Cams Design

Estimated time required: ~60 min

Weidong Guo, Mileta M Tomovic

School of Technology
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Topics Covered

• Creating a follower
• Adding motion to the follower
• Creating cam plan
• Adding motion to cam plan
• Obtaining the trace of the follower
• Designing cam
• Creating cam joint
Problem Description
In the cams shown, the radius of the base circle is r0=100mm, the offset is
e=20mm, the motion of the follower is described as
⎧h
⎪Φ h 0o ≤ ϕ < 180o
⎪
s=⎨
⎪ h ⎨⎧1 + cos ⎡ π (ϕ − 180) ⎤ ⎬⎫ 180o ≤ ϕ ≤ 360o B
⎪⎩ 2 ⎩ ⎢⎣ Φ ⎥⎦
⎭
C

where, h=100mm, Φ=180°, ϕ is the

angular translation of the cam and A

ϕ=30°t.

This problem asks for design (b) Motion of follower

of the cam.
(a) Cams
Starting Adams and Making Settings

a. Start Adams (Double-click the shortcut of ADAMS-View).

b. Create a new model. The model name is Cams_Design.
c. Set Working Grid as along X to 400 and Y to 300, grid
spacing for X and Y to 10.
d. Set the Icon size as 20. d

a b
Creating Model
Creating Follower
a. Select Cylinder tool in Main Toolbox.
b. Check Length, and enter 15cm in Length text field. Check Radius, and enter 1cm in Radius text field.
c. Create a cylinder.
d. Select Frustum tool in Main Toolbox.
e. Check Length, and enter 5cm. Check Bottom Radius, and enter 1cm. Check Top Radius, and enter 0.1cm.
f. Create a Frustum.
g. Select Unit two solids tool.
h. Click cylinder and frustum separately to unit them together. Change its color to Blue.
i. Rename it (PART_2) to Follower.
a
h
d

e
b f
g
Creating Model
Adjusting Follower’s Position

a. Select tool in Main Toolbox.

b. Move Follower 20mm (=e) along x.
c. Move Follower 148mm along y.
d. Select Marker tool in Main Toolbox.
e. Add a marker (MARKER_3) to the follower.

b c

e
Creating Model
Checking Marker’s Information

a. Right-click MARKER_3.
b. Select -Marker:MARKER_3/Info from the drop down menu.
c. The MARKER_3’s global location appears.
The distance between (20, 98,0) and (0,0,0) is 100, equal to r0.

c
Creating Model a
Creating Cam Plan

a. Select Box tool in Main Toolbox.

b. Check Length, and enter 40cm in Length text field.
Check Height, and enter 40cm. Check Depth, and
enter 1cm.
c. Click (-200, -200, 0) position.
A box is created and named as PART_3.
d. Rename PART_3 to Cam.

d
d
Creating Model
Creating Joint_A

a. Select Revolute Joint tool. a

b. In Construction field, select 2 Bod-1 Loc
and Normal To Grid.
c. Click the cam plan.
d. Click the ground.
e. Click the center of the cam plan.
JOINT_1 is created.
f. Rename JOINT_1 to JOINT_A. b e

d
Creating Model
Creating Joint_B

a. Select Translational Joint tool.

f
b. In Construction field, select 2 Bod-1 Loc a
and Pick Feature.
c. Click the follower.
d. Click the ground.
e. Click the center of the follower. d
f. Move the cursor upward and click after an arrow
appears.
JOINT_2 is created. e
c e
g. Rename JOINT_2 to JOINT_B. b

g
Creating Model
Adding Motions

a. Select Rotational Joint Motion tool.

b. Click JOINT_A.
e
MOTION_1 is created.
c. Rename MOTION_1 to MOTION_A.
d. Select Translational Joint Motion tool. a d
e. Click JOINT_B.
MOTION_2 is created. b

b
Creating Model
a
Editing MOTION_2
a. Right-click the MOTION_2. b
b. Select Motion: MOTION_2/Modify.
c. Select Type to Velocity (!!).
d. In Function (time) text field, enter:
IF(time-6: 50/3, 50/3, -25/3*pi*sin(pi/180*(30*time-180)))
This means
⎧ h 100 50
⎪ ω= × 30 = ϕ < 180o (t < 6)
⎪Φ 180 3
ds ⎪ h 100 50
v= =⎨ ω= × 30 = ϕ = 180o (t = 6)
dt ⎪ Φ 180 3
⎪ π hω ⎡π ⎤ 25π ⎡ π ⎤
⎪− 2 sin ⎢ (ϕ − 180 ) ⎥ = − 3 sin ⎢180 ( 30t − 180 ) ⎥ ϕ > 180 (t > 6)
o

⎩ Φ ⎣Φ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦
d
e. Select OK.

e
Simulating Model

a
a. Click Interactive Simulation Controls
button.
b. In End Time text field enter 12 (Yhe
cam plan will rotate 360°).
c. In Steps text field enter 200.
d. Click Start or continue simulation
button to start simulation. d

c
Designing Cam
Obtaining the Profile of Cam

a. Select Review/Create Trace Spline rom drop down menu.

b. Click MARKER_3.
c. Click the cam plan.
The profile of the cam appears. It is also the trace of MARKER_3
relative to the cam plan.

c
b
a
Designing Cam
a
Creating Cam Geometry

a. Select Extrusion tool.

b. Select Add to Part.
c. Select Curve.
d. Select About Center.
e. Enter 10 in Length text field. b
f. Click the cam plan (Box).
g. Click the profile of the cam (Trace spline). c

e f
Designing Cam
Creating Cam a

a. Click Select button.

b. Click Set the View to Isometric.
c. Right-click the cam plan.
d. Delete the Box_3.
e. Click Render button.
c

e
Designing Cam
Creating Cam Joint (1)

a. Right-click MOTION_2.
a
b. Select Motion: MOTION_2/Delete.

b
Designing Cam
Creating Cam Joint (2)

b
a. Select Point-Curve Constraint tool.
b. Click MARKER_3.
c. Click the profile of the cam.
The cam joint (Point-Curve Constraint ) is created.

Point-Curve Constraint
Simulating Model

a. Click Interactive Simulation Controls a

button.
b. In End Time text field enter 12.
c. In Steps text field enter 200.
d. Click Start or continue simulation
button to start simulation.
d

c
Measuring Model

a. Right-click MARKER_3.
b. Select Marker:
MARKER_3/Measure.
c. In Measure Name text field, enter Sy.
d. Select Y component.
e. Select OK.
The translational displacement
of the end of the follower appears.
c
The measure result is good fit a
with given motion.

The End e
Download:

• http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/PLM/SME/Cams_Design.bin