The Evolution of Geometry for a Wearing Circular Cam: Analytical and Computer Simulation With Comparison to Experiment

The evolution of the geometry of a simple two-dimensional circular cam as a result of wear is studied using three complementary approaches: a closed form analytical expression, a computer simulation, and the development of an experimental apparatus. Experiments were run for over 1.5 million cycles, and measurements of cam shape and follower motion were recorded and compared favorably to the predictions of both techniques. Errors associated with an accelerated computational approach are discussed.