Cams have played a critical role in the development of automatic machines since the first half of the twentieth century. As a result, cam mechanisms have been and continue to be fundamental to the automation of manufacturing equipment, object handling and packaging. The field of automated machines ranges from packing cigarettes, tea bags, blisters, vials, bottles, etc., to wrapping candies and other items, and various other applications. Automation is generally achieved by breaking down any complex task into a series of basic tasks. Each task is assigned to a mechanism, usually designed specifically for that task. We do not believe it is necessary or possible to illustrate even a few of the existing specific machines in this book. In this chapter, we will only give a brief description of some of the cam mechanisms used in automatic machines and industrial automation. First, the classification of mechanisms according to the movement of the follower is recalled. Then a brief description is given for some special cases.

Authors and Affiliations

1. University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

   Umberto Meneghetti

Reprints and permissions

© 2025 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Policies and ethics