How to Quiet a Squealing V-Belt
When a piece of machinery is making noise it is not supposed to, it is trying to tell you something. A squeaky belt may be saying more than just “replace me.” Let’s take a look at a few things that can cause a squeaky or squealing V-belt, and what you can do to keep it quiet and happy.
The first thing to do is noting when the belt squeals, or when the squealing gets better or worse. Do these align with any changes in what the system is doing? If a belt squeals loudly during startup but not – or less so – during steady state system operation, a likely culprit is laxness in the belt due to an improper tensioner in the system.
Squealing during high-speed operations could also point to the belt being loose, this time due to slippage. Slippage is one of the tradeoffs of V-belts: they are ideal for high speed, low load / low torque operations, but under those maximal conditions, they may slip.
A hand-over-hand visual inspection can reveal several potential causes.
Going hand-over-hand with a cloth to gently clean off the belt gives two solid indications of whether there is fluid on the belt, and how much: your eyes, and the cloth itself. Pay attention to whether the liquid is water or oil. If it is water, something may be leaking, either somewhere in the system or from the products on the belt if it is a conveyor belt. Alternatively, the water could be condensation, which might suggest improper temperature and humidity controls within the system or within your facility.
If your hands or cloth pick up a lot of oil, then you need to look for an oil leak or review maintenance procedures to ensure you are not over-lubricating the system.
The visual-manual inspection will also tell you the overall health of the belt. If you notice cracks or tears, of if the belt feels brittle, it’s time to replace the belt.
Use the replacement process as an opportunity to verify a few things. First, did you get the full rated operational lifespan of the belt? If not, the squealing and prematurely worn-out belt could have been the first indication that something else – and potentially more serious – is going wrong somewhere in the system. Or you might just need a better belt, and this is a sign that it’s time to upgrade vendors (did we mention you can order standard or cogged belts, including 3VX belts, 5VX, 8V, A section, and many more from MDS?)
Second, and bear with us here: is it the right belt? The wrong belt for the job will suffer from improper tension and shortened lifespan, perhaps among other system shortcomings. Everything may be OK with the system – you may just need to institute some better-quality control checks.
If none of that explains the squealing V-belt, it is time to broaden the investigation beyond the belt itself. The belt may be misaligned, an idler pulley may be worn out, or the loads the system places on the belt may be outside the belt’s rating. The harder it is to find the cause of the squeal, the more likely it lies outside the belt.
But more often than not, a few basic checks will tell you what you need to do to return to normal, quiet operations.
