Camshafts are an important part of your engine. They are used to operate the poppet valves that control the air/fuel mixture being put into the cylinders. Camshafts are cylindrical rods with cams running along their length. A cam is basically shaped like a slice of an egg so that when they rotate they press against they valve causing it to open.
Camshaft: In operation.
Camshafts tend to made out of a few materials. The most common is chilled Iron castings. This is generally used for high volume production. They tend to have a greater resistance to ware than other materials. This is because the camshaft lobes have been chilled resulting in the material developing harder properties. Another material used for Camshafts is Billet Steel. This material is used where a more high quality, refined camshaft is required. This method is generally more expensive than other methods due to it being a time consuming process to produce. As a result, this method and material is only used in low volume production.
Finding used camshafts need not be difficult. In addition to used camshafts being easy to find, they also tend to be considerably cheaper than direct manufacturers parts. Used parts are also good for the environment as they are a form of recycling.