Cam Mechanisms in the MMS Study Course

Cam mechanisms are widely used in engineering, so they are comprehensively analyzed in many researches, papers, and books. Cam-related topics are included in all MMS study courses and other courses devoted to the machinery. Cams are interesting not only from a purely scientific point of view, but also as a subject of study at the university within Machine and Mechanism Science (MMS) course. They are involved in many other MMS topics since they provide illustrative material for many ideas, concepts, and methods in Structural Analysis & Synthesis, KinematicsKinematics, and DynamicsDynamics. The paper shows how studying the topic of cam can positively affect the intellectual development of students. If this development is in the focus, then one should monitor the mental operations associated with active learning and other types of students’ activities. Revealing these operations along with having feedback from students via surveys and examining their difficulties can make cam-related topic interesting and important for students. The paper also demonstrates how cams are presented in MMS Students Olympiads.