what is cam(in lathe)?

Question: My teacher while delivering lecture use to say platecam, disc cam,etc....Actually what is the defenition for cam?I ve only heard cam is abbrevation of computer aided machining.please guide me with websites you know which explains lathe and other special machines with pictures.

Answer: There is a type of lathe called a Swiss Screw Machine. These were used in the days before computer controlled machines for large production runs of small parts. The carriage was controlled by CAMS on a rotating shaft. A cam is a disc with a profile that rises and falls as it rotates. A lever is placed against the cam, and moves up and down as the cam rotates. These levers move the cutting tool in the proper motions to make the part. There are a very few of these still out there, since they have mostly been replaced with computer controlled machines.

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