Mechanical
Timing Belt
Transmits rotational motion from a motor to a driven shaft using a toothed, non-slip belt and pulley system.
Timing belts transmit rotation from a motor to a driven shaft using a toothed profile that engages matching pulleys, giving positive, non-slip motion transfer over a distance where a direct gear connection is not practical.
On robots, this design shows up more often on external axes and positioners than on the core arm joints, which typically use direct-coupled reducers, but some SCARA and delta robot designs use timing belts for one or more primary axes.
Belt tension and tooth wear are the two things checked during routine service, since a belt that has stretched or lost teeth introduces backlash and can eventually skip, causing a sudden position fault.
Related components
Common questions
- What does the Timing Belt do?
- Transmits rotational motion from a motor to a driven shaft using a toothed, non-slip belt and pulley system.
- How does the Timing Belt fail?
- Common failure modes: Tooth wear or cracking after extended service, Belt stretch reducing tension and introducing backlash, Sudden tooth skip causing a position fault, Contamination from oil or coolant degrading the belt material.
- What fault codes relate to the Timing Belt?
- Related codes include SRVO-021.