Motion Australia’s Product Manager for Chain and Ironware, Troy Markland, believes that a good belt solution isn’t complete without the right accessories, and the Fenner Power Transmission portfolio offers the most comprehensive package of PT accessories on the market. 

According to the Fenner engineering team, approximately 50% of new belts are fitted to worn out pulleys, which wastes energy and inevitably shortens the life expectancy of the belt and the assembly. “A word to the wise —to maximise investment and boost efficiency and service life on an application, fit new belts with new pulleys,” says Troy. 

With more than 160 years of experience quite literally “under their belt”, the Fenner name has long been synonymous with manufacture and supply of premium grade Power Transmission products for heavy industrial applications. 

“Particularly in the mining and quarrying segment— where there are high-speed driven applications that rely on the integrity of PT products—it’s important to rely on suppliers like Fenner that how the requisite experience and engineering capabilities in that space,” says Troy. 

“Fenner offers a comprehensive list of belt-driven designs, complete with reliable and durable couplings, pulleys, and taperlocking accessories to compliment a wide range of drive line applications.”  

For mining applications, there are three core products in the Fenner range that Troy suggests as a complete PT solution: The Fenner® Classic V friction belt, the Fenner® Friction Pulley, and the Fenner Taper Lock® bush system. 

The Fenner Classic V friction belt is conducive to static in accordance with ISO 1813 and constructed from a treated jacket that has heat and oil resistant properties. In addition to these features, the belt uses Precision Build (PB) technology that makes it a true “fit-and forget” solution. 

Fenner Pulleys are precision manufactured from high grade iron materials to tolerate high loads and achieve rim speed of up to 40m/s. The pulleys are surface treated and statically balanced to provide greater accuracy on high-speed applications. 

Combining the Fenner Pulleys with the four whole FennerTaper Lock Bush shaft fixing system—cast from premium grade iron and steel—and the result is greatly improved balance and a higher tolerance to shock loads, according to Troy. “Significantly, the Fenner Taper Lock Bushes have been tested on more than 50 million applications and have proven to be the most effective shaft fixing design on the market.”

Troy recommends the Fenner Pully and Taper Lock bush solutions to many of his mining customers. “In contrast to some of the traditional key locking assemblies on the market, the Fenner Taper Lock® bush system is one of our preferred methods of fixing transmission components to machine shafts,” he explains. “The bush bore design is a simple and effective piece of engineering that allows for easy fitting to the machine shaft.” 

“Particularly, when you are dealing with a drive system that is moving heavy raw materials, chemicals or liquids, it is imperative that your drive solution is reliable and easy to maintain,” explains Troy. “Otherwise, you risk belt jumps and equipment failures.”

When it comes to selecting the right PT accessories, Troy suggests mine site operators contact their local Motion Australia branch to speak to technical experts. “We have a great working relationship with Fenner as a supplier and access to valuable engineering resources that can assist in designing the right PT solution for every application,” he concludes. 

Fenner Pulleys Features and Benefits

• Manufactured from high-grade iron

• Tolerant to high shock loads

• Achieve rim speeds of up to 40m/s

• Statically balanced

• Surface treated to prevent corrosion

• Customisation options

Fenner Taper Lock Features and Benefits

• Tested on more than 50 million applications

• Available in a range of weld-on hubs, bolt-on hubs and hub adaptors

• Shrink-on fit on uniform load applications 

• No key necessary

• 4-hol feature for more balanced assemblies

• High-grade, close grain iron material