Cam And Follower Advantages And Disadvantages

[Victorio Galindo]

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The main argument for first mover advantage is that first movers get first choice of attractive market segments and positioning. It can be also be used to create barriers to entry for followers: switching costs, economies of scale and tying up supplier and distribution channels.

Given the advantages of being a first mover, why is it that most successful companies are not first movers but fast followers? A 1993 paper by Golder and Tellis in the Journal of Marketing Research helped debunk the idea of first mover advantage. Their research demonstrated a 47% failure rate for first movers versus 8% for fast followers.

The importance of followership to leadership has been established in research and literature. According to Agho (2009), followership involves being proactive and competent in supporting leaders to attain the goals of an organization. It includes considerations on the role of the follower and their views on how their behaviour and actions towards leaders affect the achievement of organizational goals. Therefore, understanding leadership cannot be separated from understanding followership (Carsten et al., 2010). Besides, Bligh (2011) argues that being a leader or a follower are not exclusive roles but are dependent on each other. The author mentions that leadership depends on the availability of followership. This analysis presents a discussion of followership including the pros and cons of different styles of followership.

One of the established researchers in the field of followership, Robert E. Kelley, defines followership in two broad dimensions: independent critical thinker or dependent uncritical thinker and passive or active followers (Kelley, 2008). Independent critical thinkers consider different options and contribute to the decision-making process of the organization without following the ideas of the leader blindly. On the other hand, the dependent uncritical thinker supports the views of the leader in the organization without critically going over them to make their own decisions. The second category of followership, the active follower is a full participant in the organization while the passive follower relies on others to act and does not initiate actions but is under constant supervision (Bligh, 2011; Kelly, 2008).

Based on these two dimensions, Kelly (2008) defined five followership styles: the star/exemplary follower, the yes people/conformist follower, the pragmatic follower, the alienated follower, and the sheep/ passive followers. The advantage of the star/exemplary follower is that he or she is a proactive critical thinker who can enhance the achievement of organisational goals through influence the decisions made by the leader. Star followers strengthen problem-solving and take initiatives in the organization (Carsten et al., 2010). Nevertheless, Crossman and Crossman (2011) postulate that star or exemplary followers engaging in extreme critical thinking can be troublesome and impediments to the decisions of the leader.

The yes people/conformist followers are argued by Kelly (2008) to be active in the organisation but dependent on the decisions and ideas of the leader. These followers act but do not contribute to the decision process of the organisation. Their character is that of team players who avoid conflict with their leaders (Crossman & Crossman, 2011). Unlike conformist and exemplary followers, alienated followers are not active participants in the organisation. However, alienated followers are independent critical thinkers who can formulate solutions and strategies for the organisation. Their weakness is that they do not contribute or share their ideas with their leaders. Kelly (2008) argues that alienated followers can be an obstacle to the achievement of visions and goals in the organisation since they are more interested in objecting the decisions of the leader.

The fourth style of followership is the sheep or passive followers who are neither active nor independent critical thinkers. The advantage of passive followers is that they carry out the decisions of their leaders without opposition, which can work towards meeting the expectations of the organisation. However, passive followers contribute little towards strategic decisions for the organisation and can demotivate others in the organisation (Bligh, 2011; Carsten et al., 2010; Kelly, 2008). The final style of followership is the pragmatic follower, who can be active or passive, independent thinker or dependent uncritical thinker. These followers help to maintain balance in the organisation. Nevertheless, pragmatic followers do not initiate or develop solutions to organisational problems (Crossman & Crossman, 2011; Kelly, 2008).

Followership is essential in leadership as it helps to enlighten on the relationship between the follower and the leaders and how this aids in achieving the goal of the organisation. This discussion has established the five different followership styles, as well as their advantages and disadvantages to the organisation. Also, the two dimensions of followership have been explored and include independent critical thinker or dependent uncritical thinker and active or passive followers. Having an understanding of followership can help both leaders and followers in an organisation define their role in the attainment of the organisational goal.

A cam and follower mechanism is a type of mechanical device that converts rotary motion into linear motion. It consists of a cam, which is a rotating disk or cylinder with an irregular shape, and a follower, which is a lever or other object that rides along the surface of the cam. The cam pushes or pulls the follower as it rotates, creating a specific motion pattern. Cam and follower mechanisms are widely used in various machines and systems, such as valves, engines, pumps, door locks, stamping machines, etc.

Cams can have different shapes and profiles, depending on the desired output motion of the follower. Some of the common types of cams are disk or plate cams, wedge or flat cams, spiral cams, cylindrical or barrel cams, heart-shaped cams, translating cams, snail drop cams, conjugate cams, globoidal cams, and spherical cams. Each type of cam has its own advantages and disadvantages, and can produce different types of follower motions, such as rise, dwell, return, or oscillation.

Followers can also have different shapes and designs, such as rollers, levers, slides, or knife edges. The shape of the follower affects the contact stress and friction between the cam and the follower. The follower can be constrained by gravity, springs, or positive drive. Gravity followers rely on the weight of the follower to maintain contact with the cam. Spring followers use a spring force to keep the follower in contact with the cam. Positive drive followers use a mechanical linkage or a groove to ensure positive engagement with the cam.

There are different types of cam follower shapes and their usages, advantages or disadvantages depend on the design and application of the cam mechanism. Some of the common types of cam follower shapes are:

Roller follower: A roller follower has a cylindrical shape that rolls on the cam surface. It reduces friction and wear between the cam and the follower, and provides smooth and continuous motion. However, it may have problems with alignment and stability, especially at high speeds or heavy loads.

Spherical follower: A spherical follower has a spherical shape that slides on the cam surface. It can accommodate angular misalignment and radial displacement between the cam and the follower, and can operate in any direction. However, it has more friction and wear than a roller follower, and may require lubrication and maintenance.

Knife-edge follower: A knife-edge follower has a sharp edge that slides on the cam surface. It is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and can follow complex cam profiles. However, it has high friction and wear, and may cause noise and vibration.

Flat-faced follower: A flat-faced follower has a flat surface that slides on the cam surface. It can withstand high axial forces and loads, and can follow cams with abrupt changes in profile. However, it also has high friction and wear, and may require lubrication and maintenance.

The profile of the cam is defined by specifying the extreme critical positions of the follower using position, velocity, acceleration, and jerk. These parameters are used to determine the shape and size of the cam, as well as the motion characteristics of the follower.

The position of the follower is the distance between its center and a reference point on the cam. The position determines the displacement of the follower from its initial position. The velocity of the follower is the rate of change of its position with respect to time. The velocity determines the speed of the follower along its path. The acceleration of the follower is the rate of change of its velocity with respect to time. The acceleration determines the force required to move the follower. The jerk of the follower is the rate of change of its acceleration with respect to time. The jerk determines the smoothness or roughness of the follower motion.

The extreme critical positions of the follower are the points where its position reach the maximum or minimum values. . The cam profile can be obtained by connecting these points with suitable curves, such as circular arcs, polynomials, or splines.

The fundamental law of cam design is that the follower motion must be continuous and smooth, without any abrupt changes in velocity or acceleration. This is because any discontinuity in the follower motion would cause impact, vibration, noise, wear and tear, and reduced performance of the cam-follower system. To ensure smooth follower motion, the cam profile must be designed with certain geometric constraints, such as curvature, pressure angle, and contact stress. The cam profile can be generated by various methods, such as graphical, analytical, or numerical techniques, depending on the type and complexity of the follower motion desired.

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