There are two formats: Short and Extended.

Short format

We show this format of Cam-Visibilities when you do NOT enable Show Roller and Cam Lifetimes in the Parameters tab. Cam Visibilities when Show Roller and Cam Lifetimes is NOT enabled Cam Display Options : ◉ Inner - show the inside (internal or smaller) Cam-Profile only ◉ Outer - show the outside (external or larger) Cam-Profile only ◉ Groove - show the Inner and Outer Cam-Profiles ◉ Pitch-center - show ONLY the Pitch-Center path - see Note You can enable also: ❑ Pitch-center - show the Inner, or Outer, or Groove, AND the Pitch-Center path - see Note ❑ Show Radius-of-Curvature - show the Radius-of-Curvature at the contact-point of the Follower-Roller on the Cam-Profile.

Extended format

We show this format of Cam-Visibilities when you do enable Show Roller and Cam Lifetimes in the Parameters tab. We calculate the lifetime the Inner or the Outer Cam-Profile. Cam Visibilities when Show Roller and Cam Lifetimes is enabled Cam Display Options (with Lifetime enabled) ◉ Inner - show the inside (internal or smaller) Cam-Profile only ◉ Outer - show the outside (external or larger) Cam-Profile only You can enable also: ❑ Pitch-center - show the Inner, or Outer, AND the Pitch-Center path - see Note ❑ Show Radius-of-Curvature - show the Radius-of-Curvature at the contact-point of the Follower-Roller on the Cam-Profile.

Note:

The Pitch-Center is the path of the center-point of a Follower-Roller bearing relative to the Cam-Part.  

The Pitch-Center path is meaningful only when the Follower-Profile is a roller bearing.

Display Cam-Profile as:

* Configure the Power Source to calculate correctly.

Cam-Profile Line Thickness: (default =1)

Edit the thickness of the Cam-Profile.

Cam-Profile Color button

Edit the color of the Cam-Profile  in the graphics-area.

Different colors are useful when there are many Cam-Profiles in your model.

TOP-TIP - rename the 2D-Cam element to the color you select for the Cam-Profile.

Show Instant centers : For the kinemagicians!

Without End-Caps

With End-Caps

Enable Show END-Caps check-box.

This check-box shows only when MechDesigner detects that the Cam-Profile is “open”.

A Cam-Profile is open if its start and end are not in the same place.

With Slot-Cam types, it is frequently possible to close the Cam-Profile with End-Caps - see image above.

Note:

Slot-Cams can have “complications” that you must resolve before you can export its Coordinates to SolidWorks or other CAD.

◉ Cam Profile

Outer and Inner cams are continuous lines.

Pitch-Center Path is a dashed line.

◉ Maximum Shear-Stress

Maximum Shear Stress value is near to the contact point

Color of the cam agrees with the color-bar

Color-bar shows the range of the Maximum Shear-Stress

Notes:

Maximum Shear-Stress is below the surface, at:

• 0.78 × Contact-Width for Line contact

• 0.48 × Contact-Width for Elliptical contact

Maximum Shear-Stress is:

• 0.3 × Contact Stress for Line and Elliptical contact

◉ Contact Force

Contact Force value is near to the contact point.

Color of the Cam and Color-Bar agree with the Contact Force

◉ Pressure Angle

Pressure Angle is near to the contact point.

Color of the cam agrees with the color-bar

Color-bar is the scale of the Pressure Angle

See also Pressure Angle