University of Kirkuk – College of Engineering

Mechanical Department
Third Stage – Morning Study

Cams

Supervised By: Dr. Rawand E. Jalal

Prepared By: Mohamed Jabbar Ezzulddin
Introduction:
A cam is a rotating or sliding piece, such as an eccentric wheel or a cylinder with an
irregular shape, in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear
motion or vice versa. Complicated output motions which are otherwise difficult to achieve can
easily be produced with the help of cams. Such as opening and closing valves in ICE engine. Cams
are widely used in automatic machines, machining tools, printing control mechanisms, and so on.
They are manufactured usually by die-casting, milling or by punch-presses. A cam and the
follower combination belong to the category of higher pairs.

Necessary elements of a cam mechanism are:

1- driver member known as “the cam”
2- Driven member called the “follower”
3- Frame which supports the cam and guides the follower.

Classification of cams:
Cams are classified according to:
1- Shape
2- Follower movement and shape
3- Manner of constraint of the follower.

Types of cams:
Although cams in general can be categorized into many types and forms, but the following types
are the most common:
1- Disc cams:
In disc cams, the follower part of the mechanism reciprocates perpendicular to the cam axis.

Fig.1 demonstration of various follower shapes for disc cams

- Terms used in designing disc cam’s:
1. Base circle: it is the smallest circle that can be draws on the cam lobe.
2. Trace point: it is a reference point on the follower which is used to generate the pitch curve.
3. Pressure angle: which is the angle between the direction of motion of the follower and
normal to the pitch curve.
4. Pitch point: it is a point located on the pitch curve at which the maximum pressure angle is
occurred.
5. Pitch circle: It’s a circle drawn from the center of the cam through the pitch points.
6. Pitch curve: it is a curve generated by the movement of the follower relative to the cam.
7. Prime circle: it’s the smallest circle that can be drawn from the center of the cam tangent to
the pitch curve.
8. Lift or stroke: it is the distance between the highest point of travel and the lowest point of
travel of the follower

Fig.2 terms used in radial cam’s

2- Cylindrical cams:
In cylindrical cams, the follower part reciprocates or oscillates parallel to the cam axis, the
follower sits in a groove on the cam’s surface.

Fig.3 movement types of follower part in cylindrical cams

Example:
Draw the cam profile for following conditions Follower type Knife edged, in-line; lift = 50mm;
base circle radius = 50mm; out stroke with SHM, for 600 cam rotation; dwell for 450 cam rotation;
return stroke with SHM, for 900 cam rotation; dwell for the remaining period. Determine max.
velocity and acceleration during out stroke and return stroke if the cam rotates at 1000 rpm in
clockwise direction. Displacement diagram:

Solution:
Cam profile: Construct base circle. Mark points
1,2,3…..in direction opposite to the direction of cam
rotation. Transfer points a,b,c…..l from displacement
diagram to the cam profile and join them by a smooth
free hand curve. This forms the required cam profile

Calculations:
2𝜋𝑁 2𝜋∗1000
 𝜔= = = 104.76 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠𝑒𝑐
60 60
𝜋𝜔𝑠 𝜋∗104.76∗50
 max 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒 = 𝑉𝑂𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = 𝜋 =
2𝜃𝑜 2∗
3

7857 𝑚𝑚/ sec = 7.857 𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐

𝜋𝜔𝑠 𝜋∗104.76∗50
 𝑚𝑎𝑥. 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = 𝜋 =
2𝜃𝑟 2∗
2
𝑚𝑚
5238 𝑠𝑒𝑐 = 5.238 𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝜋 2 𝜔2 𝑠 𝜋 2 ∗104.762 ∗50
 𝑚𝑎𝑥. 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒 = 𝑎𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑥. = 𝑟𝜔𝑝2 = 2 = 𝜋 2
=
2𝜃𝑜 2∗( )
3
𝑚𝑚 𝑚
2469297.96 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 = 2469.3 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2
𝜋 2 𝜔2 𝑠 𝜋 2 ∗104.762 ∗50
 𝑚𝑎𝑥. 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒 = 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑥. = 2 = 𝜋 2
=
2𝜃𝑟 2∗( )
2
𝑚𝑚 𝑚
1097465.76 = 1097.5
𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2