Cam mechanisms

Design and technology

Cams in a product

Wood functional properties

Develop ideas through cross-section diagrams

Wood construction and joining techniques

Make an accurate box frame

Assemble cam mechanisms

Test and adapt cam mechanisms

This unit develops pupils' knowledge of mechanisms through cams. Pupils will develop knowledge of the properties of wood and apply this by selecting suitable materials for functionality. Knowledge of wood construction and joining techniques are introduced and applied through making an automaton.

Cams: automata

Physical activity and equipment requiring safe use

Use of equipment that may require supervision for safety, e.g. scissors in KS1, needles, paint, knives, cooking.

A cam turns rotary motion into which other type of motion?

What happens to a follower when the widest part of a cam reaches the top of the axle?

Which part of the cam mechanism is indicated in this image?

What type of mechanism do you see in this image?

axle stays in one place, the wheel moves around it

axle and wheel are attached and move together

movement in the same direction, never meeting

Match these types of movement to the descriptions.

Which of these joining methods would be most suitable to allow the individual parts of a model to move? 

the effort required to start a machine or mechanism

Cam mechanisms

Lesson outcome

Content guidance