STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Background Information -- Become a mechanical engineer on the spot!

Your Problem

A cam turns at 1200 rpm. As it turns we desire it to start at zero lift at zero degrees, rise to produce a lift of .1 cm at q = 90 deg, fall to zero lift at 180 degrees, and dwell for the rest of the cycle. Give a piecewise description of the function y(q) that models the lift. Plot this function of q, its first , second and third derivatives. Use these curves to identify and calculate maximum values for velocity, acceleration and jerk.

After you solve the problem, reflect on your solution. Is there a better solution out there? I.e. is there a solution with smaller acceleration?