Cam & Follower

A cam is to be designed for a knife-edge follower with the following data:

1. Cam lift=40 mm during 90o of cam rotation with simple harmonic motion.
2. Dwell for the next 30o.
3. During the next 60o of cam rotation, the follower returns to its original
position with simple harmonic motion.
4. Dwell during the remaining 180o.
Determine the maximum velocity and acceleration of the follower during its rise
and return, if the cam rotates with 240 rev/min.
Solution:
The simple harmonic motion is given as:
𝑦(𝜃) = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶2 𝜃
Solve for 𝐶0 , 𝐶1 , and 𝐶2 for the rise and return.

For the Rise

𝑦(0) = 0, 𝑦 ′ (𝛽) = 0, 𝑦(𝛽) = 𝐿

𝑦(0) = 0 ⟹ 0 = 𝐶0 +𝐶1 ⇒ 𝐶0 = −𝐶1

𝑦(𝛽) = 𝐿 ⟹ 𝐿 = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶2 𝛽
𝑦 ′ = −𝐶1 𝐶2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐶2 𝜃
𝜋
𝑦 ′ (𝛽) = 0 ⟹ 0 = −𝐶1 𝐶2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐶2 𝛽 ⟹ 𝐶2 𝛽 = 𝜋 ⟹ 𝐶2 =
𝛽
𝑦(𝛽) = 𝐿 ⟹ 𝐿 = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶2 𝛽 = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝜋 ⟹ 𝐿 = 𝐶0 − 𝐶0 (−1) = 2𝐶0
𝐿
⟹ 𝐶0 =
2
−𝐿
⟹ 𝐶1 =
2
 𝐿 𝐿 𝜋 𝐿 𝐿
⟹ 𝑦(𝜃) = − 𝐶𝑜𝑠 𝜋 𝜃 = − 𝐶𝑜𝑠2𝜃
2 2 2 2
2

′ (𝜃)
40 × 10−3 × 240 × 2𝜋
𝑦 = 𝐿 𝑠𝑖𝑛2𝜃 ⟹ 𝑦̇ (𝑚𝑎𝑥) = = 1.01 𝑚/𝑠
60

′′ (𝜃)
2 × 40 × 10−3 × 2402 × 2𝜋 2
𝑦 = 2𝐿 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃 ⟹ 𝑦̈ (𝑚𝑎𝑥) = = 50.53 𝑚/𝑠 2
602
For the return
𝑦(0) = 𝐿, 𝑦(𝛽) = 0, 𝑦 ′ (𝛽) = 0
𝑦(𝜃) = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶2 𝜃
𝑦(0) = 𝐿 ⟹ 𝐿 = 𝐶0 +𝐶1
𝑦(𝛽) = 0 ⟹ 0 = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶2 𝛽
𝑦 ′ = −𝐶1 𝐶2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐶2 𝜃
𝜋 𝜋
𝑦 ′ (𝛽) = 0 = −𝐶1 𝐶2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐶2 𝛽 ⟹ 𝐶2 𝛽 = 𝜋 ⟹ 𝐶2 = (recall that 𝛽 = )
𝛽 3

0 = 𝐶0 + 𝐶1 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶2 𝛽 ⟹ 𝐶0 − 𝐶1 = 0 ⟹ 𝐶0 = 𝐶1
𝐿
𝐿 = 𝐶0 +𝐶1 ⟹ 𝐶0 = 𝐶1 =
2

𝐿 𝐿
𝑦(𝜃) = + 𝐶𝑜𝑠3𝜃
2 2
⟹ 𝑦̇ (𝑚𝑎𝑥) = 1.51 𝑚/𝑠
𝑦̈ (𝑚𝑎𝑥) = 113.7 𝑚/𝑠 2