What is Cam and Follower? Parts, Diagram, and Working Principle
A cam mechanism is a profiled mechanism designed to move a lever or follower by converting rotary motion into linear reciprocating rotation. The cam rotates, causing the follower to rise and fall, a form of reciprocating motion.
The design of a cam and follower can depend on the combination of both mechanisms, with the cam being a reciprocating, oscillating, or rotating body that affects the follower’s motion.
Cams can serve as rotating wheels, electric wheels, or shafts that strike levers at their circular paths. They can also be used as simple teeth for power pulses in steam hammers or eccentric discs for gentle reciprocating motion in the follower.
The cam-follower mechanism aims for smooth movement without requiring too much input power, preventing jamming.
A follower is a rotating or oscillating part of a machine that moves by the cam’s motion due to direct contact. The cam and follower are connected by a frame that supports the cam and guides the follower.
Followers transfer motion to required machine parts as they rotate in a circular arc or oscillate. They can be in direct contact with the cam for up-and-down movement or spring-loaded for uniform velocity and acceleration.
Mechanical engineering utilizes cam and follower mechanisms, machined types of roller or needle bearings, to work on each other. These mechanisms are commonly used in machinery like internal combustion engines, automatic lathe machines, diesel fuel pumps, and other repeating machinery and manufacturing applications, depending on their applications and final output.
A cam and follower mechanism are essential components in various machine applications, enabling even force distribution and spontaneous movement. The cam-follower mechanism, with its high thickness compared to bearings, absorbs more shock, increasing mechanical efficiency.
It is suitable for soda machines, aircraft, and conveyor belts.
A cam and follower mechanism is a component in various applications, including internal combustion engines, hydraulic systems, automated machinery, printing machines, textile and agricultural equipment, gear-cutting machinery, automatic lathe machines, and wall clocks.
These mechanisms ensure zero error and control valves, while also being utilized by engineers in the automotive industry to drive fuel pumps and control valves.
The types of cam and follower are known for their distinct parts. A cam-follower mechanism consists of a cam driver, a frame supporting the cam and follower, and a driven follower. These parts work together to create a mechanism that is effective and efficient.
The cam-follower mechanism involves the cam profile, the base circle, the trace point, the pitch curve, the pressure angle, and the prime circle. The cam profile is the surface area where the cam and follower touch, while the base circle is the smallest circle drawn from the cam’s center of rotation.
The pitch curve generates a pressure angle between the normal pitch curve and the follower’s line of motion. The prime circle is drawn tangentially to the pitch curve and concentric to the base circle.
Types of cams include disk or plate cam, cylindrical cam, translating cam, wedge cam, spiral cam, heart-shaped cam, conjugate cam, globoidal cams, and spherical cam.
A disk or plate cam has no regular contour, while a cylindrical cam has a groove in its surface, allowing the follower to run parallel to the cylinder’s axis.
A translating cam has a grooved or contoured plate, while wedge cams have an angled flat regular contour.
Heart-shaped cams resemble an asymmetric heart and are often used to hold the cam to a set position.
Conjugate cams form a cam profile by connecting two discs, while globoidal cams have a concave or convex circumference and grooves for movement.
Spherical cams have a groove on their surface, allowing the follower to oscillate about a fixed point as the cam rotates.
Knife-edge followers, designed with sharp teeth, are suitable for slow cams.
Roller followers are used for high-speed applications due to their smooth contact with the cam surface.
Flat-faced followers are used for space-limited mechanisms and precision.
Spherical-faced followers have a curve and are a modification of flat-faced followers.
Radial followers, similar to spherical-faced followers, have a line of movement passing through the camshaft.
Offset followers have an axis movement not collinear with the cam axis.
A cam-follower mechanism is a simple yet complex mechanism that relies on the rotation of a cam around the minor axis of a follower. The cam transmits oscillating, reciprocating, or linear motion to the follower, which operates in a circular or eclipse.
Cams are typically oval-shaped, requiring a periodic outer burgee to transfer motion. Cams come in single-head and multiple-head types, and the outer burgee is essential for periodic mechanical works. The cam-follower mechanism transfers motion to the required machine part.
The Cam, a versatile tool, offers advantages such as converting rotary motion to reciprocating rotation, achieving desired follower motion, and bearing high vibrations, but also faces disadvantages like wear and tear, high manufacturing costs, and space consumption.
FAQs
What is the cam and follower?
The cam, a profiled disc, is a mechanical device that influences the motion of the follower, ensuring the desired reciprocating motion is achieved by rotating the cam.
What is the function of cam?
A cam, often part of an eccentric wheel or shaft with an irregular shape, transforms rotary motion into linear motion by striking a lever at one or more points on its circular path.
What is the principle of cam?
The cam-follower converts a circular motion into a linear one, known as reciprocating movement, by turning a handle. It’s connected to a push-rod shaft, which is part off.