Stochastic error analysis in cam mechanisms

A probabilistic method is outlined for obtaining the variances in displacement, velocity and acceleration of followers in cam mechanisms for any given manufacturing tolerance on the cam profile. A follower motion equation is obtained by expansion in a Taylor series and considered in both linear and second-order terms. The equation is analyzed with random variables for the kinematic displacement, velocity and acceleration of the follower employing stochiastic techniques including finite differences and the maximum likelihood method. A general computer program allows the designer to obtain projected output errors for any commonly used disc cam type, and an example of one of these is included.