drives
•   Belt Tensioning tools
•   Belt drive alignment tools
•   Drive pulley measuring gauges