Offset Cam: Point Follower

By Spencer Connor

If instead of a flat follower you use a point follower on an offset circular cam, the motion is no longer sinusoidal. The lower dwell time becomes extended and the slider sees higher accelerations into and out of it, approaching infinite as the offset approaches the radius of the cam (high O/r). There are practical limitations with this design, generally infinitely sharp points are not to be found and anything approaching them will wear quickly. There will also be significant lateral forces generate on the slider for high O/r ratios. The magnitude of the oscillation is simply the offset between the cam center and the rotation center, O, same as a flat follower.