Custom Machined Cams

The Profile Is the Part

A cam converts rotation into a precise follower motion, and that motion is defined by the cam profile — the working curve. So the whole job is machining that curve accurately and giving it a hard, smooth face that survives repeated follower contact. CNC machining is ideal: the profile comes straight from the math or a scan, identical every time, with no hand-filing.

Custom Cam Specifications

Attribute	Capability
Types	Plate / disc, barrel / cylindrical, face, index, eccentric
Profile source	CAD curve, displacement diagram, or scanned sample
Materials	4140 & tool steels, stainless, aluminium
Working face	Hardened & ground/polished for wear
Bore	Keyed (DIN 6885), set-screw, or to fit shaft
Quantity	One-off to batch

Followers & Cam Motion — What Defines Your Cam

A cam profile is designed around two things: the follower it pushes, and the motion you want. Tell us these and we can design or reproduce the curve.

Follower type sets how the profile is shaped:

Follower	Best for
Roller	Low friction & wear — the most common for powered cams
Flat-faced	High load, abrupt profile changes; compact
Spherical / mushroom	Tolerates slight misalignment
Knife-edge	Sharpest profile detail (low-load, wears fast)

It can be translating (moves in a line) or oscillating (pivots on an arm), and in-line or offset.

The motion is described as a sequence of rise → dwell → return → dwell (RDRD) over one rotation — how far the follower lifts, how long it holds, and the motion law (constant-velocity, simple-harmonic, or cycloidal for smooth high-speed running). A displacement diagram or even a plain description ("lift 12 mm over 90°, hold 60°, return") is enough for us to build the profile.

How We Make / Reproduce a Cam

• From a profile: send the curve, a displacement diagram, or the follower motion you need.
• From a sample: we measure or 3D scan the worn cam, rebuild the curve, and machine it — see reverse engineering.
• Harden & finish: the working face is hardened and smoothed for low-friction, long-life follower contact.

Material & Hardness

Cams that take repeated contact are machined in 4140 or a tool steel and hardened on the working face; stainless for corrosive settings, aluminium for light index cams. Profile and bore are verified on inspection.

Two other wear parts rebuilt the same way — from the worn original rather than a drawing: pistons, where the seal grooves decide the job, and pulleys, where the belt profile does.

Will it fit the follower? Cam checks before you order

A cam profile is generated for one follower, and the same displacement curve gives a different cam for a 10 mm roller than for a 12 mm one — on the concave flanks the larger roller cannot follow the smaller roller's profile and the motion goes wrong at exactly the point that matters. So the follower diameter and type go on the order with the profile. The bore and keyway follow DIN 6885 like any hub; the timing mark or dowel that locates the profile to the shaft is the one feature a worn cam still carries exactly, and it is copied first.

What do I need to have a cam reproduced from the worn one?

The old cam, the follower it ran against (or its diameter), and, if you have it, the displacement diagram or the timing the machine expects. We measure the unworn flanks, rebuild the curve, and send the profile for approval before the working face is hardened and ground.

Same cam, but hardened, thicker, or with a keyed bore

The same profile hardened to 58–62 HRC and ground, a wider face for a wider roller, a keyway instead of a set screw, or a barrel cam in place of a plate cam — each is a variant of the same drawing, one piece and up, quoted in 12 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions