Object-oriented cam design through the internet

We have developed a Web-based interactive cam design package under the programming paradigm of the C(H) language environment. This package was initially developed as a teaching and learning tool for educational use in an undergraduate Computer-Aided Mechanism Design course. Because the system is Web-based and implemented through a client/server model with the user interface through the Web browser, it is easy to use and maintain. The system can also be used to solve practical engineering cam design problems with flat or roller followers and with translating or oscillating motion types. The system can be used to generate the cam profile, transmission angle, position, velocity, and acceleration of the follower. Once a cam/follower system is designed, animation of the cam/follower system can be performed. At the end of the design, the CNC code for manufacturing the designed cam can also be produced through our Web-based cam design system. The package consists of a number of modules including various Web pages, common gateway interface (CGI) programs, a C(H) program called cam.ch, and the CCam C(H) class which performs the necessary computation for cam design. Two different versions of the cam design package have been designed and implemented. One runs the cam design program on the client machine as a C(H) applet, and the other runs the cam design program on the Web server through CGI. In this paper, details of design and implementation of Web-based cam design package will be described. Two application examples with different motion types for the follower will be used to illustrate features of the applet-based and CGI-based implementation schemes. The ideas of the Web-based software design presented in this paper can be applied to other application areas.