Lesson 7-1.

Intro to Cam Design

Reference: Chapter 8.0-8.2

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Chapter 8 Topics
• Introduction
• Cam Terminology
• S V A J Diagrams
• Double-Dwell Cam Design
• Single-Dwell Cam Design
• Critical Path Motion (CPM)
• Sizing the Cam

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What is a Cam-Follower?
• A cam and follower mechanism is used to create a
specific motion.
• The cam is usually a flat piece of metal with an unusual
shape or profile machined onto it.
• This cam is attached to a shaft which enables it to be
rotated by applying a turning action to the shaft.
• As the cam rotates it is the profile or shape of the cam
that causes the follower to move in a particular way.
• The movement of the follower is then transmitted to
another mechanism or another part of the mechanism.
• The cam-follower is used to convert rotary motion to
oscillatory motion or vice versa.

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 Cam Applications
• Valve actuation in IC engines
• Motion control in machinery
• Force generation
• Precise positioning
• Event timing

Car Engine Four Stroke Cycle Pump

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Fourbar Linkage vs. Cam-Follower
Standard fourbar linkage: Cam-follower:
• Difficult and complicated analysis • Ideal for critical path motion
involved in dynamic balance • Easy to obtain dynamic balance
• Relatively large size • Compact size
• Low friction • Higher friction
• Easy to construct • Expensive to produce
• Low cost

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Cam Terminology
Cam-follower systems can be classified in several ways:
• Type of follower motion (rotation, translation)
• Type of joint closure (force, form)
• Type of follower (curved or flat, rolling or sliding)
• Type of cam (radial, cylindrical, three-dimensional)
• Type of motion constraints (critical extreme position (CEP) and critical
path motion (CPM))
• Type of motion program (rise-fall (RF), rise-fall-dwell (RFD), rise-dwell-fall-
dwell (RDFD))

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Type of Follower Motion
• A rotating (oscillating) cam-follower has an effective fourbar crank-rocker
equivalent

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Type of Follower Motion
• A translating cam-follower has an effective fourbar slider-crank equivalent

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Type of Joint Closure
• Force closure requires an external force to keep the cam in contact with
the follower (usually with a spring)

With
External
Force

Without
External
Force

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 Formed-closed cams with
Type of Joint Closure translating follower,
oscillating follower

• Form closure is closed by joint geometry

• Slot milled out of the cam
• No external force is required

Conjugate cams on common shaft

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Type of Follower

Roller Follower Mushroom Follower Flat-Faced Follower

Lower friction Custom-made Smaller size
More expensive than flat (High volume applications) (Automotive valve trains)
(Production machinery;
Grooved/track cams)
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Type of Cam
Radial cam Axial cam
• Follower motion is generally in a • Follower moves parallel to the axis
radial direction of cam rotation
• Plate cam is open (force-closed) • Face cam is open (force-closed)
• Cylindrical (barrel) cam if grooved or
ribbed (form-closed)

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Cams and Followers
Barrel cam
(axial) Roller Knife-edge Flat

Face cam (axial) Barrel cams (axial)

Face cam (axial)

Wedge cam
Plate cam (radial) ME 358: Machine Dynamics and Mechanisms 13
Type of Motion Constraints
• Critical Extreme Position (CEP)
• Only endpoints (extremes) of motion are critical
• Path between endpoints is not critical

• Critical Path Motion (CPM)

• Path between endpoints is critical
• Displacements, velocities, etc. may be specified
• Endpoints usually also critical

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Type of Motion Programs
• Rise-Fall (RF), no dwell

• Rise-Fall-Dwell (RFD), single dwell

• Rise-Dwell-Fall (RDF), single dwell

• Rise-Dwell-Fall-Dwell (RDFD), double dwell

• The cam-follower is the design type for choice when dwell is required.
• If no dwell is present (RF case) and path is not critical, consider the use of a
linkage instead of a cam.
• Double-dwell motion is easier to design. Since there is no motion at
beginning or end, rise and fall can treated separately.
• On single-dwell cams, rise and fall must be considered as part of the
same motion.

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Type of Motion Programs

RDFD RFD FRDFRD

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Cam Timing Diagram
Distance-rotation graphs for
• Select the mathematical function to snail, pear, and eccentric cams
define the motion of the follower
• “Unwrap” the cam profile from its
circular shape and consider it as a
function plotted on Cartesian axis

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Motion Characteristics
Four ways to specify motion:
• Displacement, s
• Displacement is always in distance units
• Velocity, v Assume constant
• First time derivative of displacement angular velocity
• Velocity can be (distance/time) or (dist/degree) or (dist/radian) of camshaft
• Acceleration, a
• Second time derivative of displacement
• Acceleration can be (dist/time2) or (dist/angle2)
• Jerk, j
• Third time derivative of displacement
• Jerk can be (dist/time3) or (dist/angle3)
• Jerk is the upsetting motion you feel when a vehicle starts up (especially
with student drivers)
• Jerk causes vibration in system

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S V A J Diagrams
• Basis for cam design
S
• Unwrap the cam profile
• Plot
• Position, s
• Velocity, v
• Acceleration, a
V
• Jerk, j

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