Weight and transportation limitations.

Or are you meaning designed to? ■

Price & Function:

Aside from NN vs EP being relevant, most belt selections are based on best function and/or price with necessity that selection meets operating criteria – underground, mechanical splices, very high impact with low tensile rating, etc.

Power Consumption & Economy:

Steel cord is typically specified when price and performance are mandated by engineers that know the difference. Take for example – steel cord belt will typically consume about half the power of the fabric construction for well designed systems. Beyond about ST-1000 N/mm, steel cord is cheaper to construct for long belts and, depending on rating, require fewer splices, et al.

Reliability:

Steel cord belts are more reliable as you can discern from the lower belt safety factor: Steel cord can operate @ SF = 5:1, while fabric is normally in the range of SF = 10:1. ■