Design and analysis of high-speed cam mechanism using Fourier series

•An innovative method for the design and analysis of a cam mechanism is proposed.•A smooth displacement curve designed by the proposed method is obtained.•The less vibration of the cam mechanisms is inquired by the proposed method.•A lower crossover impact velocity is obtained by the proposed method.•A superior performance for emergency stopping and less wear are achieved.

This study proposes an innovative and comprehensive method for the design and analysis of a high-speed cam mechanism. In the proposed method, the displacement function of the cam follower is described using Fourier series. The coefficients of the series are obtained by constraint equations during the cam rise period and the minimum principle of displacement error function (where, error function refers to the variance between actual displacement and ideal displacement of the cam follower during the dwell). The validity of the proposed design method is verified through a case study with focus on high-speed cam mechanism design. In the design case, kinematic characteristic analysis of this cam follower shows that the order of continuous derivative of displacement transfer function is higher, the characteristic value of its dynamic torque is smaller, and its jerk at the impact point is smaller than some common disc cam mechanisms. The results indicate that the proposed method can reduce the vibration of the cam mechanisms and its impact velocity is smaller than the existing design methods.