So I'm working on the CAD layout for my gen-set frame and I got to the point where I wanted to know how long the drive belt should be. The CAD program I'm using can spit out a belt length after I draw it in to scale, and it turns out I would have been OK with this, but I thought I had better double-check it. I didn't want to buy a belt and then have to pitch it.
A quick web search located a couple of Gates design guides that applied to micro-v belts, so it looks like my problem is solved. But, unfortunately, the formulas in them did not generate values that agreed with what AutoCAD came up with. So I did some more web searching and found even more belt length formulas and all of them give out their own different belt length values. And none of them agreed with eachother. So now I'm like the guy with two clocks who never really knows what time it is.
More web searching located a web site with a very useful belt parameter calculator, and it gives exactly the same belt length numbers as the CAD program. Then I found yet another Gates engineering guide (apparently from Britain, based on the spellings) with another formula in it and this formula gives exactly the same numbers as the web based calculator and the CAD program. So now I've got three different techniques all giving the same number. I'm starting to feel sure of myself again.
For the benefit of the forum here is the link to the web calculator:
http://www.gizmology.net/pulleysbelts.htmIf you want to see the formula in the Gates manual, here is the link to that:
http://mechatronica.eu/en/design-manuals/synchronous-belts/Drive%20Calculation%20Guide%20(21-27).pdfBest regards,
Andy Hall
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