Belts

Industrial Belts: Fenner & Optibelt Power Transmission

Industrial Belts: Fenner & Optibelt Power Transmission are two prominent global manufacturers specializing in high-performance belting solutions for diverse industrial applications. Both companies offer a comprehensive range of products designed to ensure efficient and reliable power transmission in demanding environments.

Fenner Precision Polymers, with a history dating back to 1861, provides a wide array of belting solutions, including link belting (like POWERTWIST, NuTLink, and SuperTLink), profile belts (Eagle Polyurethane), flat belts, wire belts, and timing belts. Their products are engineered from advanced composite materials, offering benefits such as high durability, reduced elongation, and ease of installation, even on inaccessible drives. Fenner’s belts serve critical industries such as material handling, food and beverage, transportation, consumer equipment, building and infrastructure, and general industrial applications, focusing on minimizing downtime and optimizing performance.

Optibelt, known for its “Arntz Optibelt Group,” is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, low-maintenance drive belts. Their extensive product portfolio includes various types of V-belts (e.g., VARIO POWER, DK, SK S=C Plus, RED POWER 3, BLUE POWER), kraftbands, ribbed belts, and timing belts (like OMEGA HP). Optibelt’s belts are characterized by features such as high efficiency, long service life, excellent temperature resistance, electrical conductivity, and superior transverse rigidity. They cater to a broad spectrum of industries, including mechanical engineering, automotive, medical technology, food, agriculture, road construction, and packaging, consistently delivering robust solutions for extreme conditions involving dust, heat, cold, chemicals, and high speeds. Both companies emphasize innovation, quality, and tailored solutions to meet specific industry requirements.

Fenner Belting Products

Fenner, with a history dating back to 1861, offers a diverse range of industrial belting solutions across various industries. While specific part numbers and detailed technical data were not available, their product categories include:

  • Profile Belts (Eagle Polyurethane Belting): This range includes high-quality, reinforced and un-reinforced polyurethane (PU) belting available in round and V-profiles, as well as conveyor belting. These are often chosen for their flexibility and resistance to various conditions.
  • Flat Belts: Utilized in industries such as Mining, Agriculture, Food and Beverage, and Automotive for material transfer, cleaning, and other applications. Flat belts are known for their efficiency and suitability for certain conveying tasks.
  • Link Belts (POWERTWIST Belts): Designed for drive and conveying applications, these belts come with various profiles and top coatings to ensure optimal performance. A key advantage of link belts is their easy installation and ability to be adjusted for length.
  • Wire Belts (Lumsden Wire Belts): These belts are designed to withstand extreme conditions, with some capable of operating at temperatures up to 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. They are suitable for applications requiring high heat resistance and durability.
  • Timing Belts: Fenner has decades of expertise in manufacturing small pitch timing belts, offering solutions across a full spectrum of profiles. Timing belts provide precise power transmission and are crucial for synchronized operations.

Fenner also emphasizes their ability to develop custom belts to meet exact specifications.

Optibelt Belting Products

Optibelt offers a comprehensive range of high-quality, low-maintenance belts for maximum efficiency across numerous industries. While specific part numbers and in-depth technical data were not explicitly detailed, their product categories include:

