Early belt wear got you down? What's all that squeaking or noise? Never mind the tension keeps slipping. You've tried reducing loads. And there's no room for more idler take-up. So, where's the answer? Read on. You're getting warmer.

Because, we suspect, the issue is frictional heat.

Already, rubber, urethane or other elastic has internal friction. It stems from cyclic compressive forces within the material. Before linear travel or sliding can occur, the rubber must first break free from the contacting surface.

Much harder to do when the elastic belt is further softened from higher friction (heat).

That's why dry lubrication at the contacting surface is key. Could this also help with belt slipping or misalignment? We think so. If belt stiffness is managed through lower service temperature.

A lower coefficient of friction means reduced work, too. That's an energy savings. Not to mention lower costs relating to downtime, service or repair.

Whether pulley, shaft or idler roller, you need to coat its contacting surfaces. And materials such as nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), or carbonaceous materials, including graphite or "diamond like coating", (DLC) can be ideal.