Views: 84 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2023-06-13 Origin: Site
A cam follower is a mechanical component that follows the shape or profile of a rotating or sliding element. This part is designed to transmit motion to other parts of a machine - specifically being able to convert rotational motion oscillating motion. The cam follower, as its name suggests, "follows" the movements of the cam. The cam follower typically consists of a shaft or rod with a roller or a flat surface at one end. This end of the follower makes contact with the surface of the cam. As the cam rotates or moves, it creates different profiles or shapes along its surface.
The cam follower's purpose is to maintain contact with the cam and replicate the motion and shape of the cam's surface. The follower's motion can be used to perform various functions depending on the design of the machine it is used within.Cam followers are commonly used in a wide range of applications, such as engines, printing machines, industrial equipment, and even in some household appliances.
When deciding to buy a cam follower for your next project, it's crucial to know that these parts can come in multiple shapes and sizes. When working alongside a manufacturer to source your cam follower, they can help you identify the following factors to be considered before making your final purchase.
It's important to consider the amount of force or weight that may be placed on your cam follower and thus the load capacity it can withstand. You should also determine whether your cam follower should be able to withstand axis and/or radical load capacity.
If you plan on buying a cam follower for automobile engines or CNC machines, you should consider investing in a cam follower that can withstand potential friction and wear as well as linear/rotational velocity that your application may place upon the cam follower.
Deflection means that there is a lot of bending or flexing of the shaft or rod that the cam follower is placed near. Applications such as textile weaving machines may experience this deflection. That’s why it's important to choose a cam follower that is designed to offer stiffness and rigidity if this is a concern with your intended application.
Lubrication is a crucial component for cam followers that can help reduce its friction and heat generation and thus can help lengthen the lifespan of the part. It’s important to know that cam followers can come either pre-lubricated or may need manual lubrication periodically.
The axis of cam followers can sometimes find themselves deviating from their intended path or position when the follower isn’t properly aligned with the shaft or other part of the application. It's important to express these concerns of misalignment to the manufacturer you're working with; especially in applications like printers and conveyor belts where misalignment can frequently occur.
On the top of the list is IKO International. This manufacturing company has over 50 years specializing in creating parts such as needle bearings, linear motion rolling guides, precision positioning tables and machine components. When it comes to their cam followers, IKO has produced these parts for applications that include industrial robots and office equipment.
Strengths
-According to their website, IKO International offers cam followers with a wide range of sizes and styles - including designs that are caged or full complement designs as well as shielded or sealed versions.
Next up on our list is RBC Bearings. This company specializes in producing bearings and other products for industries that support the manufacturing of aircrafts, automobiles, and other mechanical systems that involve moving parts. RBC bearings has been in operation for the last 25 years and owns over 33 manufacturing facilities in five countries.
Strengths
-On their website, RBC manufacturing states how their cam followers are built with materials that last up to four times longer than standard cam followers.
-RBC also manufacturers rollers which are a add-on component to their cam followers. These rollers are attached to the tip of a follower. RBC’s rollers require no manual lubricant application since the rollers come pre-lubricated at the company’s manufacturing factory.
The fourth cam followr manufacturing company on the list is MISUMI corporation. This company specializes in creating parts and products for applications that include automation, press die, and plastic mold applications. According to their website, they have dedicated themselves to producing these parts for industries that incorporate automotives, medical equipment, consumer packaging, and semiconductors.
Strengths
-The company's cam followers come in multiple designs and types that include:
Next up on the list is MBY Bearings. This cam follower manufacturing company houses a 750,000 square foot facility in Wuxi China. The company is known to process parts that make up forging, heat treating, turning, grinding, and assembly. When it comes to their production of cam followers, the company has a team of designers and engineer professionals that can personally work with customers to help customize their cam followers for whatever application they are needed for.
Strengths
The company offers a vendor directory and database of product specifications when it comes to picking the right size and type of cam follower for your needs.
-On the company’s website, they state how they test the static capacity of their bearings and manufactured parts through a series of load testing, “life-testing” through real world applications, and temperature testing as well.
The fifth manufacturing company on this list is Carter Bearings. According to the company’s website, they have been producing their cam followers and cam yoke rollers for the last 50 years. Additionally, their bearings come in the material of stainless steel, chrome-plated, and poly-coated.
Strengths
-The company offers metric-cam followers which have a diameter that range in sizes from 16mm up to 72mm. Carter Bearing’s metric cam followers come with a standard crowned outer race shape.
The sixth cam follower manufacturing company on this list is PCI. The company has been in operation since 1986 and specializes in providing electronics manufacturing services. According to their website, the company manufactures their followers with a case-hardened roller body that has a thicker outer section that is shock resistant.
Strengths
-PCI offers cam followers in three different mounting styles. These mounting styles include screwdriver slot stud type, hex socket stud type, and the yoke type cam.
-All of PCI’s cam followers include synthetic lubricant that makes the cam follower resistant to breaking down overtime
The seventh manufacturing company of this list is GraphAllow. The company specializes in using graphite/metal alloy as their primary material of choice to produce parts such as bushings, thrust washers, cam followers, and pillow block bearings. The parts they produce come in over 100 grades and are able to be custom designed for customer’s unique requirements.
Strengths:
-GraphAllow’s cam followers are able to withstand high-temperatures up to 750°F and as low as -100°F. The cam followers can handle moderate loads.
-The company’s cam followers are self-lubricating and contain no grease or oil.
Emerson Bearings is number eight on this list. As stated on their company website, Emerson has provided manufacturing services for the last five decades creating bearings and cam followers which includes roller parts sourced from North America, Asia, and Europe. The company offers a comprehensive online product catalog to be able to quickly search and find more information about the tools you may need.
Strengths:
-Emerson Bearings supply both the yolk-type and stud-type cam followers.
-According to their website, the company is a top supplier to notable brands such as Carter, Enduro, IKO, INA, RBC, SMITH, and Torrington.
-The company is able to custom cam followers that are corrosion resistant for nearly every industry imaginable including food processing, transportation, waste-water treatment, and more.
The second to last cam following manufacturer company on this list is Nadella Group. This company dates back to 1993 and specializes in supplying antifriction bearings, linear guide components, and linear axes aside from cam followers. Nadella Group has over 8 manufacturing plants worldwide and values manufacturing under sustainable practices.
Strengths
The company designed their bearings to come in a wide-range of designs and types that include:
-Crowned-outer ring
-Cylindrical-outer ring
-Optimized-outer ring
-Concentric Stud
-The cam followers also include thrust bearings with needles and rollers that work to reduce the cam followers' wear and tear overtime.
Number ten on our list is Newman Cams. This company prides themselves on being the oldest performance camshaft manufacturers in the UK. Newman Cans is a known producer of camshafts, cam followers and rocker arms for cars, motorcycles, and industrial engines.
Strengths
-The company states that their prices are 25% lower than other camshaft manufacturers.
-The company’s cam followers are able to be customized and made from a variety of materials that include: chilled chrome cast-iron, carbon-steel, allowed-steel and more.
Conclusion
Overall, the top 10 cam follower manufacturers mentioned in this blog post represent a diverse range of capabilities and expertise in producing high-quality cam followers for various applications. Depending on the specific requirements of ones project, those looking to buy a cam follower should work with a manufacturer that aligns with their needs in terms of product specifications, customization options, durability, and industry expertise.
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