V-Belts and Wedge Belts

February 10, 2025
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As a V-belts and wedge belts supplier, Yorkshire-based YB Components know the importance of understanding the different functions and purposes of the different belt designs. Here we take a quick look at the two belt types, their fundamental differences and the various applications they are designed for.

V-Belts

V-belts or variable speed belts are best used when accurate synchronisation or timing is not necessary. V-belts are usually a lower cost option with excellent qualities such as quiet running and versatile power transmission efficiency.

V-belt applications usually involve industrial drives because of their ease of installation and low cost, as well as the wide range of sizes available. They are usually adaptable to any industrial drive, though can be problematic due to their tendency to slip.

The first endless rubber V-belt was developed in 1917 by the Gates Rubber Company, with the multiple V-belt drive developed a few years later by a rival company who wanted to out-do the single V-belt version.

Wedge Belts

Wedge Belts are often used for higher power transmissions where there is limited space. They can transmit more power than other belts despite having the same top width. They achieve this with better cord construction and by placing the cord line in an optimal position to support the belt while in operation.

The construction of wedge belts involves a pre-stretched cord which creates the wedge belt’s low stretch property. Because of this, it is imperative that the wedge belt drive maintains a proper tension to elicit efficient performance. Without the proper tension, the usefulness of wedge belts decreases rapidly.

Wedge belts are used almost exclusively in industrial applications using heavy loads, though they are capable of performing well for relatively light applications as well.

V-Belts and Wedge Belts Suppliers in Yorkshire

As the UK’s leading wedge belts and classical V-belts suppliers, Yorkshire’s YB Components have years of experience sourcing the very best belts and chains from top manufacturers from all over the world. The pulley and belt range features many well known manufacturers as well as lesser known brands.

As well as supplying belts, YB Components distribute gearboxes, couplings, clutches bearings, wheels and chains for a wide variety of industrial applications. Plus, even though the company is a global distributor of machine parts, being based in Yorkshire means that businesses located in nearby areas such as Castleford, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Pontefract and Knottingley can benefit from same day delivery on the items they order.

If you are looking for any V-belts or wedge belts by either the better known manufacturers or the more obscure ones, then contact YB Components who are the UK’s leading V-belts suppliers in Yorkshire who keep local stocks ready to ship out fast and free all over the UK and the rest of the world.