Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

CHAPTER 7
CAM MECHANISMS
Dr. Le Thanh Long
ltlong@hcmut.edu.vn

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

OUTLINE
7.1. Definition and classification.
7.2. Kinetic analysis of Cam mechanism.
7.3. Force analysis of Cam mechanism.
7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism.

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.1. Definition and classification

1. Definition
The cam mechanism is a high-joint mechanism that realizes the reciprocating motion
of the driven link thanks to the geometry of the high-joint element on the driver link.

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.1. Definition and classification

2. Classification
Planar cam mechanism: the links move in one plane or in parallel planes.
 According to cam movement: rotating cam, translating cam.
 According to the movement of the rod: swing, translation, parallel motion
 According to the bottom shape of the rod: flat, pointed, roller, any profile

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.1. Definition and classification

2. Classification

Spatial Cam Mechanism : the links move in non-parallel planes.

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.2. Kinetic analysis of Cam mechanism

7.2.1. Knife-Edge Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
1. Displacement graph
a. Real motion method

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.2. Kinetic analysis of Cam mechanism

7.2.1. Knife-Edge Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
1. Displacement graph
b. Frame change method

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.2. Kinetic analysis of Cam mechanism

7.2.1. Knife-Edge Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
1. Displacement graph
c. Stages of movement

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.2. Kinetic analysis of Cam mechanism

7.2.1. Knife-Edge Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
2. Velocity

 s  s ( ) ds
 v
   (t ) dt
d ds
=
dt d
ds
= 1
d

3. Acceleration

2
dv d s
a  12
dt d 2
9

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.2. Kinetic analysis of Cam mechanism

7.2.2. Knife-Edge Rotating Follower Cam Mechanism

10

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.3. Force analysis of Cam mechanism

The purpose is to determine the ability of the cam mechanism to work under load
• Forces acting on the follower:
 Load Q follows movement direction of follower.
  
 Reaction force P from Cam: P NF
 ' '
 Reaction force R from frame: R  N  F

  
Force balance condition: QRP 0
Q P
From force 
 
polygon sin[  (     ' )] sin[   ' )]
2 2
P cos '
 
Q cos(     ' )

φ : friction angle between follower and cam

φ,: friction angle between follow and frame
11

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.3. Force analysis of Cam mechanism

 Pressure angle α: the angle between the direction of the force and the
velocity of the point where the force is applied.

 When α reaches a value so that α + φ + φ, = π/2

 P/Q  ∞ this is the case of self-lock of the cam
mechanism → the pressure angle should not be
greater than the allowable limit value.

 Pressure angle α is inversely proportional to the

size of the cam → α ≤ [αmax] but must be large
enough to ensure compact cam size

 With translating follower [αmax] = 350 ÷ 380

 With rotating follower [αmax] = 400 ÷ 450

12

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

Synthesis of cam mechanism is designing a cam mechanism to satisfy:
- Can work, α ≤ [αmax]
- Ensure the given motion of the follower
- Cam as small as possible.

Synthesis of cam mechanism include two problems :

• Find the cam center
• Synthesis cam profile

13

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
1. Knife-Edge Rotating Follower Cam Mechanism:
Given:
 Pressure angle ≤ , rotation direction ω1 of cam , length of the follower
lBC.
 Position CBi of the follower 2 and velocity ⃗ of the end of follower at a
considering time.
Find: Where should cam center A be located to satisfy the above conditions?

14

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
1. Knife-Edge Rotating Follower Cam Mechanism:

 Consider the satisfaction cam mechanism α = [αmax]

 Velocity relationship:
i i i
v B2  v B1  v B1B2
 CB i ? // tt
i
v B2 ? ?
 For each position of b on tt → we have a velocity
graph and a position of the cam center:

 AB i  Bi b1i

 i vB1i v B i b1i
 AB  
   15

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1 Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
1. Knife-Edge Rotating Follower Cam Mechanism:
 moves on tt  A moves on ∆i // nn and the
∗
disstance form A to B is xi (∆Bi AA* ~ ∆Bi )
 Call Xi = ∆i ∩ CBi , we solve xi = Bi Xi
 We have ∆Bi ~ ∆Bi AXi

Bi X i Bi A
 i i  i i or
B b2 B b1
i
Note:  d 
vBi 1   r , vBi 1  i l    l
 d  
i
 d 
 xi  Bi X i   l
 d  

 So the locus ∆i of the Cam center A // nn and cuts the follower at point Xi, distance
from it to the follower is xi . The direction Bi Xi is the direction of rotated 900
following the direction ω1. 16

