# Cam Follower Displacement Calculator

Calculate the follower displacement, velocity coefficient, acceleration coefficient and pressure angle during the cam rise phase. Supports constant-velocity, constant-acceleration, harmonic (SHM) and cycloidal motion laws.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/cam-follower-displacement

- **Category:** Math & Numbers

- **Keywords:** cam, follower displacement, pressure angle, motion law, cycloidal, harmonic, base circle, machine design, mechanical engineering

## Overview

The Cam Follower Displacement Calculator helps mechanical engineers and machine designers analyze follower kinematics during the cam rise phase. By entering the rise height, rise angle, current cam angle, and base circle radius, you can instantly compute the follower displacement, velocity coefficient, acceleration coefficient, and pressure angle across four standard motion laws: constant velocity, constant acceleration, simple harmonic motion (SHM), and cycloidal.

## Inputs

- **Motion Law** (select)
- **Rise h (mm)** (number): e.g. 20
- **Rise Angle β (°)** (number): e.g. 120
- **Cam Angle θ (°)** (number): e.g. 60
- **Base Circle Radius r_b (mm)** (number): e.g. 40
- **Decimal Places** (number)

## When to use

- When designing cam-follower mechanisms to ensure the pressure angle does not exceed critical limits that cause binding.
- When evaluating kinematic characteristics like velocity and acceleration coefficients to prevent excessive inertial forces.
- When comparing different motion laws such as cycloidal or simple harmonic motion to optimize dynamic performance.

## How it works

- Select the desired motion law (constant velocity, constant acceleration, harmonic, or cycloidal) and enter the total rise height and rise angle.
- Input the current cam angle and the base circle radius of the cam mechanism.
- Click calculate to compute the instantaneous follower displacement, velocity coefficient, acceleration coefficient, and pressure angle.

## Use cases

- Determining the maximum pressure angle of a flat-faced or roller follower to prevent mechanical jamming.
- Comparing acceleration profiles between harmonic and cycloidal motion laws to minimize vibration in high-speed machinery.
- Calculating instantaneous follower displacement at specific cam rotation angles for timing synchronization.

## Frequently asked questions

### What motion laws are supported by this calculator?

It supports constant velocity, constant acceleration, simple harmonic motion (SHM), and cycloidal motion laws.

### Why is the pressure angle calculation important?

The pressure angle determines the force transmission efficiency; if it is too large, the follower may jam or bind in its guides.

### What is the difference between velocity/acceleration coefficients and actual velocity/acceleration?

The coefficients are normalized values per radian of cam rotation (s' and s"), which can be multiplied by the cam's angular velocity to get physical velocity and acceleration.

### Can I calculate values for the return or dwell phases of the cam?

This calculator is specifically designed to compute kinematics during the cam rise phase.

### How does the base circle radius affect the pressure angle?

Increasing the base circle radius generally decreases the pressure angle, reducing the risk of follower jamming.

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