ME 2060A Mechanisms and Machines: Theory and Practice

Introduction
• A cam is a mechanical member used to impart desired motion to a follower
by direct contact.
• The cam may be rotating or reciprocating whereas the follower may be
rotating, reciprocating or oscillating.
• Complicated output motions which are otherwise difficult to achieve can
easily be produced with the help of cams.
• Cams are widely used in automatic machines, internal combustion engines,
machine 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

– A driver member known as the cam
– A driven member called the follower
– A frame which supports the cam and guides the follower

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 ME 2060A Mechanisms and Machines: Theory and Practice

TYPES OF CAMS
Cams are classified according to
1. shape,
2. follower movement, and
3. manner of constraint of the follower.

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I. According to Shape
Wedge and Flat Cams

• A wedge cam has a wedge W which, in general, has a translational motion.

• The follower F can either translate [Fig.(a)] or oscillate [Fig.(b)].
• A spring is, usually, used to maintain the contact between the cam and the follower.
• In Fig.(c), the cam is stationary and the follower constraint or guide G causes the
relative motion of the cam and the follower.

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Radial or Disc Cams

• A cam in which the follower moves radially from the centre of rotation of the cam
is known as a radial or a disc cam (Fig. (a) and (b)).
• Radial cams are very popular due to their simplicity and compactness.

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Spiral Cams

• A spiral cam is a face cam in which a groove is

cut in the form of a spiral as shown in Fig.
• The spiral groove consists of teeth which mesh
with a pin gear follower.
• The velocity of the follower is proportional to
the radial distance of the groove from the axis
of the cam.
• The use of such a cam is limited as the cam
has to reverse the direction to reset the position
of the follower. It finds its use in computers.

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Cylindrical Cams
• In a cylindrical cam, a cylinder which has a circumferential contour cut in the
surface, rotates about its axis.
• The follower motion can be of two types as follows: In the first type, a groove is cut
on the surface of the cam and a roller follower has a constrained (or positive)
oscillating motion.
• Another type is an end cam in which the end of the cylinder is the working surface .
• A spring-loaded follower translates along or parallel to the axis of the rotating
cylinder.

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Conjugate Cams

• A conjugate cam is a double-disc cam, the two

discs being keyed together and are in constant
touch with the two rollers of a follower.
• Thus, the follower has a positive constraint.
• Such a type of cam is preferred when the
requirements are low wear, low noise, better
control of the follower, high speed, high
dynamic loads, etc.

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 ME 2060A Mechanisms and Machines: Theory and Practice

Globoidal Cams

• A globoidal cam can have two types of surfaces, convex or concave.

• A circumferential contour is cut on the surface of rotation of the cam to impart
motion to the follower which has an oscillatory motion.
• The application of such cams is limited to moderate speeds and where the angle of
oscillation of the follower is large.

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Spherical Cams
• In a spherical cam, the follower oscillates about an axis perpendicular to the axis
surface of rotation of the cam.
• Note that in a disc cam, the follower oscillates about an axis parallel to the axis of
rotation of the cam.
• A spherical cam is in the form of a spherical surface which transmits motion to the
follower.

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II. According to Follower Movement

Rise-Return-Rise (R-R-R)
• In this, there is alternate rise and return of the
follower with no periods of dwells (Fig. a).
• The follower has a linear or an angular
displacement.

Dwell-Rise-Return-Dwell (D-R-R-D)
• In such a type of cam, there is rise and return of the
follower after a dwell Fig.(b).
• this type is used more frequently than the R-R-R
type of cam.

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Dwell-Rise-Dwell-Return-Dwell
(D-R-D-R-D)

• It is the most widely used type of cam.

• The dwelling of the cam is followed by rise and
dwell and subsequently by return and dwell .

• In case the return of the follower is by a fall, the

motion may be known as Dwell-Rise-Dwell (D-
R-D).

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 ME 2060A Mechanisms and Machines: Theory and Practice

III. According to Manner of Constraint of the Follower

• To reproduce exactly the motion transmitted by the cam to the follower, it is necessary that
the two remain in touch at all speeds and at all times.
• The cams can be classified according to the manner in which this is achieved.

1. Pre-loaded Spring Cam

A pre-loaded compression spring is used for the purpose of keeping the contact between the
cam and the follower.

2. Positive-drive Cam
In this type, constant touch between the cam and the follower is maintained by a roller
follower operating in the groove of a cam.
The follower cannot go out of this groove under the normal working operations.
A constrained or positive drive is also obtained by the use of a conjugate cam.

