Mechanical Systems 1 Blog

 Chapter 8 - Cam Design      Cams are frequently used in machines. They are easier to design to produce a function but are far more expensive than linkages. Cams perform the same functions as linkages, except the coupler link has been replaced by a half joint. The links constantly vary, which is the source of the large amount of functions that the cam can produce. The cam-follower system can be classified in the following ways:               - Type of follower motion               - Translation or rotation               - Type of cam               - Radial / cylindrical / 3D               - Type of joint closure : force or form closed               - Type of follower : curved, flat, or sliding         ...

Chapter 6: Velocity Analysis Velocity  - Its more than speed!     Velocity analysis is a crucial part in characterizing a mechanism's motion. Velocity analysis can be used to determine any point on a linkage. This is done by differentiating the position vector of a vector that points from an origin of a coordinate system to the point that velocity is desired.  Figure 1. A point on a crank that velocity analysis is performed on. Velocity analysis on this crank would begin with position analysis, where the position vector would be written as Rpa = pe^(j θ) . Differentiation of the position vector involves pulling out an omega and an imaginary term, in which it would be rewritten as Vpa = pwje^(j θ) . To get the x and y components of the velocity vector, the Euler identity is substituted into the velocity vector. For the figure above, this is written as Vpa = pw(-sin θ  +j cos θ)  . The presence of the j term causes the sine and cosine terms to swap in the vel...