Getting Started Tutorials - MechDesigner > Tutorial 6: Cams: Flat, Barrel, Globoidal, 'Slot' > 6C: Barrel-Cams & Globoidal-Cams > 6C1: Oscillating-Follower Barrel-Cam > Step 6C1.1: Add the 3 Planes and 5 Elements

Barrel Cams: 3 Planes and 3 Mechanism-Editors

Image of Barrel Cam after it has been transferrred to SOLIDWORKS.

There are three Planes:

A Plane for the oscillating Follower and also the Follower-Roller - this Plane is offset from the Top-Plane*

A Plane for the rotating Cam (the Barrel-Cam) - if possible, the Cam should be on the Front-Plane*

A Plane for the Cam-Blank - this is a cross-section sketch of the Barrel-Cam - this sketch is on the Right-Plane*

* When your model is to design a 3D-Cam only, use these three Planes.

If the model has other machine elements, then use the Planes as required by the model.

Cam-Rib has two Follower-Rollers

Rib Cams.

This tutorial designs a Barrel-Cam that has a Cam-Groove.

However, it is also possible to model a Barrel Cam that has a Cam-Rib - see image to the left. The Cam-Rib also has two Cam-Flanks.

In the case of a Cam-Rib, you must add two Follower-Rollers.

Note : the Track is also called a Groove.

The Five Elements for a 3D-Cam:

5 elements for a Barrel-Cam (typical)

There are five elements. With Barrel/Cylindrical Cams, the five(5) elements are on three(3) different Planes and Mechanism-Editors.

Follower Part (on Plane 2: Follower)

Follower-Roller Profile (on Plane 2: Follower)

Cam-Shaft Part (on Plane 1: Cam-Shaft)

Cam-Blank Profile (on Plane 3: Cam-Blank)

Cam-Blank rotational axis Sketch Line (on Plane 3: Cam-Blank)

To see all of the elements from one Mechanism-Editor, do :

1.Enable Visibility toolbar > Show other Kinematic and Sketch-Elements

AND

2.Right-click each Mechanism name-tab

3.Enable Show with 'other Kinematic and Sketch-Elements'

GST-6C1-1-Barrel-Motion-01

We must also design the motion for the Follower-Part in MotionDesigner.

Blend-Point No	X - Input Cam-Shaft	Y - Output Follower
1	0	0
2	120	60
3	180	60
4	300	0
1	360 / 0	0

1: Add the Cam-Shaft

2: Add the Follower

GST-6C1-1-Barrel-002

STEP 1: Add the Plane and Mechanism-Editor for the Follower

In the Model-Editor:

1.Click Model toolbar > Add Plane

In the Add Plane dialog:

2.Click the Top Plane , enter 100 as the Offset Distance | Click to exit the Add Plane dialog.

In the Model-Editor:

3.Click Model toolbar > Add Mechanism | Click the new Plane| Click in the Command-Manager.

You jump immediately to the new Mechanism-Editor.

GST-6C1-1-Barrel-003

Rename the Plane and Mechanism-Editors

1.Rename the new Plane to Follower

2.Rename the new Mechanism-Editor to Follower

We need to see the 'other kinematic and sketch-elements':

1.Enable Visibility toolbar > Show Other Kinematic and Sketch-Elements

AND

2.Right-Click each Mechanism name-tab

3.Enable 'Show with 'other kinematic and sketch-elements'.

Above, the image shows the positions of the:

•Cam-Shaft in Mechanism Cam-Shaft

•Base-Part of the new Mechanism Follower

However, it is easier to add the elements to the Front View - Click F3 for the Front-View.

GST-6C1-102

STEP 2: Add a Line to the Base-Part

1.Geometry toolbar > Add Line.

2.Constraints toolbar > Add Coincident | Click Line's start-Point and X-axis

3.Constraints toolbar > Add Horizontal | Click the Line

4.Geometry toolbar > Add Dimension | Click the Line's start-Point and the Y-axis | Enter 100mm. Exit Part-Editor.

5.Geometry toolbar > Add Dimension | Click the Line | Enter 30mm. Exit Part-Editor.

After STEP 4

STEP 3: Add the Follower Part (Oscillating)

1.Kinematic elements toolbar > Add Part | Drag in the graphic-editor to add the Part.

2.Double-click the Part-Outline to edit the Part.

3.Part-Editor: Double-click the dimension for the CAD-Line | Dimension = 105mm. Exit the Part-Editor.

4.Kinematic elements toolbar > Add Pin-Joint | Click the start-Point of Part and start-Point of Line

5.Kinematic FB toolbar > Add Motion-Dimension FB | Click the Pin-Joint, new Line, CAD-Line in Part, Click in the Command-Manager.

6.Edit the Motion-Dimension FB, enter Base-Value = -30 (or 330) in the dialog.

STEP 4: Define the motion of the Follower Part (Oscillating)

1.Click Kinematic FB toolbar >Add Linear-Motion FB | Click the graphics-area

2.Click Kinematic FB toolbar >Add Motion FB | Click the graphics-area

3.Connect wires between the Function-Blocks in the usual way.

4.Rename the Plane, Mechanism-Editor and the Part to Follower.

<<< The new names and hierarchy of the important-elements in the Assembly-Tree (actually the

GST-6C1-1-Barrel-006

3: Add the Follower-Roller

3: The Cam-Blank and Rotational Axis

GST-6C1-1-Barrel-009

Rotational Sketch of the Cam-Blank: a sketch-loop of the rotational cross-section of the Cam, into which we can machine the Cam-Track.

Rotational-Axis: the line that we revolve the sketch-loop of the Cam-Blank

The sketch-loop is in a new Mechanism-Editor.

STEP 1: Add a new Mechanism-Editor for the Cam-Blank

1.Model toolbar > Add Mechanism

2.Click the Right-Plane

3.Click in the Command-Manager.

It is helpful to do:

4.Visibility toolbar > Enable Show Solids in Mechanism

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STEP 2: Add a sketch-loop and rotational axis for the Cam-Blank

1.Edit the Base-Part.

2.Geometry toolbar > Add Line (× 4) to give a 4 sided shape.

3.Constraints toolbar > Add Perpendicular (× 3) to give a rectangle.

4.Constraints toolbar > Add Horizontal | Click one of the two Lines that should be horizontal.

5.Geometry toolbar > Add Line | Constrain: Line is collinear with X-axis.

GST-6C1-106

STEP 3: Add a Profile to the Cam-Blank

1.Click Solids menu > Add Profile | Click the sketch-loop of the Cam-Blank, Click in the Command-Manager

2.SHIFT+CLICK the Profile

The Profile and the Extrusion should be in the Selection-Window

3.Right-Click the Extrusion| Click Edit element in the shortcut-menu

4.Extrusion dialog: Extrusion Depth = 2 and Extrusion Offset = –1

5.Extrusion dialog: color, Opacity, Quality > Disable Show-Extrusion check-box to hide the Extrusion.

6.Click to close the dialog.

GST-6C1-202