Without a doubt, cams have revolutionized climbing. The way camming devices work is describable by basic engineering concepts. Friction Camming units completely depend on the friction created between the camming unit and the rock. A force diagram is an analytical tool used by engineers to determine the individual forces exerted on an object or mechanical device.
Vectors depict the forces and represent the inclination and magnitude of each force.
The sum of all forces exerted on an object in static equilibrium equals zero, allowing us to calculate unknown forces. Here, the vector sum of the two side forces and the pull force equals zero. The physical relation stems from a basic law of friction explained above. Combining these two relations allows us to pinpoint the factors involved in the holding ability of a camming unit. Note that 2F must be greater or equal to P, the pulling force, for holding to occur.