Quality motors and belts from HTS Parts

At HTS, we strive to provide you with the best parts on the market. We proudly carry Baldor motors and Gates belts in all our locations. These products prove that parts as small as the motors and belts can greatly improve the operating power and efficiency of your system.

Stop by or contact your local parts store today to check inventory, ask questions and get more information.

Premium efficiency pays for itself

To understand what a motor really costs, compare initial purchase price with the cost of the electricity it uses over its working lifetime. Often, too much attention is paid to purchase price.

For most motors, this initial cost represents less than two percent of its lifetime cost. Electricity accounts for about 97 percent. Baldor Electric Company’s motors and drives save customers money every minute they operate. Whether it’s lower energy costs or greater reliability, these savings go straight to the bottom line.

In fans, blowers, and centrifugal refrigeration systems, energy savings can add up to 35 percent. For ever greater efficiency, consider the design of your system. For example, HVAC systems can be made more efficient by pairing a Baldor premium efficient motor with an adjustable speed drive (ASD). The improved savings result from the ASD automatically adjusting the motor speed to maintain an appropriate temperature and airflow.

Baldor’s broad line of drive products for fan and pump applications, soft starts, and line regenerative AC drives provide our customers with a variety of energy saving solutions.

Source: Baldor: A Proven Way to Reduce Electricity Costs

Case study: HVAC cost savings with Gates belts

Reichhold, Inc. is a global supplier to the composites and coatings industries, with 18 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries. The Durham, North Carolina needed a cost-saving solution to their $80k per month energy bill during the summer months. 

HVAC UNIT ANALYSIS AND CONVERSION 

The HVAC drive units were equipped with 4-strand V-belts, which required periodic retensioning and replacement every three months. The V-belt drive was replaced with a 14mm Gates Poly Chain® GT® Carbon™ belt drive, and performance was tracked. Annual KWh usage fell into a range between 10,103 and 10,557 KWh per year, representing a yearly energy cost savings of $505 to $527 per unit. Converting all 21 units represents an energy cost savings of 21 x $505 = $10,608. In addition, the synchronous belt drive will run for years without retensioning or replacement, saving additional downtime and maintenance expense.

COOLING TOWER FAN DRIVE ANALYSIS AND CONVERSION 

The Reichhold facility also included two 1,320-ton chillers with matching cooling towers. Each cooling tower had two fan drives fitted with V-belts. When one of the fan drives was converted to a 14mm Gates Poly Chain GT Carbon belt drive, the difference in performance was substantial. Estimated yearly cost savings for converting all four fans is $12,595, including reduced downtime and maintenance costs.

EXHAUST FAN DRIVE ANALYSIS AND CONVERSION 

Although covered, the 44 fume hood exhaust fans on the Reichhold facility rooftop are subject to extreme seasonal temperature changes. 2-strand V-belts must be replaced every three months. The immediate result from conversion to an 8mm Poly Chain GT Carbon belt drive saw a 12.9% reduction in energy consumption. In addition, the annual cost of maintaining each V-belt was $250. Converting all 44 drives represents a maintenance cost savings of $11,000/year, in addition to the lower energy costs.

CONCLUSION

The maintenance and energy cost savings achieved by converting various V-belt drives to synchronous belt drives at the Reichhold facility totals over $34,000 per year.

Source: Gates Belts - Energy Savings from Synchronous Belt Drives

Tech tips: Belt drive preventative maintenance checklist

By following these steps, belt drives can be maintained efficiently and safely.

1. Always turn off the power to the drive. Lock the control box and tag it with a warning sign “Down For Maintenance. Do Not Turn Power On.” Make sure the power is turned off for the correct drive. Never have contact with a belt drive unless the system is tagged and locked out.

2. Test to make sure correct circuit has been turned off.

3. Place all machine components in a safe (neutral) position. Make sure that moving components are locked down or are in a safe position. Make sure that fans cannot unexpectedly freewheel.

4. Beware of pinch points. Keep hands and fingers clear, especially where belts enter sheaves and sprockets.

5. Remove guard and inspect for damage. Check for signs of wear or rubbing against drive components. Clean and realign guard to prevent rubbing if necessary.

6. Inspect belt for wear or damage. Replace as needed.

7. Inspect sheaves or sprockets for wear and misalignment. Replace if worn.

8. Inspect other drive components such as bearings, shafts, motor mounts and take-up rails.

9. Inspect static conductive grounding system (if used) and replace components as needed.

10. Check belt tension and adjust as needed.

11. Recheck sheave or sprocket alignment.

12. Reinstall belt guard.

13. Turn power back on and restart drive. Look and listen for anything unusual.

Source: Gates Belts - Preventative Maintenance Manual