Is a automatic motor mount base worth it?

rons · May 21, 2019

DAYTON Adjustable Steel Motor Base,For NEMA Frame 184,12-3'/'4 Length '('In.')',10-1'/'2 Width '('In.')' - 3M280'|'3M280 - Grainger

DAYTON Automatic Motor Base,For NEMA Frame 182'/'184,14-1'/'16 Length '('In.')',9-5'/'8 Width '('In.')' - 6YTR5'|'6YTR5 - Grainger

Difference in price between the two is more than 10x.

Experience with automatic motor mount base and is it worth it?

I'm thinking about making one. The difficult part would be boring those long holes for the rails. There should be a spring inside the center box. Maybe not.

TDegenhart · May 22, 2019

If you have mill, a cut off saw and welder you could make one for a lot less than $470.

Tom

SAF · May 22, 2019

A bit more info, pictures and data sizes, if you want to fab one.

https://www.regalpts.com/PowerTransmissionSolutions/Sell%20Sheet-%20Product/Form_9879E.pdf

http://www.overlyhautz.com/automatic1.html

Adjustable Motor Bases | Belt Drives | Drive Components | Browning

I have one of these, made by Gerbing, cast iron construction with adjustment crank. Some available used on ebay

Item # 68514440213, Sliding "SMB" Type Motor Bases - Imperial On Lovejoy, Inc.

Roto Cone Adjustable Motor Base 1B | eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gerbing-Roto-Cone-Cast-Metal-Adjustable-Motor-Base-Belt-Tensioner-Used-good/254030330265?hash=item3b25633999&enc=AQADAAADAFjVrDbVsZ8oH%2F8PNHtt9VX4%2Fw7FZcmMuqsX8uaFEduVPFCQQECVfikbHZM0ENHSkQn9vqfi9bIA%2FLVptJ3ziYi2UGiEVdQA1iCGfalmYbgxyic0wMfJ3ok2X%2B%2FFSmj%2FbOvLdxevCseay6zp0%2FJLZNwkGxgq4qr3w2EEuLhA5cWagF77luxj0X8wpBYF1aBUtS2KdyOCuS7KKKZLt1f5fvxFVTJt%2FAGfTuLx3zdHkzFkTHWatJPHdf%2ByWoBM4itvyUHZmic7Za5JLVlNqt1DK7vy%2Bd4pRNoLghuOvbEZ9yLy2zgBVQn0DcrwJSZN7PK22GuVnhjas9JKr2WQa9nDlO5WTy4l0M1dwwxJFXP7FGe8k2Fgu%2F3OvJ6teDo7ufidiSlBmQmkDvUEN9qPic1T%2BYeklVo5ne59kUquZ2q%2BMlIMUa6KpEkZb7at34ypylhDAgjspXJr2jVMCpUL%2FMrtlhMVFXWNpYaoUENvLPBGznBF6iQJ%2BnSqOk6hclGuq1kHkKhdXE8bHzP8rsgTFpf2Bm8ouetRUuuqm4TZBBqzdMu4nNYtKaJtv4RH4pWawrT7VxBVvzMiyqmn0%2BM9oALJBTP6CDKNxnLlRIkmZWufZk5HbnSrmzSSVi54HhzA7cqaOcRP6T5ASAcNzowMN6MOHEPiq9R3LTnBwOJxczzmbKboOdlxEaWi2DtCd3R%2Fp6DKXDGkv3RQYSZ%2F86iRBAZDKpe213k5jc5akqlK8JPd4r8GkcLKqqT89zby3HZOwgFL3ZpdnkT6VpSb6wx%2BPEawXk95mXc%2FcH6pbvP%2BOZrOQmY%2FM333efGhUTBJ80sIbIO3EYYB7LEvXPOO5sQcRuZAt5Qdm7PU2Oi%2FAPi2RBOrDrlvIX4Zcn2XHSUErVLdgYTwcQoFC8wzQ6Q01bngEyrhnr7z0iZMIZk2KLy1cE0nSmzbf1JuxhgyaFDROIf8c%2FMY9e%2FC3OX%2Fh24elBth%2B3pNIE29nI2p32u%2F8UWurBy7oOzBD2j5tgT7lLPexg9LnqPg0w%3D%3D&checksum=254030330265417984d0f9a042dda108492d5b0f938f

SAF Ω

rons · May 22, 2019

SAF said:
A bit more info, pictures and data sizes, if you want to fab one.

https://www.regalpts.com/PowerTransmissionSolutions/Sell%20Sheet-%20Product/Form_9879E.pdf

Would need to figure out what the slide bearing surface is. The carriage must float freely but be as tight as possible.
The spring tension is something I have no idea about, type of spring, etc.

