CAMS

It is possible to impart desired motion to a follower by direct contact method by using a mechanical member called cam. There can be rotating, reciprocating or oscillating cams. Cams help to achieve even difficult and complicated output motions. This idea is widely and extensively used in internal combustion engines, automatic machines, printing control mechanisms, machine tools etc. The methods employed for the manufacture of cams are die-casting, milling and punch-presses. Generally a cam mechanism consists of a driver member known as cam, a driven member known as follower and a frame to support the cam and to guide the follower. The different types of cams in use are wedge and flat cams, radial or disc cams, spiral cams, cylindrical cams, conjugate cams, globoidal cams, spherical cams, rise-return-rise(R-R-R) cams, dwell-rise-return-dwell((D-R-R-D) cams, dwell-rise-dwell-return-dwell(D-R-D-R-D) cams, pre-loaded spring cams, positive-drive cams and gravity cams.