Cams and Cam Followers

What are Cams? Cams are mechanical devices that convert rotary oscillating or linear motion into a linear or reciprocating motion to carry out useful work. There are two links namely the cam itself which acts as an input member. The other link that acts as an output member is called the follower.

Cam and Follower http://www.technologystudent.com/cams/cam1.htm

Applications of Cams Cams are widely used in internal combustion engines, machine tools, printing control mechanisms, textile weaving industries, automated machines. We are now going to look at different types of cam, follower and examples of the applications that these are all used within.

Types of Cams Plate cam Cylindrical cam Face cam End cam

Plate cam Sometimes called a disc, radial or edge cam Made up of a flat plate or disc with an edge profile to transmit motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7waCcLCMQd8 - animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENYd1M_9lCE - application

Radial / Plate Cam Application

Cylindrical Cam Sometimes called a barrel cam. It’s curved surface has a groove machined, within which a follower is contained. This movement is parallel to cam axis

https://www. youtube. com/watch. v=rmBnpM7K6To - animation https://www https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmBnpM7K6To - animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jncYUwvO7g - application

Face cam In its flat surface, this rotary cam has a groove cut within which a constrained follower moves. This groove ensures no need for a spring return.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twDgMda7wBM - application

End Cam In this case the end of the cylindrical cam has the profile machined on the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edyNK-c9IjU - animation

Types of cam follower The types of cam follower that are mostly found are:

Wedge or Knife Type Follower This has the advantage that it can follow complicated profiles. However it is not often used as it wears rapidly, due to the high frictional forces. It can track profiles in both directions.

Roller Follower This has the advantage that wear is minimised, due to the roller action. However the profile of the cam and roller radius must not conflict. If the profile is smaller than the radius of the roller then the roller will follow the incorrect path.

Flat Ended Cam Follower This cannot be us used for concave profiles. It wears slower than a knife edge follower, since the parts of contact move across the surface of the follower. These are often offset and allowed to spin.

The Spherical-Faced Follower When contacting end of the follower is of spherical shape, it is called a spherical faced follower. In flat faced follower’s high surface stress are produced. To minimize these stresses the follower is machined to spherical shape

Cam Applications Cams are used in many applications, both everyday and industrially. Some of which are: In a car engine On a workshop machine Application 3 An unnamed cam Application 4

This is the cam and follower as seen and used within a car engine: What type of cam is it? What type of follower is it?

This is a type of cam used in an Industrial situation: What is the type of cam? What is the type of follower?

This is a type of cam used in an everyday situation: What is the application? What is the type of cam? What is the type of follower?

What Type of Cam is This?

This is a type of cam used in an everyday situation: What is the application? What is the type of cam? What is the type of follower?

This is a type of cam used in an everyday situation: What is the application? :window lever What is the type of cam? :face cam What is the type of follower? :spherical