3. Gravity Cam
If the rise of the cam is achieved by the rising surface of the cam and the return by the force
of gravity or due to the weight of the cam, the cam is known as a gravity cam.
However, these cams are not preferred due to their uncertain behavior.

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Classification of Followers
1. According to the surface in contact.
a) Knife edge follower.
When the contacting end of the follower has a sharp knife edge, it is called a knife
edge follower.
• The sliding motion takes place between the contacting surfaces (i.e. the knife edge
and the cam surface).
• It is seldom used in practice because the small area of contacting surface results in
excessive wear.

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(b) Roller follower.

• When the contacting end of the follower

is a roller, it is called a roller follower.
• Since the rolling motion takes place
between the contacting surfaces (i.e. the
roller and the cam), therefore the rate of
wear is greatly reduced.
• In roller followers also the side thrust
exists between the follower and the
guide.
• The roller followers are extensively used
where more space is available such as in
stationary gas and oil engines and aircraft
engines.

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(c) Flat faced or mushroom follower.

• When the contacting end of the follower is a

perfectly flat face, it is called a flat-faced
follower.
• It may be noted that the side thrust between
the follower and the guide is much reduced
in case of flat faced followers.
• The only side thrust is due to friction
between the contact surfaces of the follower
and the cam.
• The flat faced followers are generally used
where space is limited such as in cams which
operate the valves of automobile engines.
• When the flat faced follower is circular, it is
then called a mushroom follower.

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(d) Spherical faced follower.

• When the contacting end of the follower is of spherical shape, it is called a spherical
faced follower.
• It may be noted that when a flat-faced follower is used in automobile engines, high
surface stresses are produced.
• In order to minimise these stresses, the flat end of the follower is machined to a
spherical shape.

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2. According to the motion of the follower

(a) Reciprocating or translating follower.

• When the follower reciprocates in guides as the cam rotates uniformly, it is known
as reciprocating or translating follower.

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(b) Oscillating or rotating follower.

• When the uniform rotary motion of the cam is converted into predetermined
oscillatory motion of the follower, it is called oscillating or rotating follower.

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3. According to the path of motion of the follower.

Radial follower.

When the motion of the

follower is along an axis
passing through the centre of
the cam, it is known as radial
follower.

Off-set follower.

When the motion of the

follower is along an axis away
from the axis of the cam centre,
it is called off-set follower.

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Cam Terminology and Definitions

Base Circle
It is the smallest circle tangent to the cam
profile (contour) drawn from the centre of
rotation of a radial cam.

Trace Point
It is a reference point on the follower to
trace the cam profile such as the knife-edge
of a knife-edged follower and centre of the
roller of a roller follower.
Pitch curve
It is the curve drawn by the trace point
assuming that the cam is fixed, and the
trace point of the follower rotates around
the cam.
Prime circle
The smallest circle drawn tangent to the
pitch curve is known as the prime circle.

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 ME 2060A Mechanisms and Machines: Theory and Practice

Cam Terminology and Definitions

Pressure angle
The pressure angle, representing the steepness of the
cam profile, is the angle between the normal to the
pitch curve at a point and the direction of the follower
motion.

Pitch point
It is the point on the pitch curve at which the pressure
angle is maximum.

Pitch circle
It is the circle passing through the pitch point and
concentric with the base circle.

Lift or stroke
It is the maximum travel of the follower from its
lowest position to the topmost position.

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• Angle of ascent
It is the angle through which the cam turns
during the time the follower rises.

• Angle of dwell
It is the angle through which the cam turns
while the follower remains stationary at the
highest or lowest position.

• Angle of descent
It is the angle through which the cam turns
during the time the follower returns to the
initial position.

• Angle of action
It is the total angle moved by the cam during
the time, between the beginning of rise and
the end of the return of the follower.

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Follower Motion Schemes

• The follower, during its travel, may have one of the
following motions.
 Uniform or constant velocity motion
 Uniform or constant acceleration and retardation
 Simple harmonic motion
 Cycloidal motion

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Constant Velocity Motion

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Constant Acceleration Motion

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Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

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Cycloidal Motion

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Law of Cam Design

• The cam function must be continuous through the

first and second derivatives of displacement across
the entire interval (360 deg for circular/disc cams)

• In other words, the jerk function must be finite across

the entire interval.

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