Designs and calculates disc, linear and cylindrical cams of a follower of translating or swinging arm type. You can calculate and design cam parameters completely and graph results for motion parameters are available. You can choose among many lift motions. You can add your own lift motion (tab delimited text file).
The generators design cams based on the cam properties of maximum lift, acceleration, velocity, or pressure angle.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
Disc Cam Generator - Design tab
Sets parameters for the design of a disc cam.
Click Calculate to perform the calculation of geometric parameters.
Specifies parameters of the cam. Use the pull-down menu to select Component or No Model Option. If you select Component, the Cylindrical Face and Start Plane commands are enabled. If you select No Model, the commands are not available.
Specifies parameters of cam segments.
Actual Segment | Use the pull-down menu to select actual segment. |
Motion Function | Use the selection list to select the appropriate motion. Click Plus (Add) to open the Add Motion dialog box where you can specify your own motion, which is added to the list. Other commands are available only when a motion is selected in the list. The Minus (Delete) command deletes current/selected user motion. |
Add Before | Adds segment before the currently selected segment. |
Delete | Deletes current segment. |
Add After | Adds segment after the currently selected segment. |
Graphic display of segments area
As you select a button on the toolbar, a corresponding quantity graph displays in this area. To turn off the display of a graph, clear the selection.
If you place the cursor above the graphs area, a tooltip displays with graph values that correspond to units of the actual cursor position.
You can select the cam segment in an index in the combo box in the Actual Segment area, or by click an appropriate position in the graph area.
Zoom switches on/off the zoom to the cam element graphs only.
Save graph data to file saves all graph data and data about the cam profile and follower path to the tab delimited text file. You can open the saved data in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, if desired. Following columns are generated:
Displays additional options for cam design.
Gives an accurate, detailed cam calculation, export values (the Calculation option), and part accuracy when inserting into Autodesk Inventor (the Model option). The angle between drawn points is specified by number of points on a circle (360 points means a 1 degree angle distance of points).
To display the Results area on the right side of the Calculation and Design tabs, double-click the double line on the right or click the chevron.
The area displays the limiting values of calculated parameters, result of strength check, and cam shape. Values are calculated when the Calculate command is pressed.
Following output parameters are displayed on the Results pane:
Linear Cam Generator - Design tab
Sets parameters for design of a linear cam.
Click Calculate to perform the calculation of geometric parameters.
General specification of the cam. Use the pull-down menu to select Component or No Model Option.
General specification of the follower.
Specify parameters of cam segments.
Actual Segment | Use the pull-down menu to select actual segment. |
Motion Function | Select a motion. Click Plus (Add) to open the Add Motion dialog box where you can specify your own motion to add to the list. Other commands are available only if the user-defined motion is selected in list. The Minus (Delete) command deletes selected user motion. |
Add Before | Adds segment before currently selected segment. |
Delete | Deletes current segment. |
Add After | Adds segment after currently selected segment. |
Graphical display of segments are
When you click a quantity graph in the toolbar, it displays in this area. Click the quantity graph again to turn off the display.
If you place the cursor above the graphs area, the tooltip with graphs values with corresponding units of the actual cursor position displays.
The cam segment can be selected by index in the box in Actual Segment group box or by clicking the appropriate position in graph area.
Zoom switches on/off the zoom to the cam element graphs only.
Save graph data to file saves all graph data and data about the cam profile and follower path to the tab delimited text file. You can open the saved data in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, if desired. Following columns are generated:
Displays additional options for cam design.
To display the Results area on the right side of the Calculation and Design tabs, double-click the double line on the right or click the chevron.
The area displays the limiting values of calculated parameters, result of strength check, and cam shape. Values are calculated when the Calculate command is pressed.
Following output parameters are displayed in the Results pane:
Cylindrical Cam Generator - Design tab
Sets parameters for the design of a cylindrical cam.
Click Calculate to perform the calculation of geometric parameters.
