Add Spring, Damper, and Jack Joint

The Follower is designed to slide through a portion of the Guide component. However, to hold the Follower Roller against the Cam, we must specify a spring between the Follower and Guide components. Dynamic Simulation offers a joint for doing that and more - the Spring/Damper/Jack joint.

Depending on the joint type, the dialog box provides applicable inputs to help define the joint.

  1. Click the Insert Joint command and in the dialog box, select Spring / Damper / Jack from the drop-down list of joint types. The Component 1 selector is active.
  2. On the Guide component, select the hole profile where the Follower passes through the Guide.This creates one contact for the spring.
  3. Select the edge profile where the spring will contact the follower.
  4. Click OK.

    The result is a spring joint in the browser and a graphic representation of a spring. The representation is deformable and has action-reaction forces, but does not have mass.

  5. In the browser Force Joints folder, right-click the Spring joint, and click Properties.
  6. In the main section of the dialog box:
    • Set Stiffness to 2.500 N/mm.
    • Set Free Length to 42 mm.

    Expand the dialog box and set:

    • Set Radius to 5.2 mm.
    • Set Turns to 10.
    • Set Wire Radius to 0.800 mm.
  7. Click OK. The spring properties and graphical display update.

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