Since cams provide the simplest means of achieving almost any desired follower motion with a reasonable accuracy, they are widely used in many types of machines. However, design and manufacture of cams are complicated engineering tasks which are usually performed independently of each other.
Therefore CAD/CAM systems for cam design and manufacture would be very useful. This paper describes an interactive CAD/CAM system for integrated design and manufacture of plate cams and spatial cams.
In the CAD module, cam design begines with selecting a cam-follower system among eight major types of cam-follower arrangements for cams in our software. And the displacement schedule can be defined using 18 analytical functions. Dynamic properties of interest to the designer such as velocity, acceleration and jerk can be readily checked through CRT display.
In the CAM module, the main functions are the operation planning, the generation of tool path and its verification. Users can select one among three interpolation methods.
Using this system, the designer can take into account difficulties associated with manufacture, and the production engineer to appreciate cam design requirements and limitations. It is apparent that the integration of CAD and CAM to the greatest possible extent can significantly enhance our understanding and efficient utilization of engineering technology.
