KineMech - Planar Mechanism Kinematics, Dynamics & Synthesis

A free planar mechanism simulator for engineers, students and researchers. It handles general mechanisms of any topology, not only the textbook four-bar and slider-crank: multi-loop linkages and six-bars, the Jansen walking linkage, gear trains, pin-in-slot joints, and cams with several followers.

Dynamics: simulate the motion a mechanism makes under an applied torque or force, a DC motor, a speed controller, gravity, springs, dampers and loads that vary over time or crank angle. Every run reports kinetic and potential energy with an energy balance, stops where it should at a follower jump, a change point or an input limit, and can size and check a flywheel.

Kinematics and forces: position, velocity and acceleration with Coriolis terms, velocity and acceleration polygons, joint reactions, input torque, cam contact and gear mesh forces, shaking force and moment, free-body diagrams, and crank balancing.

Synthesis: path, motion and function generation for four-bar linkages, quick-return mechanisms, and six-bar dwell mechanisms, with Grashof condition and transmission-angle checks.

Cam design: plate, cylindrical and linear cams from rise, dwell and fall programs in eight motion laws, for roller, knife-edge, flat-face and spherical followers, with pressure angle and undercut checks.

Free and open source, and runs entirely in your browser: no install, no account, no server.