Traditionally, cam-follower systems are designed by assuming a constant camshaft speed. Nevertheless, all cam-follower systems, especially high-speed systems, exhibit some camshaft speed fluctuation (despite the presence of a flywheel) which causes the follower motions to be inaccurate. This paper therefore proposes a novel design procedure that explicitly takes into account the camshaft speed variation. The design procedure assumes that (i) the cam-follower system is conservative and (ii) all forces are inertial. The design procedure is based on a single design choice, i.e., the amount of camshaft speed variation, and yields (i) cams that compensate for the inertial dynamics for any period of motion and (ii) a camshaft flywheel whose (small) inertia is independent of the period of motion. A design example shows that the cams designed in this way offer the following advantages, even for non-conservative, non-purely inertial cam-follower systems: (i) more accurate camshaft motion despite a smaller flywheel, (ii) lower motor torques, (iii) more accurate follower motions, with fewer undesired harmonics, and (iv) a camshaft motion spectrum that is easily and robustly predictable.
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e-mail: bram.demeulenaere@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
e-mail: joris.deschutter@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
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September 2003
Technical Papers
Synthesis of Inertially Compensated Variable-Speed Cams
B. Demeulenaere,
e-mail: bram.demeulenaere@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
B. Demeulenaere
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300B, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
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J. De Schutter
e-mail: joris.deschutter@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
J. De Schutter
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300B, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
Search for other works by this author on:
B. Demeulenaere
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300B, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
e-mail: bram.demeulenaere@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
J. De Schutter
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300B, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
e-mail: joris.deschutter@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
Contributed by the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN. Manuscript received June 2001; rev. October 2002. Associate Editor: S. K. Agrawal.
J. Mech. Des. Sep 2003, 125(3): 593-601 (9 pages)
Published Online: September 4, 2003
Article history
Received:
June 1, 2001
Revised:
October 1, 2002
Online:
September 4, 2003
Citation
Demeulenaere, B., and De Schutter , J. (September 4, 2003). "Synthesis of Inertially Compensated Variable-Speed Cams ." ASME. J. Mech. Des. September 2003; 125(3): 593–601. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1582502
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