Designing a Cylinderical CAM: What is the Best Software to Use?

http://www.camcoindex.com/svcman/moonbook.pdf

Above is a link to a good cam design manual which has a section on cylindrical cams.

Inventor, Mechanical Desktop and SolidWorks are all sufficient for the modeling of the cam and follower.

I myself have always done most cam design manually (sketches and calcs) and just modeled the parts like any other afterwards. Although I have used both Inventor and Mechanical desktop which have basic cam generators built in the program. These generators are very helpful if you don't design cams very often.

There are also some addins for these CAD programs such as Cam Trax to help streamline the cam design process, they allow motion simulation and some other perks that may not be really necessary if your just doing a few designs here and there.

Scott

Good link! I haven't seen this book in years. Didn't know it was available on-line.

Software . . . Hmmm . . . # 2 pencil and blank newsprint???

The link given by Scott is as good a treatise on the subject of cam design as you are likely to find. There are so many factors involved in cam and follower design that a lot of manual ciphering is usually required, and the dynamics of the system need not be overlooked unless low speeds at which centrepital forces and accelerations of significant masses are not a concern.

Solidworks I believe would be your best choice.