Smooth Operators
A noise in your tractor cab could drive you to distraction on those long days, but worse than that it, could be a blow to your efficiency as well as your comfort. That’s because the noise might indicate a belt slipping, resulting in the accessory it’s powering not performing effectively.
Belts power your air conditioning and your alternator. They keep your engine cool and most importantly they keep you safe because they are an essential component of your air brakes.
It’s crucial then that belts are made of tough, durable materials and are engineered to work perfectly with your machine to give you lasting performance.
That’s where a Design Engineer comes in...
Over 7000 hours of testing in the field
David Briand is an AGCO Design Engineer who has been working on belts for over 10 years. His job includes ensuring the highest quality materials are used when developing OEM belts for your machine and putting belts through rigorous, complex and precise testing to ensure they work for you time and time again.
Remember AGCO Parts replacement belts are the very same belts that come with your machine, designed to exacting standards and for a perfect fit.
“The first step of testing is in the lab. We equip a tractor with fibre optics to measure belt speed. We may use up to 11 optical fibers to evaluate all slippage areas and to confirm that they meet the specifications.”
“Belts with polyester (or PET) cords that we use must be able to withstand tensions up to 330 Newtons per rib. If the customer uses a non‑compliant cord, they may experience abnormal wear or elongation of the belt. This can lead to malfunction in engine components like engine overheating for the fan and water pump drive, insufficient electrical performance for the alternator, longer filling time for the compressed air tanks for the air compressor... the list goes on !”.
“The rubber compound of the belts also has an influence on slippage. Typically, it must remain below 3% slippage on average between driving and driven pulleys. In extreme cases, if the farmer selects unsuitable components, it can lead to slippage or excessive belt tension. Slippage will lead to noise, loss of component drive, premature wear, and loss of performance. Excessive belt tension will also lead to premature wear, including cord fraying, but there is also the risk of both belt cord failure and engine component breakage.”
“Once we’re happy with the lab checks we do thousands of tractor runs in the field. In our latest installation development, the belt drive was validated under several field conditions in Europe and South America including road transport, field work, and static applications, accumulating more than 7,000 hours across several machines. Each belt, tensioner and idler was then inspected to evaluate the wear condition and the remaining service life.”
Save money, protect your machine
David gave us three major reasons why he recommends sticking to genuine belts engineered by your machine manufacturer.
1. Cost savings
“Belts can have a direct impact on the lifespan of other parts of the machine. If they don’t have the right tension it can lead to the need to change other wear parts more frequently and your costs start adding up.”
2. Protecting your machine
“At the same time if the belt is broken it can catch surrounding components, damaging them, frequently the fan or plastic shield, these are expensive parts!”
3. Optimum performance
“Excessive belt slippage or flapping can generate significant power loss and dysfunction in driven components like cooling, electricity and air conditioning, reducing tractor performance for the farmer.”