  • V-Belts: A core product category, often characterized by their “wedge” shape that grips the pulley. Optibelt offers various types including:
    • SK Wedge Belts (S=C Plus): Available in standard and metric profiles (SPZ, SPA, SPB, SPC, 3V, 5V, 8V). Known for set-constant length tolerances for superior performance and lower maintenance. They feature rubber-coated polyester tension cords, an engineered polychloroprene top and core layer, and a rubber-impregnated fabric wrap for durability and grip. They are anti-static and have a recommended operational range of -40 to 158°F.
    • RED POWER 3: High-performance V-belts.
    • BLUE POWER / BLUE POWER 2: High-performance wedge belts with aramid cord, offering set-constant properties and made of EPDM.
    • VB Classic V-belts: Available in standard profiles (A/13, B/17, C/22, D/32).
    • SUPER XE-POWER PRO: High-performance wedge belts with a raw edge and moulded cogged design (e.g., XPZ, XPA, XPB, XPC, 3VX, 5VX).
    • SUPER TX: Classical V-belts (e.g., ZX/X10, AX/X13, BX/X17, CX/X22).
    • VARIO POWER: Variable speed belts, providing flexibility in speed adjustment.
    • DK Double Sided V-belts: Suitable for applications requiring power transmission from both sides of the belt (e.g., HAA, HBB, HCC).
    • MARATHON X & FB: V-belts specifically for passenger cars.
    • TRUCK POWER: V-belts for commercial vehicles.
  • Kraftbands: These are essentially multiple V-belts joined together with a common top band, providing increased stability and preventing individual belts from turning over in pulsating loads or long center distance drives. Optibelt offers:
    • KB SK: Standard Kraftbands (e.g., SPZ, SPA, SPB, SPC, 3V, 5V, 8V).
    • KB RED POWER 3: High-performance wrapped Kraftbands.
    • KB BLUE POWER: Optibelt Kraftbands with high-performance wedge belt characteristics.
    • WR Kraftband: Wide-angle polyurethane Kraftband (e.g., 5M, 7M, 11M).
  • Ribbed Belts: These belts combine the flexibility of flat belts with the high power transmission capability of V-belts. They have multiple longitudinal V-shaped ribs on the underside.
  • Timing Belts: Provide synchronous power transmission, crucial for precise movement. Optibelt offers both rubber and polyurethane (PU) timing belts.
    • ALPHA FLEX: Endless, extruded polyurethane timing belts (e.g., H, 8M, 14M).
  • Other Belts: Includes specialized belts such as:
    • OPTIMAX HF: Endless high-performance flat belts.
    • KK / KK Form: V-belts made of polyurethane (e.g., 10, 13, 17, 22).
    • RR / RR PLUS / HRR: Round belts made of polyurethane.
    • OPTIMAT OE / DK / FK / PKR: Open-ended V-belts, often punched.
    • LB Link Belting: Polyurethane with Polyester Lamination.
    • WR: Wide-angle belts made of polyurethane.
  • Metal Products: This category includes pulleys (V-grooved, timing belt, ribbed belt), taper-bushings, taper-hubs, clamping elements, and couplings, which complement their belt offerings.
  • Repair Kits and Equipment, Tension and Idler Pulleys, Technical Tools: These are accessories and tools to support the installation, maintenance, and optimal performance of their belting systems.

Optibelt highlights characteristics such as long service life, high efficiency, low noise emissions, excellent running smoothness, low maintenance, and electrical conductivity (for some types).

Understanding Belt Differences: Industrial Belts: Fenner & Optibelt Power Transmission

Belts are designed for various power transmission and conveying applications, and their differences primarily lie in their cross-sectional shape, material, and intended use.

  • V-Belts: Named for their trapezoidal (V) cross-section, they wedge into corresponding V-grooves in pulleys, providing excellent grip and high power transmission with minimal slippage. They are commonly used in industrial and automotive applications.
  • Flat Belts: These are simple, rectangular belts that run on flat pulleys. They are efficient for long center distances and can handle high speeds, often used for conveying or light power transmission.
  • Timing Belts (Synchronous Belts): These belts have teeth that engage with corresponding grooves on timing pulleys (sprockets). This interlocking mechanism provides precise, slip-free power transmission, making them ideal for applications requiring synchronization, such as camshafts in engines or robotic movements. They are often made of rubber or polyurethane with reinforcing cords.
  • Ribbed Belts (Poly-V Belts): A hybrid between V-belts and flat belts, they have multiple V-shaped ribs on the underside. This design allows for higher power transmission than a flat belt while maintaining flexibility and allowing for smaller pulley diameters than traditional V-belts. They are common in automotive accessory drives.
  • Link Belts: Made up of interlocking segments, these belts can be assembled to any length, making them highly versatile for maintenance and emergency replacements. They reduce vibration and are often used in applications where downtime needs to be minimized.
  • Profile Belts (Polyurethane): These are often continuous, extruded belts, available in various profiles (round, V). Polyurethane offers good abrasion resistance, elasticity, and chemical resistance, making them suitable for conveying and light power transmission, particularly in food processing or clean environments.
  • Wire Belts: Typically made from interwoven metal wires, these belts are extremely robust and can withstand very high temperatures and harsh conditions, making them ideal for applications like furnaces, ovens, or food processing where sanitation and heat resistance are critical.

When choosing a belt, consider the power requirements, speed, environmental conditions (temperature, chemicals, abrasives), the need for synchronization, available space, and the importance of maintenance and longevity.