DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION, HISTORY, CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE

 A cam may be defined as a machine

element having a curved outline or a curved groove, which, by its oscillation, rotation or reciprocating motion, gives a predetermined specified motion to another element called the follower . It is usually consists of a cam (the driver), the follower (the driven element), and the frame (the support for the cam and the follower).

PARTS OF CAM MECHANISM

KINEMATIC DIAGRAM FOR CAM MECHANISM

 Teutonic word Kambr (toothed

instrument) - refers to cam mechanisms that have their origin in the wedge (a linear cam) and have been found in Paleolithic Age relics of about 10,000 years ago. The later construction of the great pyramids of Egypt also involved the use of the wedge. However, it was the genius of Leonardo da Vinci that produced a modern design cam applied to a machine for pumping water.

LEONARDO DA VINCI The first cam designs were found in Leonardo da Vincis sketches in his Codex Madrid I. Leonardo found cam mechanisms being very compact mechanical devices to transform rotary motion to linear motion.

Cam hammer Designed around 1497 by Leonardo da Vinci. The hammer uses a cam to convert rotary motion to oscillating motion.

Cams are classified in three ways: In terms of their shape, such as wedge, radial, cylindrical, globoidal, conical, spherical, or three-dimensional; In terms of the follower motion, such as dwell-rise-dwell (DRD), dwell-rise-returndwell (DRRD), or rise-return-rise (RRR); or In terms of the follower constraint, which is accomplished by either positive drive or spring load as mentioned previously.

 Disk/Plate Cam

The follower moves in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cam. Mostly use type of cam.

 Translation/ Wedge Cam

The cam moves over and back, reciprocating motion, which drives the follower vertically.

 Cylindrical/Ba

rrel Cam The roller follower operates in a groove cut on the periphery of a cylinder. The follower may translate or oscillate.

 End/Face Cam

A cylinder with the required profile cut in the end. The axis of rotation of the cam and the direction of motion of the follower are parallel but not collinear.

 Yoke Cam

The yoke cam is a positive-drive cam enclosed by a follower with opposite rollers or surfaces a constant distance apart.

 Conjugate

Cam The conjugate, complementar y, or doubledisk cam is one having dual radial disks, each in contact with a roller on the follower.

 Globoidal Cam

The globoidal cam rotates about its axis driving a roller follower. It is similar in appearance and action to the cylindrical cam. (Fig.)
Inverse cam

The inverse cam is one in which the element corresponding to the follower of a cam mechanism is utilized as the driver. (Fig.)

RECIPROCATING FOLLOWERS Knife-Edge Follower This is the simplest type and not often used due to the rapid rate of wear. It is usually use for reciprocating motion, running in slides and there is considerable side thrust. (Fig.) Roller Follower Uses a roller and eliminates rapid wear of follower. (Fig.)

 Flat Face Follower

This has the advantage that the only side thrust present is that due to the friction between the follower and the cam. (Fig.)
Spherical-faced follower

The spherical face of the follower has a large radius that compensates for detrimental deflection or misalignment that may occur with the flat mushroom follower. (Fig.)

FOLLOWER ARRANGEMENT
In-line follower the center line of the

follower passes through the center line of the camshaft. Offset follower the center line of the follower does not pass through the center line of the cam shaft. The amount of offset is the distance between these two center lines. The offset causes a reduction of the side thrust present in the roller follower.

 Radial follower rotates or oscillates as the

cam is in rotational motion.

 Rotating cam-translating follower (Fig.) Rotating follower (Fig.)

The follower arm swings or oscillates in a circular arc with respect to the follower pivot. Translating cam-translating follower (Fig.) Stationary cam-rotating follower The follower system revolves with respect to the center line of the vertical shaft.

In all cam systems it is important that the follower is always in contact and following the motion of the cam. Gravity constraint The weight of the follower system is sufficient to maintain contact. Spring constraint The spring must be properly designed to maintain contact.

 Positive

mechanical constraint A groove maintains positive action. Example is the Constantdiameter cam shown in the left.

 Cam profile is the actual working surface

contour of the cam. It is the surface in contact with the knife-edge, roller surface, or flat-faced follower. Base circle is the smallest circle drawn to the cam profile from the radial cam center. Obviously, the cam size is dependent on the established size of the base circle.

 Trace point is the point on the follower

located at the knife-edge, roller center, or spherical-faced center. Pitch curve, or pitch profile, is the path of the trace point. In cam layout, this curve is often determined first and the cam profile is then established by tangents to the roller or flat-faced follower surfaces. For the elementary knife-edge follower, the pitch curve and cam profile are the same.

 Prime circle is the smallest circle drawn to

the pitch curve from the cam center. It is similar to the base circle. Pressure angle is the angle (at any point) between the normal to the pitch curve and the direction of the follower motion. This angle is important in cam design because it represents the steepness of the cam profile, which if too large can affect the smoothness of the action.

 Pitch point is that point on the pitch

curve having the largest pressure angle. Pitch circle is defined as the circle drawn through the pitch point with its center at the cam center.

ANALYSIS OF CAM FOLLOWER MOTION

 Rise - is when the follower is moving away

from the cam centre. Dwell - is the period when the follower is stationary. Return - is when the follower moves back towards the cam centre. Stroke/Total follower travel/Throw (h) is the greatest distance through which the follower moves.

 Displacement (s) is the position of the

follower from a specific zero or rest position in relation to time or the rotary angle of the cam. Velocity (v) is the speed with which the cam moves the follower.

Acceleration (a) is the rate of change of

the followers velocity.

 Jerk (j) is the rate of change of the

followers acceleration.

Angular velocity () is the speed of the

cam or the ratio of the angular displacement by the cam to the time interval t. where is in radians

 A follower displacement diagram is a graph

showing displacement of the follower plotted as a function of time. Since the cam usually rotates at constant angular velocity, the t-axis can be consider as the -axis. The follower displacement diagram determines the shape of the cam.

where: h is the stroke t is in seconds is in radians

 This is where the follower moves at a

constant velocity.

 Generally, this design

is not used for critical systems because the high acceleration at the two ends of the segment will result in large forces that will smooth out in the cam.

 The shock effects inherent from the uniform

velocity can be reduces by modifying the motion. The modification is to have the follower undergoing uniform acceleration at the start of the constant velocity interval and uniform deceleration at the end of the constant velocity interval, so that the velocity curve is continuous.

 Cams that produces simple harmonic

motion to the follower are called eccentric cams. Eccentric cams are circular cams wherein the axis of rotation does not intersect the center of the circle. (Fig.) The displacement equation of simple harmonic motion can be written as :

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

 The displacement of a body moving from

rest with a constant acceleration is:

This is the equation for a parabola (x2 = ky

where k = constant) so that motion involving constant acceleration is often called parabolic motion.

 A cycloidal curve is the path traced by a

point on a circle as the circle rolls on a straight line. To create a cycloidal motion in cam design, involves superimposing cycloidal motion on constant velocity motion. No acceleration discontinuities, therefore it can be applied to high speeds.

CYCLOIDAL MOTION

 Most versatile functions use for cam design.

Can achieve any desired motion of the

follower. General equation:

 In constructing the cam profile, we employ

the principle of kinematic inversion, imagining the cam to be stationary and allowing the follower to rotate opposite to the direction of cam rotation.

FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF CAM DESIGN

 The cam function must be continuous

in the first and second derivatives of displacement across the entire 360 interval. The jerk must be finite across the entire 360 interval.