The Objective of this Step:

To link a 2D-Cam to a Cam-Data FB.

To use the Cam-Data FB to:

•Make a plot of the cam parameters for cam analysis
•Get the Cam-Coordinates

Summary of this Step:

This step will:

1.Add a Cam-Data FB
2.Link the Cam-Data FB to the 2D-Cam
3.Plot the Pressure Angle of the 2D-Cam with a Graph FB
4.Use the Cam-Coordinates FB to calculate the Cam-Coordinates

tog_minus        Video of this Step

 

Tutorial 6A-8

tog_minus        Add a Cam-Data FB to the graphic-area

Icon-FB-CamData

To Add a Cam-Data FB:

STEP 1: Click Add menu > Add Cam-Data FB
- or -
Click Kinematic-FBs toolbar > Add Cam-Data FB
Cam-Data FB in graphic-area

Cam-Data FB
in graphic-area
STEP 2: Click in the graphic-area

Step 2 is complete

The Cam-Data FB is larger than other Function-Blocks.

It has five output-connectors

tog_minus        Link the Cam-Data FB to a 2D Cam

Dialog-CamCoordinates1A
STEP 1: Double-Click the Cam-Data FB that is in the graphic-area

The Cam-Coordinates dialog opens.

Dialog-CamCoordinates2A
STEP 2: Click the 2D-Cam that is in the graphic-area
or
Click the 2D-Cam in the Assembly-Tree.

The name of the 2D-Cam shows in the 'Selected Cam-Track' box1s

Step 2 is complete

STEP 3: Close the Cam-Coordinated dialog-box.

To open the Cam-Coordinates dialog later:

Double-click the Cam-Data FB again, or See 'How to open a dialog-box'

tog_minus        Cam Analysis - Pressure Angle

Cam Data FB output-connectors [Note: Entrainment-Velocity is available from R14+]

Cam Data FB output-connectors
[Note: Entrainment-Velocity is available from R14+]

There are five output-connectors from the Cam-Data FB [R14+] - see image to see the output from each output-connector.

A Profile/Extrusion element is one way we can add mass to a Part. However, the only Profile in the model is the Cam-Follower Roller, which will not have a large mass. Also, it does not represent the distribution of the Mass in the Cam-Follower System. Thus, in this tutorial we will not analyse the Contact-Force or Contact-Stress between the Cam and the Cam-Follower.

We can however, analyse its Pressure Angle and Radius-of-Curvature and Entrainment Velocity

STEP 1: Drag a wire from the Pressure-Angle output-connector to a Graph FB

The Pressure-Angle is important. A high Pressure-Angle, means that the force  is not transferred from the cam to cam-follower very efficiently. The Pressure-Angle imposes extra forces on the machine elements in the cam and cam-follower systems, which become very high as the Pressure-Angle increases to greater than 35° [an arbitrary angle as it depends on what is being driven by the cam]. Many designers aim to keep the Pressure-Angle to less that 30°.

See: Cam Analysis and Checklist for further information.

See Tutorial Forces 13 for force analysis.

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