Chain vs. Belt Vs. Gear Drives
There's a few ways to transmit mechanical power from one place to another, but arguably the three most common methods are using a chain, a belt, or gears. In my research for a drive system for my electric mountainboard, I found quite a bit of information on what's good for what. I want to summarize my findings here. Drives 101 Chain Drive Image Credit: Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Public Domain Chain drives transmit power using the tensile force of a chain. There's many different kinds of chains, all designed for certain tasks. At its core, a chain is made up of many links with rollers, which interface with the teeth in a sprocket. When a sprocket turns, the teeth pulls one end of the chain, which turns the other sprocket. Chain sizes are generally standardized based on the dimensions of the chain. This dictates what sprockets can be used. They can also be stacked together to form wider chains, which can handle greater loads. Some sizes also have ...