This is a user interface for a cam design utility that enables you to create, analyze and modify the design of "disk or plate" type cam used in conjunction with a "roller" type follower. To create a new cam design, open an existing CAM (.cm) file and modify it.
CAM Data File
The name of the CAM data file will be displayed.
Save
Save the file with the same name.
Save As
Save the file with a new name.
CAM Profile Information
A cam profile is a closed contour that consists of two or more sections or profile zones. A profile zone is a geometric shape that transmits a unique type of motion to a roller follower.
The list box displays one line for each profile zone in the cam profile.
Angle
The start point of each profile zone is identified with an angular measurement in degrees.
Lift
A value that represents the displacement or lift of the follower, away from the center of the cam, is associated with the start point of each zone.
Motion Type
The geometric shape of a profile zone is mathematically determined by the one of 18 types of motion that can be assigned to it in SURFCAM.
For more detail see Zone Start Point Info.
Base radius
The radius of the cam base circle, which is the smallest circle (with center at the center of the cam shaft) that can be drawn tangent to the cam profile. At a given point on the cam profile the distance of that point from the cam shaft center is the Base radius plus the Lift (or displacement) at that point. The value of the Base radius is used to determine the geometry of the cam profile and the velocity and acceleration of the follower.
Follower radius
Roller type followers are circular in shape and thus have a radius. The Follower radius is used to calculate the velocity and acceleration of the follower.
RPM
Revolutions per minute of the cam shaft. It is used to calculate the velocity and acceleration of the follower.
Theta Scale
The SURFCAM cam design utility generates graphs of the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the follower, in addition to creating the design of the cam profile.
When the SCPRT file containing the cam profile is generated, there will be three additional layers generated to display these three graphs.
The Theta Scale is the scale for the horizontal axis of the graphs saved in the SCPRT file.
The default status of the layers containing the graphs is invisible. These layers can be made visible from the SURFCAM Layers dialog box accessed by clicking layers on the Status menu.
Add / Modify
Click the Add button to create a new profile zone in the cam profile and display its attributes in the CAM Profile Information list box.
To edit an existing profile zone, click it and click the Modify button.
In both cases the Zone Start Point Info dialog box will be displayed.
Delete / Delete All
Click a profile zone in the CAM Profile Information list box and click Delete to delete an individual line.
To delete all profile zones in the list box, click Delete All.
Advanced
The Pre-Process dialog box that is used to analyze the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the follower and to automatically modify the Motion Type of zone profiles that have been set to Linear motion.
OK
When you click OK, a cam design (.cm) file, containing design data, will be saved and a SURFCAM design, showing the profile of the cam, will be displayed on the screen. The design can then be saved as a SCPRT file.