MODELLING AND SIMULATION LAB

K. Praghna(SC14B025)
B.tech , Aerospace Engineering , Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
February 22, 2017

1 Objectives
Cam-follower mechanism
1. To analyse the cam follower mechanism with a spring.

Inclined plane
2. To find the inclination angle at which the crate starts to slide.

2 Results
2.1 Cam- follower mechanism
Adams software is employed to design a plate cam with flat faced follower. The follower translates
when the cam starts rotating. The weight of the cam keeps them in contact.

Figure 1: Without spring

1
 Figure 2: With spring

Figure 3: Loss of contact due to absence of spring at higher rpm

The cam can drive the follower only in the upward direction. The follower comes down, there
by maintaining the contact due to gravity. Springs are used to ensure the contact between cam and
follower. When the follower translates upwards, the spring gets compressed and then retains to its
original position on going down.
In the absence of the spring, g is the maximum acceleration of the follower. If the follower
acceleration is greater than g then it results in loss of contact(Here rpm=3000).The cam will rotate,
but the follower will not follow the cam profile. Hence, spring is used to ensure contact.

2
 Figure 4: Displacement of follower at 3000 rpm without spring.

Figure 5: Displacement of follower at 3000 rpm with spring

ANALYTICAL SOLUTION:
without damping:
At 3000 rpm, minimum spring constant required for the cam to stay in contact with the follower is
81N/mm.
With damping:
damping coefficient = 5e-4N/mm-sec.
The minimum spring constant required is 170N/mm.
damping coefficient = 5e-3N/mm-sec.
K = 200N/mm.
As damping factor increases, the minimum spring constant required to ensure contact between cam
and follower also increases.

3
2.2 Inclined plane

Figure 6: Inclined plane

Inclined plane :
length = 700mm, width = 100mm, height= 20mm.
crater:
length =70mm, width = 100mm, height= 10mm

Figure 7: Inclined plane

Given d = 0.35 and s =0.4. The crater started sliding at an angle of approximately 21 . The
dotted line indicates acceleration without friction at 15 , bold line indicates acceleration with which
crater slides for an inclination angle of 21 .

4
 Figure 8: Accleration with friction(red) and without friction(blue).

2.3 ANALYTICAL SOLUTION

Without friction:
max = -mgsin
ax = -gsin
For = 15 . ax = 2536mm/s2 .
Adams solution = -2538mm/s2 .

With friction:
max = atan( s )
max =21.8 .
Adams solution = 21 .