TABLE OF CONTENTS This brief chapter attempts to put in summary form some of the lessons "learned the hard way" over 40 years of cam and machine design experience. Some myths and old shibboleths are also debunked. It is the author's impression that there is still a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding in the machine design world about the design of cam follower systems. It is hoped that these general guidelines will be of some help in improving the situation.
The cam designer is often faced with many confusing decisions, especially at an early stage of the design process. Many early decisions, often made somewhat arbitrarily and without much thought, can have significant and costly consequences later in the design. The following is a discussion of some of the trade-offs involved with such decisions in the hope that it will provide the cam designer with some guidance in making these decisions.
There are many cases, especially early in a design, when either translating or rotating motion could be accommodated as output from the cam, though in other situations, the follower motion and geometry is dictated to the designer. If some design freedom is allowed, and straight-line motion is specified, the designer should consider the possibility of using an approximate straight line motion, which is often adequate and can be obtained from a large-radius rocker follower. The rocker or oscillating follower has advantages over the translating follower when a roller is used. Around-cross-section translating...
