What are V belts and wedge belts?

The V belts are used in industrial drives that need low noise operations. They can allow only a small amount of slippage and are used to being subjected to shock loads. 

The wedge belts are shaped like a wedge produced due to the need for high power consumption levels and lower space needs. The wedge belts provide more support than the traditional V belts. So, fewer belts are used to transmit load.

Types of V belts

V belts can be categorised mainly as:

Standard V belts

The conventional V belts are widely used and have different dimensions like Y, Z, A, B, C, D, and E. All the sizes have a top width to height ratio of 1.6:1. The included angle of the sizes is 40-degrees.

Banded V belt

These belts have many V-belts joined in parallel using a band on the top. They are used in high powered applications.

Agricultural V belt

They are modelled to withstand intense abrasion from sand, grains, dust, etc.

Double/hexagonal V belt

They look like two similar V-belts, with the top sides being the adjacent sides. The tension cord is present between both the V-shaped sections.

Narrow V belt

Narrow V belts are used to transmit larger loads in a small form. The designations that are used for the narrow belts are 3V, 5V, and 8V (denotes the top width multiplied by 1/8th of an inch).

Fractional horsepower V belt

These belts come in sizes of 2, 3, 4 and 5L (top width multiple by 1/8th inch).

Variable speed V belt

They have a broader cross-section than the classical belts. They can be used with variable speed pulleys.

Cogged V belt

They have notches or cogs at the bottom. These belts can be bent at a smaller radius.

Double cogged V belt

The mechanism of these belts are a mix of a cogged V-belt and a double V belt. They are used where high belt flexibility is needed.

V belts are standard drive belts that are used in power transmission. These belts must transfer power from a primary to a secondary source.