SEED Guides Tutor's Guide - Cam Mechanisms < >

0.1 It is recommended that the 'Cam Mechanisms - Unit Design' Guide be read first. The author's paper 'Xinematic Synthesis of Cam Mechanisms using a Spreadsheet." SEED '96: Proceedings of 18th Annual Design Conference University of Bristol, 26-7 June 1996 provides additional background. See Section 14 for further citations, including software.

0.2 This Supplement is intended to provide background information for tutors using SEED 'Cam Mechanisms - Unit Design' Guide for undergraduate design assignments. It includes additional explanations and Figures, supplies cross-references, identifies manufacturers and outlines possible assignments.

0.3 It is assumed that the students have access to a spreadsheet package and either that they are familiar with it or that they are using this assignment to learn how to use it in addition to learning about mechanism design and the principles of design data preparation.

0.4 Use of a spreadsheet restricts the project to those aspects of the design which can be solved by use of graphical design data; however since the spreadsheet can produce data specific to a given design by factoring the non-dimensional parameters and, in a particular case, some dimensions may be expected to have definite values it extends the synthesis beyond the stage possible with comparable hardcopy data. Unlike some hardcopy data it demonstrates the variation of output variables as continuous functions.

0.5 The spreadsheet approach is most suitable for disc cams driving translating followers as this configuration has fewer input variables than alternative forms of the cam mechanism. It is not recommended for such complex calculations as those associated with the dynamic load capacity of roller followers or contact stress (see section 8 below). Commercial software for this purpose is cited in Section 14.3 and 14.4 below.

0.6 The quality of the Figures in this Supplement is inferior to that of the corresponding charts drawn directly from the Excel v4 worksheets. The author recommends that charts drawn to full A4-size page be used for design purposes.

0.7 It is intended to provide a disc written in MS^® Excel 4 of part of the worksheet; to be available to members of SEED only.