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
1. Knife-Edge Rotating Follower Cam Mechanism
 Pressure angle can be set right / left

 If the pressure angle is set to the left, the locus

of the center of cam A is the line ∆’i // n’n’
and also passes through the point Xi as
defined. → The Cam center can be placed
arbitrarily on ∆i và ∆’i

 If the condition α = [ ] is replaced by the

condition α ≤ [ ] and indicates the cam is
in the far or nearer stage → the Cam center A
can be placed arbitrarily in the two regions
or limited by i ∆i và ∆’i

17

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
2. Knife-Edge Translating Follower Cam Mechanism

 Similar to the Knife-Edge Rotating Follower

case with notes
+ The orbit of the head follower is a straight line
 It can be considered that the orbit of the head
of the follower has its center of rotation at infinity
+ The x values are calculated according to the
formula
+ Segments BiXi are parallel to each other 
∆ parallel to each other

 When [αmax]d = [αmax]v, find the Cam center region as follows:

+ Find the points Xi and then connect them into a smooth curve
+ Draw two tangents d and 'd to the above curve satisfying the condition α = [αmax]
+ The region defined by the above two tangents is the required Cam center region
18

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
3. Roller Follower Cam Mechanism
 The roller follower can be Rotating Follower or Translating Follower.
 The determination of the cam center is the same as the case Knife-Edge Follower.
4. Flat-face Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
 In Flat-face Translating Follower Cam Mechanism, α = const
 α ≤ [αmax] condition.

 The bottom follower touches every point on the cam profile

 The cam profile must be convex.
 Radius of curvature at a point on the cam profile with the
convention: ρ > 0 if going along the cam profile clockwise,
the center of curvature of the cam profile is to the right
 The convex condition of the cam profile is : at every point on
the cam profile, ρ > 0.
19

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
4. Flat-face Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
Problem: Give the movement law of the follower and the position closest to the cam
center of the follower. It is required to determine the cam center:
+ Satisfy the law of motion
+ Convex cam profile
+ The most compact cam size possible

20

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
4. Flat-face Translating Follower Cam Mechanism
 Replace high joint at B with 1 link and 2 low joints
 We have ρ = DB = s + r0 + z
Where s: displacement relative to the lowest
position of the follower
r0 : minimum radius of cam
z: variable quantity
 Draw a graph of the acceleration at the point under
consideration
   
a B2  a B3  a B2 B3  a B2 B3

 xx // a D // xx

? aD 0 ?
 1  3   // DA
aD  aD  aD =  2
l
 AD  21

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.1. Determine Cam Center (The problem of synthesizing the kinematic of the
Cam Mechanism
4. Flat-face Translating Follower Cam Mechanism

 Similar triangles

2 d 2s

aB2 d 2 d 2s
 z  DH  l AD  l AD 
aD l AD 2 d 2

d 2s  d 2s 
So   s  2  r0  0  r0    s  2 
d  d 

or

22

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.2 Synthesis kinematic of Cam Mechanism

 This is the problem of drawing the cam profile according to the given displacement
law of the follower after determining the center of rotation according to the given
kinematic and dynamic conditions.

 This problem is the opposite of the considered cam

kinematic analysis problem.

 If it is Roller Rotating follower Cam Mechanism,

the found cam profile is the theoretical profile
→ determine the realistic cam profile .
• Take the points on the theoretical profile as
the center, draw arcs with radius equal to
the roller radius

Theoretical cam profile

• The envelope of this circles is the realistic
Realistic cam profile
cam profile of the Cam Mechanism.
Roller

23

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.2. Synthesis kinematic of Cam Mechanism:

When choosing roller radius rL, we need to pay attention

- larger rL → less friction loss

- rL is too large → self-intersection of cam
profile.
- rL = ρmin → realistic cam profile with sharp
point, fast wear
- rL > ρmin → cam profile intersects itself (to
be undercut)
- rL < ρmin → usually choose rL = 0.7 min

24

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

7.4. Synthesis of Cam mechanism

7.4.3. Cam mechanism design sequence

a. Draw displacement graph, velocity graph and acceleration graph of the Cam follower.
b. Determine the cam center of rotation (dynamic synthesis)
c. Determination of cam profile (kinetic synthesis)

If it is the Roller Translating Follower Cam Mechanism :

- Draw theoretical Cam profiles.

- Determine the roller radius.
- Determine the realistic Cam profile.

25
Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

Project #2:

26

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM

27

Department of Machine Design - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering