Industrial Pulleys and Belts – Minneapolis, MN

Pulleys and belts are prime movers, and Cutter-Sales caries the types you need.

Brands of Pulleys and Belts

We carry Goodyear, Opti, Jason, Bando, Pix and Bestioq  belts.  When Gates belts are called for we use Couplamatic belts, they are a good substitute for the Gates brand belt.

If your application calls for a Pirelli belt, we have high-quality equivalents in stock.

Our goal is to make sure you get the parts you need to get your equipment up and running quickly.

Belt and Pulley Applications

To keep things moving, turning, or to pull, or to transmit torque, pulleys and belts perform precise and reliable power transmission.

• Rooftop heating, cooling and ventilation systems use belts and pulleys
• Take-up air systems
• Power and drive connections from electric motors
• Power transmission to conveyors

Types of Belts

There are belts that rely on friction, such as grooved or V-belts, and belts that drive through toothed or cogged features.  There are many secondary features that are very important in the proper selection of a V-belt or toothed belt, such as fiber material, casing material, tooth or groove shape, slotting and tooth grooving (sometimes employed as a noise reduction feature).

• Timing
• Serpentine
• Grooved or V-belts
• HTD – High Torque Drive
• Industrial belts
• Conveyor belts
• Drive belts

Types of Pulleys

Pulleys are designated by the type of drive interface for the belt (e.g.- HTD, flat, V-belt, chain, conveyor belt, cable), absence or presence of guide flanges, hub and shaft mounting types and offsets, and the manner in which the hub is connected to the drive ring (e.g.- block, webbed, spoked or armed).

In addition to belts and pulleys, Cutter-Sales also carries associated parts, such as , idler pulleys, shafts, bearings, installation tools and even electric motors.

Common Problems with Belts and Pulleys

Modern belts really do not stretch, for most intents and purposes.  Matching the belt to the application depends on how pliable the belt needs to be while still transmitting the required amount of force or torque between the sprockets and pulleys.

Following is a list of issues that can occur with belts and pulleys:

• Vibration can occur when there is misalignment or hub / shaft run-out or dynamic load imbalances
• Dirt and other foreign matter can get between the running surfaces of the belts, pulleys and sprockets.  If sand-like material embeds in the crimp or root of a tooth, it could penetrate and cut tension fibers.  Other types of matter can collect and build-up interfering with engagement of the belt to the pulley.
• Abrasion can wear the materials of both belts and pulleys leading to changes in geometry and drive failure.  This can lead to frayed belt sides.
• Noise can be a significant issue and is often caused by improper alignment and tensioning.
• Improper tension works both ways.  Too tight and premature wear and increased noise can result.  Too loose and a belt may fail to transmit force, slip or ratchet across teeth.
• Crimp failure can come from back bending a belt, either in storage or in improper application routing.  Not all belts can take an idler pulley.  A similar failure can result if the belt is run across a pulley that is too small in diameter.
• Shock load can snap a belt.
• Tooth separation can also occur due to improper loading and tensioning.  It starts with a tooth starting to rip away from the belt fibers.
• Caustic environments, both chemical and heat-related, can cause material degradation.

To avoid problems like these, contact our technicians.  They can help you get the right replacement part for your application.