Abstract
A method for the integrated design and manufacture of radial plate cams is discussed. Currently, a cam-follower system is designed by specifying constraints on the motion of the follower. The physical cam contour or cam pitch curve are not mathematically defined. The cam is manufactured from the discretized follower motion program. A new method for cam design is proposed which will produce a smooth, mathematically defined cam pitch curve while maintaining the proper constraints on the follower motion. Piecewise polynomial functions in the form of rational and/or non-rational splines may be used. Cams will be manufactured using smoothed profiles and tested for improved dynamic performance. The results of initial investigations of cam profile design for this research are presented.
