Displacement diagrams

Displacement is the distance that a follower moves

during one complete revolution (or cycle) of the cam
while the follower is in contact with the cam. A
displacement diagram is a graph of flat-pattern
drawing of the travel (displacement) of the follower on
the cam. A period is a part of the cam cycle and it
includes the following:

Rise – the upward motion of the follower caused by

cam motion.
Fall – the downward motion of the follower caused by
cam motion.
Dwell – the stationary position of the follower caused
by cam motion.
When the cam turns through one motion cycle, the
follower executes a series of events consisting of rises,
dwells, and returns.

Rise is the motion of the follower away from the cam

center; dwell is the motion during which the follower is at
rest; and return is the motion of the follower toward the
cam center.

There are three different types of follower motion in

standard use, which are shown below.
 Cam motions:
Uniform (constant) velocity:
Since the velocity is constant, the displacement
diagram will be a straight line with constant slope.
Normally, uniform motion is modified by arcs drawn at the start and
end of the period. The arc radius is normally half or quarter the
follower displacement.

Step 1. Draw the base circle

line using any convenient
distance
Step 2. Divide it into 12 equal
divisions.

Step 3. Draw the follower

displacement height line
vertical to the base circle line.
Create a rectangle, using the
base circle line and the
follower displacement line as
the width and height,
respectively.
Step 4. Draw a straight line
from 00 to the top of 1800
and then down again to
3600. This line represents
the displacement diagram
for uniform motion.

Step 5. Modify the straight

displacement line by
drawing arcs at 0, 180 and
360 degrees. The arc
radius is equal to one-
fourth to one-half the
follower displacement.
Step 6. Darken the
modified line.
 Simple harmonic motion.
The displacement diagram is a sine curve. Consideration shows that
this type of cam will give the smoothest change of motion in the
follower.
Simple harmonic motion follower performance graph.
Step 1. Create a
rectangle, using the base
circle line and the follower
displacement line as the
width and height,
respectively.

Step 2. Draw a semi-circle

at one end and divide it
into 6 equal divisions.
Step 3. Project the
divisions from the semi-
circle to get the points on
the displacement diagram.
Step 4. Trace the
points of the
displacement diagram
and darken the line.
 Uniform acceleration and retardation.
This displacement curve is parabolic. It gives a uniform rate of
acceleration from the start to the midpoint and a similar uniform
rate of retardation from the midpoint to the end of the movement.
Step 1. Create a rectangle,
using the base circle line and
the follower displacement
line as the width and height,
respectively.

Step 2. Proportionally divide

the two halves of the
follower displacement into
ratios of 1, 4, 9.
Step 3. Project the divisions
to get the points on the
displacement diagram.
Step 4. Trace the points of the displacement
diagram and darken the line.
 Combination motion displacement diagram
The example shown next shows a displacement diagram imparting
the following motions:
Performance Data
Upward stroke during 60° of cam rotation at constant velocity;
Dwell for 30° of cam rotation;
Upward stroke during 90° of cam rotation with simple harmonic
motion; and
Fall to it’s original position for the remainder of the cam’s
revolution with uniform acceleration and deceleration.

Step 1. Draw the base

circle, divide it into 12
equal divisions and a
follower displacement
height.
Step 2. Mark the distances
for the four different
displacements.
Step 3. Construct the
uniform motion
displacement diagram
(0 – 60°)
Step 4. Construct a dwell
displacement (60° – 90°)

Step 5. Construct a simple

harmonic motion
displacement diagram (90° –
180°). In this case you will
have to divide the base line
into 15° sections.
Step 6. Construct a uniform acceleration and deceleration
displacement diagram (180° – 360°)
Drawing cam profiles.
Now that we have seen the various types of cams and cam followers,
we can now begin to draw a cam profile according to the given cam
data. In order to draw a cam profile we must know how to draw the
cam displacement diagram. You have already viewed these
diagrams, so make sure you know how to draw each one before you
try to draw the cam profile.

Cam rotation directions

Before you begin to draw a cam profile according to the given
data, you must know what direction the cam is to rotate.
If the cam is to rotate in a clockwise direction, then the outside
diameter of the profile is numbered in an anti-clockwise direction,
so
If the cam is to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, then the
outside diameter of the profile is numbered in a clockwise
direction.
 Constant velocity

Step 1. Draw the displacement diagram.

Step 2. Draw the centre lines of the camshaft and the highest and
lowest positions of the follower.

Step 3. Project lines from points 1 – 12 on the displacement

diagram to the stroke position of the follower.
Step 4. Inscribe a circle from the centre of the cam shaft to the
highest point the follower will travel.

Step 5. Divide this circle into 12 equal divisions.

Step 6. With a compass and the centre of the camshaft as
centre, inscribe arcs from the stroke position to give you the
profile of the cam.

Step 7. Darken the cam profile.

