In simple terms, a separator is a mechanical assembly of a cam and an output turret, requiring no additional parts. Under the action of a drive source, it can provide multi-position intermittent, oscillating, and continuous motions. Literally, a separator can be understood as a mechanism or software that divides an item into several segments or slices. However, in this context, the separator operates under the action of a cam mechanism, performing stop and rotation movements on the output circumference to achieve mechanical actions for processing needs. The principle of the separator is quite simple, with a positioning cam installed in the input shaft engaging with the output turret. The cam rollers, radially embedded in the circumference surface of the output turret, make linear contact with the conical support ribs of the cam on their respective slopes. Due to the complex curved surface structure of the separator's cam, its contour machining is referred to as arc cam contouring in cam processing, which is slightly more complicated compared to its processing technology and other transmission cams.

When discussing the technology, it's important to delve into the operating principle of the separator. As the input shaft rotates, the cam roller follows a predetermined displacement curve to rotate the output tower, while also rolling along the rib's inclined surface. Within the balanced area between the rib and the cam end face, which is within the static range, the roller connects to its shaft, but the output tower itself does not rotate. The conical support rib typically contacts two or three cam rollers to evenly transmit the rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft. Any roughness between the cam surface of the conical support rib and the cam roller can damage the separator. The rotation of the separator can be smoothed out by adjusting the distance between the shafts. By adjusting the preload, one can approach the elastic zone of the cam roller and the cam, thereby enhancing the separator's rigidity. The combination of its structure and function, with the rotating cam and cam roller, demonstrates excellent performance for high-speed operation. In the overall mechanical motion, the drive cam plays a crucial role within the separator.

The processing technology of cam cutters can be briefly summarized as follows: milling shaping - carburizing heat treatment - rough grinding - fine grinding - inspection. This process is generally considered mature in foreign countries for cam processing. However, for domestic processing, the design and manufacturing of cam cutters are still in the exploration and experimental stage. The commonly used processing technology is rough milling shaping - fine milling - nitriding heat treatment - run-in adjustment - inspection. From the two process flows, there are slight differences between domestic and foreign methods in the heat treatment and fine grinding stages. This is because there is a significant difference in the heat treatment process of cutters between domestic and foreign countries. Abroad, most use medium to low carbon alloy steel and employ carburizing treatment techniques. The advantage is that the carburizing layer is relatively thick, usually 0.5-2mm, and the purpose of carburizing treatment is to ensure uniform distribution of the carburizing layer along the complex contour of the steel parts. After quenching and low-temperature tempering, the surface hardness is enhanced, combined with the internal flexibility of medium to low carbon steel, making the cam cutters highly wear-resistant and shock-resistant. However, the cam deformation is significant during high-temperature carburization, and it must be corrected through subsequent fine grinding to ensure the accuracy of the cam contour surface. In China, the nitriding process uses mostly high-grade nitriding alloy steel, which is then treated to reach HB220-280. The nitriding treatment results in a high hardness and wear resistance on the base part surface. The advantage of nitriding is minimal deformation of the workpiece, but the surface depth of the nitriding layer can reach 0.7mm. Due to the thin surface, it performs slightly worse under shock and heavy load conditions compared to carburizing, which is also one of the reasons for the shorter lifespan of the cam.

The heat treatment process for spline cams varies significantly. Then, why don't domestic spline cams utilize carburization technology? The reason lies in the distinction between domestic and foreign machining and grinding equipment. Currently, there is a lack of specialized grinding equipment in China, which makes it impossible to correct the deformation of spline cams that have undergone carburization. This is also a drawback in the domestic processing of spline cams and contributes to the price difference. Technological innovation and industrial development are long-term topics. It is believed that in the near future, China will achieve substantial progress in the machinery industry and technology research and development.