Thanks

TDegenhart · May 22, 2019

To float the motor, mount the motor base on rails with lubed bronze bushings. Cover the exposed rails to prevent contamination. As far as a spring is concerned, you should know what the tension is in the drive belt, that should be available from the belt manufacturer. Once you have the tension, that tells what the spring force should be. The next bit will be from the expected stretch of the belt as this will determine the spring constant, The spring constant tells you the variation in spring force with a change in spring length. The last bit is to go to a die spring manufactures catalog and choose a spring. Die springs are vary consistent in their properties unlike hardware store varieties.

Tom

sfriedberg · May 22, 2019

They really let the Marketing department go to town on that one. It's not an automatic motor mount. All adjustments are manual. It gives you one manual adjustment in place of four bolts to tighten.

rons · May 23, 2019

It is automatic. It's designed to move back and forth at any instant and to compensate for belt stretching.

sfriedberg · May 23, 2019

I am looking at the picture in the link. That product is only automatic if you add an operator standing by to turn the handle on the adjusting screw when the belt gets loose. It does not initiate any corrective or compensating operation on its own.

If the picture is incorrect for the product, and the product possesses a belt tension sensor, an actuator and a servo mechanism connecting the two, then it would be automatic.

rons · May 23, 2019

The spring inside the center box does the automatic tensioning. :Yawn:

sfriedberg · May 23, 2019

Yawn all you want. On the half-dozen similar models I have seen installed, there is no spring. That's a threaded rod with a captive nut, just like any machine tool slide. You have to rotate the rod to move the platform the motor is bolted to.

Now, if it's spring action tensioning your want, buy an old school belt tensioner (spring-loaded arm with a dummy sheave), and leave the motor on a fixed base.

rons · May 23, 2019

https://www.regalpts.com/PowerTransmissionSolutions/Sell Sheet- Product/Form_9879E.pdf

Looks like a spring to me.

rons · May 24, 2019

TDegenhart said:
To float the motor, mount the motor base on rails with lubed bronze bushings. Cover the exposed rails to prevent contamination. As far as a spring is concerned, you should know what the tension is in the drive belt, that should be available from the belt manufacturer. Once you have the tension, that tells what the spring force should be. The next bit will be from the expected stretch of the belt as this will determine the spring constant, The spring constant tells you the variation in spring force with a change in spring length. The last bit is to go to a die spring manufactures catalog and choose a spring. Die springs are vary consistent in their properties unlike hardware store varieties.

Tom

Thanks Tom.

Froneck · May 28, 2019

I'm not sure how that automatic tensioner works. Old school had a spring loaded idler on the "slack" side. But if a spring is used to pull the motor to provide tension would the load changing move the motor and lesson tension when needed most? I can see having the bolt arranged so that tightening is is a fix tension and any belt stretch will be compensated for but as the belt stretches the tension will decrease and if not adjusted will again have the tension change as load changes. Am I seeing something incorrect?

TDegenhart · May 28, 2019

Froneck said:
I'm not sure how that automatic tensioner works. Old school had a spring loaded idler on the "slack" side. But if a spring is used to pull the motor to provide tension would the load changing move the motor and lesson tension when needed most? I can see having the bolt arranged so that tightening is is a fix tension and any belt stretch will be compensated for but as the belt stretches the tension will decrease and if not adjusted will again have the tension change as load changes. Am I seeing something incorrect?

You are correct in your assessment. With a simple spring tensioner, any sharp increase in load will cause the tension in the belt to increase, causing the motor to slide forward and then back as the load evens out. Clearly, this will cause vibration and could influence the surface finish. Similarly, a worn belt or an uneven pulley will do the same, actually even worse. It could cause a continuing cyclic vibration in the work and/or tool. This could be minimized with that addition of a shock absorber or friction as in a spring loaded friction pad between the fixed and moveable parts.

So now you have decision to make. Clamp the motor down solid and deal with any slack or vibration, do as Froneck has suggested and make slack side tensioner or a spring loaded motor base with or without damping.

Tom

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