Preamble:

Four(4) Cam Faces

We specify for you 3D-Cams with four(4) cam faces. The four (4) cam faces are the:

•Two working faces (also called Cam-Flanks): in contact with the Cam-Roller

•Root-Face: the floor of the cam. It should be deeper into the cam than Cam-Roller

•Top Face: you do not need this face in the actual cam. We add it to close the 3D-Cam in the model.

Rims and Points

Rims: along the total length of each Cam face.

Points: We specify each Rim for you with Points.

You specify the number of Rims and the number of Points you want to save with the CAD model.

# Points per Rims:
The number of Points along each Rim

# Rims per Flanks:  
The number of Rims across each flank (working faces) of the Cam

# Rims per Top & Bottom:
The number of Rims across the Root and Top faces (non-working faces) of the 3D-Cam

There are also Hoops around the the Rims.

# Hoops (for CAD)
The number of hoops that wrap around the 3D-Cam and connect the same Point along each Rim. We use the hoops to help SolidWorks.

Preamble:

These parameters are for a Tapered Cam-Follower Roller.

 [ Linear Velocity () = Radius( )  × Angular Velocity () ]

Cam Flank Velocity: Different points on the cam-flank surface are at different radii from the cam's rotational axis.

Therefore, a point that is at a large radius from the Cam's rotational-axis has a greater velocity than a point that is at a small radius.

Cylindrical Follower Velocity: the surface of a cylindrical follower bearing are at equal radii from its own rotational-axis. Therefore, the tangential velocities of all points on the surface of a rotating cylindrical roller are identical.

The velocity of the cam's surface and the follower's surface can only be the equal at one contact radius from the center of the Cam. The follower must be skidding at all other points!

Tapered Follower Velocity: the surface velocity of a tapered-roller increases as its radius increases. If its apex is coincident with the rotational-axis of the cam, it can have a surface speed that is equal to the surface speed of the cam. Thus, it can roll on the cam surface as the cam rotates. This is be possible only during the dwell periods.

Nevertheless, cylindrical or barrel rollers are most often used as they are readily available, cheap, and they can withstand high loads.

The Roller Diameter of a Tapered Roller?

First, review the Extrusion-Offset and Extrusion-Depth parameters that define the Profile Extrusion of the Cam-Follower Roller.

Use the Extrusion dialog to make the Extrusion-Depth parameter equal to the Width or Length of the Cam-Follower Roller (Frequently, the 'B' parameter in bearing catalogs).

Extrusion dialog: (Note: Part-Offset parameter = 0 mm).

Extrusion-Offset (mm): Position (Z-axis) to the Primary-Contour from the Mechanism-Plane

Extrusion-Depth (mm): = Dimension between the Primary and Secondary -Contours. ONLY a positive value

Note: In image to the left, +Z-axis direction is down

Taper-Angle of the Cam-Follower Roller.

Taper-Angle (degrees) inclines the Flanks of the 3D-Cam. The taper angle pivots about the Secondary-Contour.

This is not as convenient as the Primary-Contour, for which we apologize.

With reference to the image to the left, you can see that a:

•Negative Taper Angle (shown in image): the diameter of the Roller decreases in the +Z-axis direction.

•Positive Taper Angle : the diameter of the Roller increases in the +Z-axis direction.

Z Offset for Debug - ignore.

Recommendation , if you want to use the Taper-Roller parameter:

Assume the Mechanism-Plane of the Cam-Follower is half (mid-)way through the width of the Cam-Follower. It if is not, then change the dimension below to suit your model.

STEP 1

Edit the Cam-Follower Extrusion with the Extrusion dialog

The Extrusion-Offset should be the negative of the Extrusion-Depth.

Extrusion-Depth(mm) = Actual Roller Width(mm) (Equal to dimension C in SKF catalog

Extrusion-Offset (mm) = – Extrusion-Depth(mm) (Equal to negative of dimension – C in SKF catalog.

The Secondary Profile is now on the Mechanism-Plane. The Taper-Angle parameter rotates and pivots on the Mechanism-Plane.

STEP 2:

In the Clearances separator (see below ):

Root-Clearance and Top-Clearance to extend the flanks as need for the actual roller and 3D-Cam

Preamble:

There must be a small clearance for a Cam-Follower bearing to roll between the cam's flanks.

