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Why roller follower is preferred over a knife follower ? State two advantages and application of roller follower.

Question: 

Why roller follower is preferred over a knife follower ? State two advantages and application of roller follower.

Answer: 

In case of knife edge follower there is sliding motion between the contacting surface of cam and follower. Because of small contact area, there is excessive wear; therefore it is not frequently used. Whereas in roller follower there is rolling motion between contacting surfacing and more contact area, therefore rate of wear is greatly reduced.

Advantages: i) Less wear, more life ii) Less side thrust as compared to knife edge follower.

Application: Used in stationary oil and gas engines