Eco-Friendly Belt Drive Systems Using 3D Printing Technology

Abstract

This paper presents the development of eco-friendly belt drive systems using 3D-printed Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU 95A), a biodegradable alternative to conventional rubber belts. Belt profiles were designed using CAD software and fabricated via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) with optimized parameters (210°C nozzle, 100% infill). Tensile and shear tests, conducted per ASTM D638 and D5369 standards, revealed a tensile strength of 21.39 MPa (34.99% elongation) and shear strength of 5.0 MPa, indicating suitability for light-to-medium duty applications. Compared to rubber belts (25–30 MPa tensile strength), TPU 95A offers comparable elasticity with superior environmental benefits, decomposing within ~5 years. Challenges, including print failures and temperature limitations (~90°C), were addressed through iterative design and parameter tuning. The results demonstrate TPU 95A’s potential as a sustainable, customizable solution for power transmission, with implications for green manufacturing. Future work includes hybrid material exploration and dynamic testing.

Introduction

Belt drive systems are widely used in industries for power transmission but conventional rubber belts pose environmental issues due to their long decomposition times (~50 years) and resource-intensive manufacturing. This paper proposes an eco-friendly alternative using Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU 95A), a biodegradable polymer (~5 years decomposition), fabricated via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing.

The study focuses on designing TPU 95A belts with optimized trapezoidal tooth profiles, evaluating their mechanical performance through tensile and shear tests, and comparing results with traditional rubber belts. TPU 95A belts show slightly lower tensile and shear strength than rubber but have significantly higher elasticity, better noise damping, and greater customization potential due to 3D printing. TPU’s biodegradability and lower carbon footprint make it a sustainable option, with additive manufacturing reducing material waste.

Challenges include TPU’s limited performance above 90°C, lower shear strength restricting heavy-duty use, and printing issues like clogging and support removal. Suggested future work involves hybrid material development, fatigue testing, recycling TPU waste, and embedding sensors for wear monitoring.

Applications include lightweight industrial conveyors, robotics, auxiliary drives in electric vehicles, and educational prototyping.

Conclusion

This study developed and validated eco-friendly 3D-printed TPU 95A belt drives, achieving a tensile strength of 21.39 MPa and shear strength of 5.0 MPa, suitable for light-to-medium duty applications. The belts offer superior elasticity (up to 451.67% elongation) and biodegradability (~5 years) compared to rubber, alongside 3D printing’s customization benefits. Challenges, such as print failures and temperature limitations, were addressed through optimized parameters. The findings position TPU 95A belts as a sustainable alternative for power transmission, with applications in conveyors, robotics, and electric vehicles. Future work should focus on material reinforcement, dynamic testing, and recycling to enhance scalability and performance, advancing green manufacturing in mechanical engineering.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Hemantha C, Puneeth B N, Rakesh N M, Sanjay K, Sharath N. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.