Study of optimization of the barrel cam in a paper-cup-forming machine

A paper cup forming machine can produce a maximum of about 140 paper cups a minute. If the rate of production is increased to improve productivity, the contact force in the barrel cam increases, producing more vibration. Therefore, a method for reduction of cam vibration is needed. The profile of the barrel cam is optimized by using a multibody dynamics model. The objective of the optimization is to minimize the contact force that occurs between the rollers and the barrel cam. An experiment is carried out using the optimized barrel cam. The reduction of vibration at higher rates of production than the current rates validated the optimization.