Uniform velocity with a knife-edge follower animation
Cam data
In-line knife edge follower,
50 mm minimum diameter,
40 mm lift (rise) with uniform velocity,
0 degrees to 90 degrees bottom dwell, 90 degrees to 180 degrees rise,
180 degrees to 270 degrees top dwell, 270 degrees to 360 fall,
clockwise rotation.
 Simple harmonic motion

Step 1. Draw the displacement diagram.

Step 2. Draw the centre lines of the camshaft and the highest and
lowest positions of the follower
.
Step 3. Project lines from points 1 – 12 on the displacement
diagram to the stroke position of the follower.
Step 4. Inscribe a circle from the centre of the cam shaft to
the highest point the follower will travel.

Step 5. Divide the circle into 12 equal divisions.

Step 6. With a compass and the centre of the cam shaft as centre,
inscribe arcs to give you the position of the profile of the cam.

Step 7. Darken the cam profile.

Simple harmonic motion with a roller follower animation
Cam data
In-line roller follower, diameter 12 mm,
minimum cam diameter 50 mm,
total rise 42 mm, both rise and fall have simple harmonic motion,
0 to 90 degrees bottom dwell,
90 to 180 degrees rise with simple harmonic motion,
180 to 270 degrees top dwell,
270 to 360 degrees fall with simple harmonic motion,
because this is a symmetrical cam it can rotate in either direction.
Uniform acceleration and retardation with an incline flat
face follower animation
Cam data,
In-line flat face follower,
minimum cam diameter 50 mm,
rise 36 mm through 180 degrees and a similar fall, both having
U.A.R.,
this produces a symmetrical cam giving the required follower
motion with either direction of rotation.
 Combination

Steps 1-5. Follow the steps in constructing the simple harmonic motion.

Step 6. Add more divisions to the constant velocity and simple harmonic
sections.
Step 7. Construct the constant velocity and dwell sections of the
cam profile.
Step 8. Construct the simple harmonic motion section of the
cam profile.
Step 9. Construct the uniform acceleration and deceleration
section of the cam profile.
1. Roller follower
The construction of the roller follower cam is similar to
the knife edge follower. The difference is, with the roller
follower you will look for the centre of the roller at the
twelve different positions. You will get the cam profile by
drawing a curve tangent to the twelve roller circles. The
example shown next shows how this is done.
2. Offset follower
An offset cam roller complicates the drawing of a cam
profile because an offset circle must be drawn equal in
radius to the amount of offset. The offset circle is
divided into the same number of parts as the
displacement diagram. A tangent line is then drawn
from the points on the circumference of the offset circle
to locate the centres for the roller along the pitch curve.
The diagram below shows how to construct cam profile
for an offset cam roller.
 IN LINE ROLLER FOLLOWER

Step 1. Draw the displacement diagram as shown.

Step 2. Position the camshaft axis to the side of the displacement diagram and a
distance equal to the radius of the roller plus the least radius of the cam below it.
Step 3. With centre the camshaft and radius the highest follower displacement inscribe
a circle.
Step 4. Divide this circle into the same number of divisions as the displacement
diagram.
Step 5. Project points 1 – 12 from the displacement diagram to the follower axis.
Step 6. With centre the camshaft axis and radius to the points of division on the follower
axis, describe arcs to intersect the radial line through the camshaft axis at points 1 – 12.
Step 7. Draw roller circles at the points of intersection found in the previous step.
Step 8. Draw a tangential curve to the roller circles to give the required cam profile.
 OFFSET ROLLER FOLLOWER

Step 1. Draw the displacement diagram as shown.

Step 2. Position the camshaft axis to the side of the displacement diagram and a
distance equal to the radius of the roller plus the least radius of the cam below it.
Step 3. With centre the camshaft and radius the highest follower displacement
inscribe a circle.
Step 4. Divide this circle into the same number of divisions as the displacement
diagram.
Step 5. Project points 1 – 12 from the displacement diagram to the follower axis.
Step 6.
Step 7. Draw roller circles at the points of intersection found in the previous step.
Step 8. Draw a tangential curve to the roller circles to give the required cam profile.
Uniform velocity with offset roller follower animation
Cam data
minimum cam diameter 50 mm,
bottom dwell 0 to 60 degrees, rise 60 to 150 degrees, top dwell 150 to
210 degrees, fall 210 to 300 degrees 300 to 360 degrees bottom
dwell,
total lift 36 mm, uniform velocity, clockwise rotation, roller follower
diameter 12 mm,
offset 20 mm to the right of the cam centerline.
Uniform acceleration and retardation + uniform velocity, with a knife-
edge follower animation
Cam data,
In-line knife edge follower,
minimum cam diameter 50 mm,
rise 42 mm through 180 degrees with uniform acceleration and
retardation,
fall 42 mm through 180 degrees with uniform velocity,
clockwise rotation.