Also, you must make sure the Cam-Follower bearing does not touch the Root/Floor of the cam.

Thus, Clearances are practical considerations.

To calculate the basic 3D-Cam (without Roller Clearances), we use for you the:

•Radial dimension of the Circle you add to the model to represent the Follower.

•Extrusion-Depth of the Circle as the depth of the Cam-Flanks

•Part-Offset + Extrusion-Offset of the Extrusion from the Mechanism-Plane to locate the Cam-Flanks.

You should use the actual dimensions of the Cam-Follower Bearing, and use Roller Clearances to give the clearances you need.

Radial-Clearance (mm)

Important: Total Clearance = 2 × Radial Clearance.

A positive Radial Clearance moves the cam-flanks outwards

A negative Radial Clearance moves the cam-flanks inwards.

Root-Clearance:

A positive value that moves the Root-Face towards the center of the Cam -see Note.

Add Root-Clearance to make sure the Follower-Roller does not touch the actual Root (the floor) of the cam-groove/track.

Top-Clearance:

A positive value that moves the Top-Face away from the center of the Cam - see Note.

Add Top-Clearance to make sure the top-face of the model is outside the Cam-Blank

Note:

The Top-Face may be the Root-Face of the Cam - vice-versa!

To find which is which, Experiment! Enter a value for the Root-Clearance and click the Rebuild button. Observer in the model which face moves.

Preamble:

Flank Length parameters apply to Indexing Cams.

When you add a 3D-Cam, we calculate for you the cam over a complete machine-cycle, 0 – 360. However, cam-follower rollers of indexing cams do not stay in contact with the cam for a complete machine-cycle 0 – 360. The cam-follower rollers progressively engage, then disengage with the cam, in a similar way to gear teeth.

You use the Flank-Length separator to calculate the cam coordinates for the period when the cam-follower is engaged with the cam.

You may need to edit the Flank Length to calculate the cam for angles that are not from 0 and 360.  

Flank-Length:

Start-Angle:

•Edit the Start-Angle

End-Angle:

•Edit the End-Angle

As you edit the Start-Angle and End Angle, the Cam becomes shorter in length.

The number of points that we calculate for you along each rim in the cam does not change. Thus, the points along each rim become nearer to each other.

Preamble:

It is often useful to link a SolidWorks document file-name with the 3D-Cam.

Get Cad Part Path

Link the active SolidWorks document file-name with the 3D-Cam dialog.

The file-name is put into the Path of SLDPRT (Cam) box

Open Cam Part

Open, in SOLIDWORKS, the file-name of the SOLIDWORKS document that is in the Cam Part Path box

Note: From MD13.2, it is much easier to save the 3D-Cam to a STEP file with the Save button.

Preamble:

We recommend you use save as a STEP file - See Rebuild and Save buttons

Alternatively, you can use these buttons to transfer the 3D-Cam data to SOLIDWORKS.

1.Open SolidWorks

2.Add a new SolidWorks Part and make it the active document.

3.Press the three buttons in the SolidWorks Data Transfer separator

Send Cam Blank

•We export for you the sketch of the Cam-Blank and its Axis-of-Rotation to SolidWorks.

•We instruct SolidWorks for you to add a revolved feature with the Cam-Blank and Axis-of-Rotation.

Note: Usually, the sketch of the Cam-Blank is symmetrical about the middle of the sketch. If the sketch is not symmetrical (top to bottom), then it is possible that SolidWorks puts the sketch up-side-down with respect to the 3D-Cam. To flip the Cam-Blank: (in SolidWorks), mirror the sketch about the Y–axis and then the X–axis.

Send Cam Surfaces Note you can also save the Cam as a STEP file, to import directly into any CAD.

•We export for you each Rim and Hoop

•We instruct SolidWorks to:

oCreate a surface from the Rims for each face and flank of the Cam

oAdd end-caps to the surfaces, if it is an Indexing-Cam

oKnit the surfaces together

Remove Surfaces from Blank

•We instructs SolidWorks to:

oCut the knitted surfaces into the Cam Blank

oHide the knitted surfaces

Note: You may need to edit the Surface Cut feature to reverse the direction of the cut to leave the cam is a cam-track.