Tensioners and Idlers

Power transmission drives such as roller chains, timing belts, and V-belts will elongate significantly with continued use. The elongation will be particularly faster if the belts are not maintained properly. Incorrect tension can result in higher downtime, inflated maintenance cost, and lower productivity. Tensioners and idlers are used to help apply some force on the transmission system to maintain the right tension. Tensioners can apply the force parallel or perpendicular to the drive eliminating the need for regular drive retensioning. This means that the danger of inadvertently over-tensioning drive components is eliminated and the device efficiency is increased significantly. In addition to helping retension the drives, tensioners are also used to prevent belt slippage, transfer driving force from the crankshaft, and reduce noise generated from a belt. The following are the main categories of tensioners. 1. Light-duty rotary models 2. Linear tensioners 3. The medium to heavy duty tensioners Idler wheels are positioned between two other gears to help transmit motion between them without altering the output speed. The idler gear rotates in the opposite direction as that of the driving gear, while the follower gear moves in the opposite direction to that of the idler (the same as the driving gear). Depending on your system, you can opt to use the high-speed idlers on conveyors, floor cleaning equipment, industrial lines, and other power transmission applications. .Here is a list of the main idlers in the market today: 1. Flat belt idlers 2. Carriage rollers 3. Round belt idlers 4. Single flange idlers 5. V-belt idlers