Belt drives are usually classified as traction mechanism machine elements. They mainly are used to transfer torque and rotation between members such as wheels or pulleys. Toothed belts and chains transmit with a very rare possibility of slippage while traction mechanisms such as cables, flat belts and V-belts, on the contrary, are more prone to slippage. This experimental unit allows the study by experiment of belt drives and belt friction. The main component of experimental unit is an aluminium pulley, whose circumference comprises of profiles for V-belts and flat belts. The pulley is mounted on ball bearings and its moment of inertia ensures an even rotation of the pulley. The wrap angle can be varied between 30° and 180° in increments of 15°.

Two flat belts made of different materials, a V-belt and a cable belong to the scope of delivery. The experiments compare different belt types and materials and investigate the effect of the wrap angle. In addition, for V-belts, it is possible to study how the groove shape affects the coefficient of friction.