DIY CNC Camgrinder

i would think fusion 360 could do G code for something like this, it has the multi axis functions beyond a simple 3 axis cam software. i think it would fall into a 4th rotary axis strategy. i don't get into much more than 3D tool paths with a 3 axis machine but if i would take a guess the rotary axis is going to synchronize with what would be an X axis on a lathe to follow the contour of the cam profile. i think it would work a lot like the process of of rigid taping in a sense that the spindle speed is set to feed per revolution rather than a linear feed rate so it can follow the thread pitch in that case.

i think in a case like this the the arcs of the cam will be synchronized with a feed per revolution to produce the contour with the rotary axis while the X axis is moving in a linear fashion.

but this is just a guess, i would have to actually program some tool paths and look at the code to see how it actually does the G code. i would need to either find a solid model or make one from scratch to even play around with it so i can see what is going on in the code.

This should also do:
forum.linuxcnc.org/10-advanced-configura...linuxcnc-fun?start=0

Cam lobes are not made from acrs since the 1950's. Rather than design a lobe, a modern cam designer models the desired motion and then converts that to a file of points typically spaced at 0.1 degrees or 0.01 degrees.

When they were designed from arcs, the motion had discontinuity at acceleration which limited the speed at which they could run. Instantaneous change in acceleration is physically impossible, so the mechanism has to absorb the shock. That shock is amazingly destructive to valve springs.

Here is a web site that explains the history of how cams were designed.

www.tildentechnologies.com/Cams/CamHistory.html

His most modern approach is 25 years out of date though. No one designs cams this way at a professional level.

Even if you live in an out of the way place, I find it difficult to believe that it would be cost effective to build a machine base for what you could buy and transport a commercial one.

When I bought my cam years ago from comp cams a custom grind was only $20 more(no r&d work obviously)

They have a catalog of different profiles you could mix and match what you want plus the LSA and installed centerline and many more I'm sure.

They must be able to punch in the numbers and run a cam core thru with minimal work vs a production grind.