Camtastic Cams!

After our research last week, we've been trialling different cam mechanisms to see how they work. We decided to make some prototypes to see how the shape of the cam affects how the follower moves. It was trickier than we thought! Sometimes we needed to refine out designs to make sure the cam moved smoothly against the follower. We found out that some shapes moved better either clockwise or anticlockwise. We also discovered that smoother corners helped the cam to move more easily and prevented the follower from jamming. Have a look at the cam shapes below. What movements do you think they create?

   

      

   

   

   

Over the coming days, we will use our ideas to create our own moving machines.