MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > Dialogs

2D-Cam Work-flow

Action	Help Topic
Before you start this work-flow: add a kinematic-chain for the Cam-Part and a kinematic-chain for the Follower-Part; add mass-properties to the Parts; develop the motion design. The two kinematic-chains must be kinematically-defined.
1.Add a 2D-Cam, or two if Conjugate Cams, or two as the inner-flank and the outer-flank of a Groove-Cam.	see Add 2D-Cam
If the new 2D-Cam is one of a two Conjugate-Cams, or it is one flank of a Groove-Cam
1.a. Add a Conjugate-Cam FB	see Add Conjugate Cam FB
1.b. Edit the Conjugate-Cam FB to select the two 2D-Cams	see Conjugate-Cam dialog
2.Select a 2D-Cam or a Conjugate-Cam FB as the Power Source for the kinematic-chain that includes the Follower	see Configure-Power Source
3.Review the 2D-Cam: Display, Properties, Roller-Life, Cam-Life	see 2D-Cam dialog
4.Add a Cam-Data FB	see Add Cam-Data FB
5.Edit the Cam-Data FB to link it to a 2D-Cam - close the dialog	see Cam-Data dialog
6.Connect wires from the output-connectors of the Cam-Data FB to a Graph FB
7.Analyze the 2D-Cam: Contact-Force & Stress, Radius-of-Curvature, Pressure-Angle, Sliding-Velocity.	see Cam-Data dialog : Cam Analysis
8.Edit the Cam-Data FB again to calculate the Cam's Coordinates	see Cam-Data dialog : Cam-Coordinates

To open the 2D-Cam dialog:

1.Double-click a 2D-Cam in the graphics-area or Assembly-Tree.

OR

1.See How to Open a dialog.

Click Save Cam Data at the top of the dialog to save the data to a CSV file-type. The CSV file saves the parameters and the data at each step in the machine cycle. The CSV saves the Roller-Life and the Cam-Life details when you enable Roller and Cam Lifetime.

Time

X-

Coordinates

Y-

Coordinates

Contact

Force

Contact Shear Stress

Radius

of

Curvature

Pressure

Angle

Sliding Velocity

Cam Angular Velocity

Interferes?

s

mm

N

MPa

mm

degree

mm/s

rad/s

Y/N

IMPORTANT: Do not use the X-Y coordinates that you can save with this dialog to manufacture the cam. Use a Cam-Data FB to calculate and save the Cam-Profile as XY-Point, BiArcs, and STEP file-type.

Note:

If you open the file in Excel > Data tab > Data and Transform data group > From Text/CSV file, use Unicode UTF-8 (65001) as the File Origin.

Dialog: 2D-Cam >

Dialog: 2D-Cam >

2D-Cam

2D-Cam dialog

SHORT format

EXTENDED format

Parameters

Display

Roller Life

Cam Life