Rotary indexing table use is widespread in automated assembly machinery and selecting the proper mechanism is essential for both maximizing performance and minimizing the cost of this critical component. This how-to-guide will explore two common devices that can be used for rotary indexing and give advice for proper selection. These two popular devices are cam indexing drives and servo rotary tables.
Cam indexers are a ubiquitous mechanism that have been used for rotary tables for many decades. They are a great fit for applications that will always index the same angle and that require high-precision positioning at a very reasonable cost. A cam indexer uses a mechanical cam to provide the motion control to position the load. A mathematical motion curve is machined onto the cam that provides extremely smooth and repeatable motion.