General specification of the cam. Use the pull-down menu to select Component or No Model Option. If you select the Component option, the Cylindrical Face and Start plane commands are enabled. The commands are not available if No Model option is selected.
Specify parameters of cam segments.
Actual Segment | Use the pull-down menu to select actual segment. |
Motion Function | Use the selection list to select the appropriate motion. Click Plus (Add) to open the Add Motion dialog box where you can specify your own motion which is added to the list. Other commands are available only when a motion is selected in the list. The Minus (Delete) command deletes current/selected user motion. |
Add Before | Adds segment before currently selected segment. |
Delete | Deletes current segment. |
Add After | Adds segment after currently selected segment. |
Graphical display of segments area
When you click a quantity graph in the toolbar, it displays in this area. Click the quantity graph again to turn off the display.
If you place the cursor above the graphs area, the tooltip with graphs values with corresponding units of the actual cursor position displays.
The cam segment can be selected by index in combo box in Actual Segment area or by clicking on appropriate position in graph area.
Zoom switches on/off the zoom to the cam element graphs only.
Save graph data to file saves all graph data and data about the cam profile and follower path to the tab delimited text file. You can open the saved data in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, if desired. Following columns are generated:
Displays additional options for cam design.
Gives an accurate, detailed cam calculation, export values (the Calculation option), and part accuracy when inserting into Autodesk Inventor (the Model option). The angle between drawn points is specified by number of points on a circle (360 points means a 1° angle distance of points).
To display the Results area on the right side of the Calculation and Design tabs, double-click the double line on the right or click the chevron.
The area displays the limiting values of calculated parameters, result of strength check, and cam shape. Values are calculated when the Calculate command is pressed.
Following output parameters are displayed on the Results pane:
Cam Generators - Calculation tab
Sets parameters for calculation of a disc, linear, and cylindrical cams.
Click Calculate to perform the strength check.
Access: | ![]() ![]() |
This tab extends the Design tab. You can calculate generator data based on selections in the Design tab. Calculation tab is the same for both cam calculators.
Enter Force on Roller, Accelerated Weight and Spring Rating. The cam is loaded with the follower roller.
Warning: Strength parameters of material are determined empirically and reflect minimum values applicable for a group of materials. Although these obtained values are close to the values obtained using measurement of particular materials, it is recommended in cases of final calculations to use parameters of material according to the material sheet or specifications of the producer.
On the material edit field, specify your own material values or select a material from Material Database.
If a material is selected from Material Database, values into the following edit fields are inserted automatically according to the values from Material Database and edits fields are locked. To unlock the field clear the box.
Warning: Strength parameters of material are determined empirically and reflect minimum values applicable for a group of materials. Although these obtained values are close to the values obtained using measurement of particular materials, it is recommended in cases of final calculations to use parameters of material according to the material sheet or specifications of the producer.
On the material edit field, specify your own material values or select a material from Material Database.
If a material is selected from Material Database, values into the following edit fields are inserted automatically according to the values from Material Database and edits fields are locked. To unlock the field clear the box.
To display the Results area on the right side of the Calculation and Design tabs, double-click the double line on the right or click the chevron.
The area displays the limiting values of calculated parameters, result of strength check, and cam shape. Values are calculated when the Calculate command is pressed.
Following output parameters are displayed in the Results pane:
You can define your own motion. You must specify the motion name and the file name.
Access: |
|
Motion Name | Specify a user motion name to display on the Motion list. |
File Name | Specify a file name with path of file with motion data. |
The Motion file is a text file that contains 2 columns of values delimited by tabs or characters ";" or "|".
The first column represents the position in segment. The first value must be zero (start of segment). The last value must be 1, or all values are transformed by 1/last value in the table. For example, if the last value in the table is 30, generator recalculates value 1/30. The values must be listed ascendingly.
The second column represents an elevation at position. The first value must be zero. The last value must be 1, or all elevation values are transformed by 1/last value in the table. The values must be listed ascendingly.
Example of the values of the Polynomial motion of third degree. You can copy the values from the table directly to the TXT file.