Timing belt conveyors equip you with a precise tracking system and better control of transporting your products. They provide numerous more benefits compared to other belts, including safer productions and fewer slippage issues. The multiple teeth on the band set the movement pace while securing a steady track, providing many people with an ideal belt that matches their needs. To further suit the specific ideals of various people, timing belts come in numerous material forms, offering people a range of pros and cons to explore when fitting their equipment with a timing belt. Here are five different materials used to make timing belts and their advantages and disadvantages.
Neoprene
Neoprene appears in the synthetic rubber family, consisting of a chloroprene base that's undergone polymerization (a chemical reaction fusing two large molecules). It's one of the more common belts used in the manufacturing industry. They are primarily found in hoses, gloves, wetsuits, mousepads, and car seat covers.
Advantages
They provide high water and weather resistance, which appeals to many, especially when transporting liquids or working in outdoor sites. Not only does its slick, cushioned surface add a water-resistant feature to the belt, but it also produces minimal sound. Other advantages to neoprene include:
- High stretchability
- Easy-to-clean surface
- Provides insulation against the cold
- Long wear life
- Oil and grease resistance
- Low costs (compared to some other choices)
- High tensile strength (around 500 to 3,000 PSI)
- High UV resistance
Disadvantages
Although neoprene holds weatherproof abilities, its weakness lies with corrosives and acids, making it unsuitable for production sites transporting certain chemicals. Chlorine and other halogenated substances, certain hydrocarbons, and ketones are a couple of examples of chemicals that affect neoprene. Besides their susceptibility to corrosive chemicals, neoprene timing belts don't have many disadvantages, but they range around average quality compared to other belts.
Urethane
Urethane, also known as polyurethane, reigns as one of the more popular materials used for timing belts. Urethane is a plastic material that comes in numerous forms, offering versatility. Common applications of urethane include car parts, shoe soles, adhesives, building insulation, furniture, and sportswear.
Advantages
Compared to other typical timing belt materials, urethane belts best suit the food industry. Its lack of chemical leaching, residue crossover, and easy-to-clean properties makes it a safe material for food handling. They are even FDA- and USDA-approved. However, urethane belts work for many situations, ranging from packaging to heavy equipment handling. Other advantages include:
- High abrasion resistance
- Easy maintenance
- Wide temperature range (-80°F to 200°F)
- High oil resistance
- Acid and chlorine resistance
- Decent lifespan
- Flexibility
- High tensile strength (500 to 6,000 PSI)
- Good tear resistance
Disadvantages
Unlike neoprene belts, urethane is susceptible to harsh weather conditions at outdoor worksites. Under direct sunlight, urethane belts warp and dry, decreasing their lifespan and elasticity. They are also vulnerable to swelling and warping when exposed to water. Plus, they produce more noise (in conjunction with other conveyor parts that create sound) than other materials.
Nitrile
Nitrile, Buna-N, or NBR is a form of rubber. It holds similar properties to latex and is often a common alternative for those with latex sensitivities. NBR gets used in disposable gloves, hoses, oil seals, synthetic leather, gaskets, and many more automotive and industrial products. It's also a popular material for V belts.
Advantages
Since NBR consists of a hydrocarbon spine, it features high resistance against oils and liquids. The more saturated the nitrile, the more water and oil resistance it possesses. Plus, the belt gains more flexibility with an increase in nitrile saturation within the polymore. Other advantages include:
- Good tear resistance
- Good rebound
- High abrasion resistance
- Good impact resistance
- Adhesion to metals and rigid materials
Disadvantages
Nitrile is a fairly average material other than its water and oil resistance. Unlike neoprene, it does not fair well against certain weather conditions, including intense sun exposure. Another major disadvantage is that they are flammable, featuring low flame resistance and limited tolerance to high temperatures with a max of 250°F. Nitrile also doesn't function well in colder temperatures, becoming brittle in temps 0°F and below.
Rubber
Natural rubber generates numerous items, ranging from tires to clothes. Major producers include Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where they house multiple rubber trees. Although rubber is commonly used in various ways, it's now rarer to find products featuring solid rubber or rubber without any refinements.
Advantages
The most popular quality of rubber is its elasticity. As a timing belt, rubber doesn't make as much additional noise as other forms of belts due to its vibration-dampening characteristic. Its smooth surface also makes it easy to clean and water-resistant. Due to its multipurpose use, obtaining rubber is cheap and easy to get your hands on, depending on the type. Other benefits of using a rubber belt include:
- Lightweight
- High tensile strength (500 to 3,500 PSI)
- Excellent compression set
- Long wear life
- Natural material
- Low brittle point (-80°F)
Disadvantages
Unless the belt features little rivets on the main side holding products, transporting certain materials on the belt might cause collisions, package slippage, and the inability to go on an incline or decline. The smooth surface of rubber aids its ability to resist water, but it does not help with providing great traction. Its smooth surface also makes carrying rollable items difficult, providing little to no grip to hold the items in place. Natural rubber has very little tolerance against high temperatures, making it susceptible to folding edges and swelling in heat. Meanwhile, synthetic rubbers gain more temperature resilience.
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride, more commonly known as PVC, is a highly produced form of synthetic plastic. Common uses of PVC include pipes, medical tools, window frames, clothes, footwear, records, cling film, and synthetic leather. PVC's low conductivity and high insulation qualities also make it a popular form of wire and cable coverings.
Advantages
Like most plastics, PVC attributes a lot of its fame to its versatility and cheap costs. As a timing belt, PVC belts provide multiple purposes for various industries due to their low reaction to chemicals, oils, salts, fats, alcohol, and inorganic acids. Plus, they can last up to 40 years. Other pros to PVC include:
- High density
- High tensile strength (1,000 to 9,000 PSI)
- Comes in flexible and rigid forms
- Fire resistance
- Lightweight
- Widely available
Disadvantages
Although fire resistant, PVC degenerates under extreme heat and without stabilizers. Another major disadvantage to PVC is its lack of biodegradability. Once PVC is made, it's hard to dispose of it sustainably. Plus, when it burns, it emits toxic chemicals, like dioxin and hydrogen chloride.
To improve and strengthen each of these five different materials used to make timing belts, get mixed with reinforcements. From fiberglass to Kevlar, numerous products fuse and enhance the properties of neoprene, urethane, nitrile, rubber, and PVC, thus strengthening timing belts. Each material's range of pros and cons makes them all useful for varying purposes and industries. By comparing and contrasting the various belt material options, you can better match your equipment with the right counterparts and find a product that suits your needs and industry’s purpose.
