Belt Driven Spindle

Belt driven spindles are one of the major categories of spindle based on the driving medium. Belt driven spindles cover almost all categories of the application spindles. Though it is the traditional technique in use from a long time and many new variations have come up in the market like the motorized or the high frequency spindles, still belt driven spindles are popular and used in a large number of industrial applications. These spindles find its use in grinding, drilling, milling, turning and many other machining tasks. The spindles operate with a tangential belt drive system. They are best accommodated to the places where there is sufficiency of space because the belts require certain space. Now-a-days these spindles are available in variety of sizes and models in compact designs.


How does a belt driven spindle operates?
Power and rotation are provided to this spindle with the help of external motor. The motor is usually mounted adjacent to the spindle, the torque is transferred to the shaft of the spindle by using a cogged or V-belt. The speed, power, torque of the spindle depend upon the performance features of the driving motor, and the belt ratio used between the spindles and the motor.

Features of belt driven spindles

• The belt driven spindles are available in block, cartridge, and flange cartridge styles.
  
  
• Belt-driven spindles are of different types based on bearing construction and overall spindle configuration.
  
  
• They are available in a variety of sizes and models and with many optional features.
  
  
• To optimize the performance of the belt driven spindles for specific applications, a number of specific machines like bearings are used. Certain bearings like tapered roller bearings, angular contact ball bearings and tapered bore roller bearings are used to maximize the performance of belt-driven spindles.
  
  
• High speed belt driven spindles require special lubrication.
  
  
• Belt driven spindles are sensitive to vibration.
  
  
• They are also sensitive to run-out generated by the drive motor.
  
  
• Belt-driven spindles are offered in grinding head, boring head, milling head which helps in grinding, boring, milling and so on.
  
  
• With a belt-driven spindle, the belt is easy to maintain and easily accessible.
  
  
• The type of belt affects the noise level of the spindle.
  
  
• High radial and axial stiffness.
  
  
• Minimized excessive temperature rise and minimized shaft elongation in action in some spindles.

Other Belt Driven Spindles

• Belt Driven Grinding Spindles
• Belt Driven Milling Spindles

Uses of Belt Driven Spindles
Belt driven spindles are highly popular because of the following reasons:

• Belt driven spindles are used for all grinding purposes.
  
  
• Belt driven spindles are used in all types of milling and drilling applications.
  
  
• They provide a low cost simple design just suitable for a wide range of applications.
  
  
• The flexibility of a belt driven spindle design makes it easy to customize.
  
  
• They meet a wide variety of load, size and speed requirements.
  
  
• They are required for high-speed machining. These spindles are used especially where a large number of different bores have to be ground with high precision, which is not possible in a normal spindle.
  
  
• Belt driven spindles are considered less expensive as power is passed from the motor to the spindle by simple toothed or "V" type rubber belts or poly-V belts.
  
  
• They are capable of attaining higher spindle speeds than geared spindles.

Applications of Belt Driven Spindles
Belt driven spindles find their greatest applications in

• Light machining of steels and non ferrous metals.
• Light internal grinding
• Heavy internal grinding
• Light external grinding
• Heavy external grinding
• Grinding deep holes
• Grinding in high speed
• Milling
• Drilling
• Boring
• Routing
• Engraving etc.