Snapidle - Snapidle Chain & Belt Tensioners - Why Us?

Why Snapidle?

Correct operating tension is an important factor in the satisfactory performance and life of any v-belt or chain drive. As v-belts wear they seat themselves deeper in the sheave grooves. This seating, along with belt stretch lessens the initial tension. The result is slippage and loss in horsepower capacity unless some form of take-up is used to restore and maintain the original tension.

As chains wear they elongate, which results in sway, slap and increased vibration. This puts undue shock into the drive and increases bearing wear. As the chain elongates, it "crawls" out of the sprocket teeth and results in dramatic premature sprocket failure and decreased drive life.

Both v-belt and chain drives wear at an increased rate if they are allowed to run with insufficient tension. Adjustable center distances are the recommended method of maintaining proper tension. In cases of fixed center distances, tensioners and idlers provide the necessary means of take-up. These tensioners and idlers provide a means of obtaining extra belt or chain wrap frequently needed for high ratios, multiple shafts or serpentine drives.

"Traditional" tensioning or idling devises face the following problems:

1. Too much tension in a drive causes excessive belt, chain and bearing wear.
2. Too little tension in a drive allows belt slippage or chain vibration, resulting in loss of power and additional wear.
3. All traditional idlers should be installed on the slack side of the drive.
4. Traditional v-belt idlers should be used on the inside of the belt, which results in a corresponding horsepower loss due to the reduced arc of contract.
5. Idlers used on the outside of a drive should be located approximately 1/3 of the center distance from the small sheave, pulley or sprocket, or the drive will suffer detrimental effects.
6. Chain wrap or pulley wrap must be 120 degrees of the small sprocket or sheave in order to have adequate drive life and in order not to suffer horsepower loss.
7. Traditional idling sprockets add increased wear to the drive.
8. The system must be mounted, maintained and lubricated.

Snapidle™ provides a constant amount of tension to the chain drive, increasing drive life. It tensions, guides, quiets, controls and increases both chain and sprocket life. It requires no mounting devices or maintenance and is a benefit to the drive system, not a deterrent. Economical, easy to install, maintenance free, the Snapidle™ is the answer to the problem of controlling drive chains.

By being able to take up tension through the chain, Snapidle™ eliminates the need for adjustable center distance drives. All chains may be ordered in even pitches (eliminating half links) since the additional tension may be taken up by the Snapidle™.

Since the Snapidle™ "floats" on the chain drive and actually absorbs shock, it does not add to vibration in the drive. Both sprockets will have the maximum chain wrap possible, thereby increasing chain life (load sharing) and sprocket life (the chain is unable to crawl out of the teeth).

On large chain drives, the expense required to install a tensioning system may be unrealistic. A Snapidle™ unit at a fraction of the cost of traditional tensioning methods can tension almost any roller chain drive. Many multiple strand drives cannot be tensioned by traditional idling or tensioning systems, but are readily fitted with Snapidle™ economically.