Cams and followers are used to convert rotary motion into linear motion. Cams have different shapes and followers have different contact surfaces. Common types of cams include radial and cylindrical cams, while common followers include knife edge, roller, flat faced, and spherical faced followers. Cams and followers are used in a wide range of applications such as automatic packaging, printing presses, textile machinery, engines, and machine tools to perform functions like opening and closing valves, cutting materials, and automating mechanical processes.

1. Applications and Types of
Cams and Followers
Geetika K. Gopi

2. CAMS
• A cam is a shaped piece of metal or plastic fixed to a
rotating shaft. A cam mechanism has three
parts: cam, slide and follower.
• The cam shaft rotates continually, turning the cam.
The follower is a rod that rests on the edge of the
turning cam. The follower is free to move up and
down, but is prevented from moving from side to
side by a slide or guide, so the follower can only do
three things:
Rise (move up)
Fall (move down) or
Dwell (remain stationary)
• The cam and follower can convert rotary motion
(circular motion) into linear motion (movement in a
straight line).

3. FOLLOWERS
Knife edge follower
Roller follower
Flat faced follower
Spherical follower
Reciprocating follower
Oscillating follower
Radial follower
Off set follower
According to the
surface in contact
According to the
motion of the follower
According to the path of
motion of the follower

4. KNIFE EDGE FOLLOWER

5. ROLLER FOLLOWER*

6. FLAT FACED FOLLOWER

8. SPHERICAL FACED FOLLOWER

9. RECIPROCATING FOLLOWER

10. OSCILLATING FOLLOWER*

11. RADIAL FOLLOWER

12. OFF-SET FOLLOWER

13. CAMS
Radial cam Cylindrical cam

14. RADIAL CAM

15. CYLINDRICAL CAM

16. CAM PROFILES

17. APPLICATIONS
• automatic packaging
• shoemaking machines
• typesetting machines
• printing presses
• shoe machinery
• textile machinery
• gear-cutting machines
• screw machines
• sewing machines
• printing machines
• diesel engine
• to operate inlet & exhaust
valves of I.C. engine
• textile machine tools
• paper cutting machines
• in switch gear mechanism
• alarm mechanism of
mechanical clocks
• in lock mechanism
• automobile engine
• automatic machine tools

23. Thank you
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