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Airplane tests new belt type

by David Bak, Editor-in-Chief, Global Design News -- Design News, January 21, 2002

Candiana, Italy — Designed for extreme working conditions, new-generation Panther™ belts from Dayco Rubber first proved their mettle where it counts the most: high in the air between engine and prop. Their story begins in 1993 when Italian airplane manufacturer Jeof s.r.l. initiated development of the company's recently introduced SAX 86 family of aircraft. Offering both carbureted and electronic fuel-injected versions, the SAX 86 model line is based on the well-known FIAT FIRE car engine.

In 1997, Jeof looked to replace the reduction gear with a belt to reduce noise, vibration, and cost. The company teamed up with Dayco's R&D department and built a rig for testing different belt structures under dynamic conditions. Test goal: design a high-performance, low-weight, low-noise belt able to transmit requested power with a 50-mm maximum width.

Compared to mechanical gear reduction, mechanical belt reduction saves weight and space. Ration is 2.6:1.

One of the belts tested was an RPP8 Panther construction, 50 mm wide. Recommended for compact drives characterized by high-torque loading, RPP Panther belts feature:

• belt body of Aramid fiber blended "ICR" (Improved Chloroprene Rubber) for high strength and high tooth hardness, resistance to flex fatigue and ozone, and heat resistance to 100C.

• Aramid fiber tension member for breaking loads greater than those possible with fiberglass cord, and for shock compensation, flexibility, and resistance to liquids.

• patented, double-nylon fabric bonded to the tooth belt surface, to improve carrying load. The outside cover features a patented graphite-impregnated fabric for self-lubrication, abrasion resistance, and improved drive efficiency.

• ground back allowing use of idlers on the belt's backside.

Test results? Excessive propeller inertia in the transition periods during the start and stop phases require additional measures to address and shock loading. Jeof, consequently, introduced a torque limiter on the shaft soon after the propeller. Dayco, in turn, proposed a fiberglass tension member with an elastic modulus greater than the Aramid fiber. In addition, a body compound offers a hardness of 95 Sh(A)—5 Sh(A) more than the normal Panther compound—for improved resistance at shear loads.

In the end, collaboration between Jeof and Dayco has benefited both companies with new product lines: For Jeof, the SAX 86 family of liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-cylinder airplanes; For Dayco, a next-generation Panther belt suitable for transmission and other extreme applications.

For more information about industrial belts from Dayco Rubber: Enter 534

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