A common question that arises when designing an application involving power transmission is, “how will this system transfer motion?” Two of the most popular answers to this question are: A gear drive system or a belt and pulley drive system.

At SDP/SI, our application engineers are asked “which is better?” And just as with everything else in engineering, it depends.

Here we explore both options, the advantages, disadvantages, and circumstances that are better for one over the other.

Belt Technology
The belt and pulley drive system is one of the most common, there are different types of belt drives, here at SDP/SI two of the main ones are timing belts (synchronous belt) and V-belts.

Both are used to transmit motion from one shaft to another with the help of a thin, in-extensible band that runs over at least two pulleys. It is important to select the right kind of belt drive. V- belts are better suited for high-speed applications while timing belts are better for high torque.

Read more: Which is Better: Gear Drive or Belt and Pulley Drive System?