A cam mechanism typically consists of two moving elements—cam and follower—mounted on a fixed frame. The cam is a machine element with a curved outline or groove, which imparts a predetermined motion to the follower through its oscillating or rotating movement.

In a cam-follower mechanism, the follower generally maintains line contact with the cam surface, forming a higher pair due to the nature of the contact.

Versatility and Applications

Cam devices are highly versatile and capable of producing almost any arbitrarily specified motion. In many cases, they provide the most compact and efficient means of motion transformation.

Common applications of cam mechanisms include:

• Automatic machinery
• Internal combustion engines
• Machine tools
• Printing control systems
• Packaging and textile equipment