Thursday 29 January 2015

Looking after your V Belt…it’s more than a piece of rubber.

Many of us look at the V Belt as a fairly low cost piece of rubber that drives the expensive bits on our equipment. If the V belt fails it seems “fair game” to take the blame, being that “it’s only” a piece of rubber.
Over the years I have had many a conversation with customers whom have replaced a broken or worn belt with a new one only to find that the replacement had failed, these conversations usually started along the lines of “that bl***y belt I brought from you wasn’t any good, the flipping thing (or words similar) failed soon after I fitted it!!

I guess its human nature that when were in a hurry and the Belt has broken on our Elevator, Compressor, Lawn Mower or whatever machine, all you want is to find and fit a replacement and get going. But take a minute to ask yourself why the original belt failed in the first place? Was it simply fair wear and tear? Or was there another reason? If you fit a replacement V Belt (no matter what brand) to a worn, dirty, incorrectly tensioned or damaged drive it will fail.



10 tips to help maximize the life of your V belt;

  • Improperly tensioned belts are one of the most — if not THE most — common reason for premature belt failure. For optimum life and power transmission always follow the manufacturer’s installation and tensioning procedures.
  • Do not use a belt beyond its capacity or for an application other than specified by the equipment manufacturer, if you do premature failure may occur.
  • Do not modify a belt, its quality and performance will deteriorate.
  • Keep a clean drive. If water, oil, chemicals, or dirt stick to a belt or its pulley the power transmission capacity will decline- always make sure the drive is kept clean.
  • Make sure you select the correct belt for your application, Section, Power & Environment make a big difference …if in doubt ask.
  • Before replacing a belt, check the drive for alignment, worn or pitted pulleys, worn shafts and bearings.
  • Never Force a belt over the pulley with a screwdriver or bar, doing so will cause damage to the belt and result in premature failure.
  • Do not put weight on, or bend a belt forcibly to fit it or transport it – doing so will result in defects that will affect the life of the belt.
  • If you are storing a belt/belts do so in low humidity and a temperature range of -10C to +40C. Never expose a belt to direct sunlight.
  • If the belt is slipping, running hot, or squeaking check the tension.

I hope you have found these tips useful, don’t forget when you need a replacement belt our belt range will suit your budget and were here to help.
                                                 
                                                    

Wednesday 28 January 2015

Who are STEIGENTECH ?

I guess many of you will be asking that question….. let me explain why Drive Parts Direct have partnered with this newname in the UK PT market place. 

Steigentech stands for “rising technology” and for more than two decades the company and its brand has been established throughout Asia, Africa and the America’s -they believe in a people orientated business and have grown with this philosophy and by offering a value for money product range, they also believe that now is the right time to enter the UK market.

Some of you who know me, will know that I have strong beliefs in business relationships that are built on people, service and value for money, I believe that in partnership with Steigentech we at Drive Parts Direct will be offering an alternative product that works, products that are manufacturedto give an acceptable quality and features you would expect– but with a sensible cost that will suit your budget. 


Why Steigentech? 

The wealth of knowledge I have gained, over the years, has led me to recognize a market opportunity, for an affordable product range, which satisfies the vast majority of PT requirements. I have seen the factories, and have full confidence that the product is reliable, and offers great value for money. 

I was also aware that customers now want the convenience of purchasing these products from the comfort of their homes, offices, or out-and-about; using PCs, laptops, tablets and phones – and they want this available to them 24/7!

With all these factors in mind, I decided to seize the moment and launch Drive Parts Direct, I believe that in Steigentech I have found the perfect “fit”.

Why not give us a try, we won’t disappoint. 

 

 

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Smart Floor - New Machine

In preparation for our launch I thought it would be a great idea to give the warehouse floor a coat of paint this weekend. Must admit to having a sleepless night in Saturday as our new timing belt slitting machine was being delivered on Sunday and the floor was still wet when I left Saturday night...thankfully it was all dry on Sunday and our shiny new machine is now in place on a shiny warehouse floor ready to be wired in and powered up. We will be ready to cut imperial and metric timing belt to your required widths.

Monday 26 January 2015











As you can see we are here!!  Hope you like our site, we have exciting new quality products from Steigentech and Diamond on the way and we are getting ready for “going live”. Can’t wait to introduce our range to you all. What makes us different? …The Drive Parts Direct difference - unique products, with well-established quality brands, we are available for distributors, manufacturers, and end users. Many, Many, Many years of experience - as many of you know I am getting on a bit now!!! We have partnered with high quality global manufacturers, to bring an unbeatable value to all you purchasers in the UK, Ireland, and beyond. Most importantly we are nice people to do business with.

Steigentech
Diamond Chain