Heavy-duty power transmission tips from Dayco
Power transmission specialist Dayco has issued advice for fleet and workshop operators on the maintenance of auxiliary drive systems.
The company is a major engine products and drive systems supplier for the automotive, industrial and aftermarket industries, with research and development facilities, manufacturing operations and distribution centres throughout the world.
Dayco is also a key player in the heavy duty (HD) sector, where it supplies original equipment (OE) components, to vehicle manufacturers (VMs) including DAF, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Scania and Volvo, as well as agricultural VMs such as New Holland.
Although the company originally made its name through the design and manufacture of drive belts, it has grown its product portfolio to include the associated components within the drive system to reflect its sector specialism. Therefore, the Dayco HD range also includes drive components – tensioners and idlers – of which it is a major OE supplier.
At the heart of the auxiliary drive system is the belt, which, depending on the application, will be of either V or Poly-V (multi-grooved) design.
Despite their relatively simple design, Dayco’s V-belts, which consist of more than 150 part numbers, are manufactured from premium quality materials to provide strength and durability, says the firm, while providing optimum resistance to oil, grease, heat, chemical agents, and ozone, as well as continuous flexing.
Meanwhile, Dayco says its Poly-V belts, which consist of more than 360 part numbers and are made of EPDM, are manufactured to the latest design criteria to deliver the very best in contemporary belt performance.
With a larger contact area compared to a V-belt, the Poly-V belt is capable of driving a greater number of ancillary components, says the company – and can also transfer power from its outer surface, which, depending on the application, can be either smooth, textured or ribbed.
“Due to the fact that the load is spread across the belt, Poly-V belts are comparatively thin and therefore have tremendous flexibility, which means they are also able to be used on small diameter pulleys, increasing the scope for engineers when seeking the ideal solution for the drive systems of new engine designs,” said Dayco.
“To ensure the ancillary components on the system are driven in accordance with their design specification, the drive belt must be kept at the correct tension and under a controlled load.
“This is made possible by the use of tensioners and idlers and with the increasing power of modern engines, allied to the growing number of auxiliary components driven by the belt, these drive components are now highly developed and engineered to exacting standards.”
Dayco’s HD tensioner and idler range now comprises more than 190 part numbers.
In terms of its aftermarket portfolio, Dayco says independents can be assured that all of Dayco’s OE pedigree flows through to its aftermarket offering, since the company’s manufacturing facilities, engineering processes and finished products are identical for both its OE and aftermarket supply channels.
“Both therefore reflect the latest technology, so technicians can be assured of the correct installation when it comes to the components, which means the fitting time is minimised, alignment of the auxiliary system optimised and the correct function of the components in the auxiliary drive system is secured,” said the company.
“In order for technicians to carry out the best possible job and fleet managers maximise the reliability of their vehicles, the auxiliary drive system should be considered as a single entity, instead of looking at the belt and drive components separately,” Dayco advised.
“Therefore, rather than changing individual items, technicians should replace the complete system, which allows them to provide a thorough repair solution.”
Should an auxiliary belt fail, alongside the need to replace the affected parts, the vehicle’s time off the road must also be factored into the potential cost of ignoring the condition of the belt, the firm adds.
Dayco cites recent figures obtained from Commercial Fleet journal suggesting that, depending on its load, a typical HD vehicle working on a daily national delivery contract, could cost the owner up to £500 a day while it is out of action. In addition, there is also the cost of roadside repair or recovery of the vehicle.
“However, applying Dayco’s ‘check and change’ principle every time a vehicle enters the workshop only takes a moment, and will mitigate these financial costs,” said the company.
“Naturally, this leads to business opportunities for workshops.”
As HD vehicles generally have more than one belt system, Dayco estimates that there are 100,000 systems that require maintenance annually, which, for the workshop, equates to a huge potential market.
