What is a Conjugate Cam?

A cam system must make sure the Cam-Follower Roller is in continuous contact with the Cam at all machine speeds. There are two design options:

•Force Closed Cam - the cam-follower is pushed pulled against the cam with an external force. For example a Spring, Air-Cylinder, Gravity, Magnet, ...
•Body-Closed Cam - two rollers on the same cam-follower part, so that they have the same motion. Each roller generates a different cam. The rollers act on the cam in opposition to each other.

The two cams are called conjugate-cams. The two Cams are on the same machine-part - typically a cam-shaft.

Why do we need to add the  Conjugate Cam FB element?

In MechDesigner, it is easy to generate a number of cams on one machine part, each with a different follower, but again all in one cam-follower part. So why do we need the Conjugate-Cam FB?

We use a Conjugate-Cam FB when the force analysis is important. We use it to apply the 'Power Source' correctly by switching the contact between the two conjugate-cams.

2D-Cam elements and 2D-Cam dialogs

ADD ELEMENTS

 

DIALOG-BOXES

STEP 1: Add a 2D-Cam

-> EDIT to OPEN ->

STEP 1A: Cam Display and Properties dialog-box

STEP 2 : Add Cam-Data FB

 

-> EDIT to OPEN ->

STEP 2A : Cam-Coordinates dialog-box

Close to do STEP 4 or do STEP 5 now.

STEP 3 : Cam Analysis [See also STEP 4A]

... Cam-Data FB and Graph FB

 

STEP 3A : Calculate, save, export Cam-Coordinates

STEP 4A : If you need to do 'Cam Force and Stress' Analysis: Configure Power Source, Mass Properties of Parts

Add Conjugate Cam FB

Icon-AddConjugateCamFB

Machine Elements Toolbar : Add Conjugate Cam FB

Menu:

Add menu > Mechanism sub-menu > Add Conjugate-Cam FB

GA-Conjugate-CamPair

Preparation:

You need in the model.

Two 2D-Cams

•Cams : the same Part  
•Cam-Follower: the same Part

GA-ConjugateCamFB

What to do:

1.Click Machine-elements toolbar > Add Conjugate-Cam FB
2.Click the graphic-area.

The Conjugate-Cam-FB is now in the graphic-area.

Dialog-FB-ConjugateCam
2.Edit the Conjugate-Cam FB to open the Conjugate-Cam FB dialog-box.
3.Click the two 2D-Cams in the graphic-area or the Assembly-Tree.

Cam-Track :the names of the two 2D-Cams that are the 'Conjugate Cams'

Cam-Flank Visible : the Cam-flanks that will be active as the Power Source.

When you open the Configure-Power Source dialog-box, the Conjugate Cam is available to select as the Power Source.

 

Tutorial and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 13.2 + © Machine, Mechanism, Motion and Cam Design Software by PSMotion Ltd