Contact Mechanics

Maria Persson Gulda

Kathleen DiSanto
Outline
What is Contact Mechanics?
The two different kind of contacts.
Boussinesq and Cerruti Potential Functions
The specific case of an Applied Normal Force
Hertz Equations- Derivation, Assumptions
Rigid Sphere Contacting a Deformable Plate
Deformable Sphere Contacting a Rigid Plate

What is Contact Mechanics?
[The theory of contact mechanics] is
concerned with the stresses and
deformation which arise when the
surfaces of two solid bodies are
brought into contact.
Professor Johnsson
Two kinds of contact
Conforming contacts
The two surfaces fit exactly or closely
together without deformation
Non-conforming contact
The surfaces, or one of the two
surfaces, deforms when there is a
contact area in between them.


Derivation: Boussinesq and Cerruti
Potential Functions
Here are the potential functions:













Each satisfy Laplaces equation:



F
1
= q
x
,q
( )
O d
S
}}
dq
G
1
= q
y
,q
( )
O d
S
}}
dq
H
1
= p ,q
( )
O d
S
}}
dq

F =
cF
1
cz
= q
x
,q
( )
ln + z
( )
d
S
}}
dq
G =
cG
1
cz
= q
y
,q
( )
ln + z
( )
d
S
}}
dq
H =
cH
1
cz
= p ,q
( )
ln + z
( )
d
S
}}
dq

= x
( )
2
+ q y
( )
2
+ z
2
{ }
1
2

O= z ln + z
( )


V
2
= 0
Q u i c k T i m e a n d a
d e c o m p r e s s o r
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h i s p i c t u r e .
Special Case: Applied Pressure Only
The potential functions are reduced as follows:


Displacement equations:



By Hookes Law, the stresses are:

+=
cH
cz
=
c+
1
cz
= p ,q
( )
S
}}

1

d dq

u
x
=
1
4tG
12u
( )
c
1
cx
+ z
c
cx




`
)
u
y
=
1
4tG
12u
( )
c
1
cy
+ z
c
cy




`
)

o
x
=
1
2t
2u
c
cz
z
c
2

cx
2
(12u)
c
2

1
cx
2




`
)
o
y
=
1
2t
2u
c
cz
z
c
2

cy
2
(12u)
c
2

1
cy
2




`
)
o
z
=
1
2t
c
cz
z
c
2

cz
2




`
)

F = F
1
=G=G
1
=0

+
1
=
cH
1
cz
= H = p ,q
( )
S
}}
ln( + z) d dq

u
z
=
1
4tG
2 1u
( )
+ z
c
cz




`
)

t
xy
=
1
2t
(12u)
c
2

1
cxcy
+ 2
c
2

cxcy




`
)
t
yz
=
1
2t
z
c
2

cycz
t
zx
=
1
2t
z
c
2

cxcz
Concentrated Normal Force on an Elastic
Half Space



The displacements are:




The stresses in polar coordinates:

Q u i c k T i m e a n d a
d e c o m p r e s s o r
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h i s p i c t u r e .

= x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
{ }
1
2

p ,q
( )
d
S
}}
dq = P

+
1
=
cH
1
cz
= H = P ln( + z)

u
x
=
P
4tG
xz

12u
( )
x
+ z
( )




`
)
u
y
=
P
4tG
yz

3
12u
( )
y
+ z
( )




`
)

u
z
=
P
4tG
z
2

3
+
21+v
( )

`
)

o
r
=
P
2t
12u
( )
1
r
2

z
r
2
|
\

|
.
|

3zr
2

5




`
)
o
u
=
P
2t
12u
( )
1
r
2

z
r
2

z

3
|
\

|
.
|

o
z
=
3P
2t
z
3

5
t
rz
=
3P
2t
rz
2

5

+=
cH
cz
=
P

Concentrated Force Cont.

Now looking only at the surface, z=0
The displacements in polar coordinates become:


For a general pressure distribution, the displacement for
any surface point in S, by Greens function method,
becomes:


u
r
z=0
=
12v
( )
4tG
P
r

u
z
z=0
=
1v
( )
2tG
P
r

u
z
z= 0
=
1v
2
tE
p s,|
( )
ds d|
S
}}
Q u i c k T i m e a n d a
d e c o m p r e s s o r
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h i s p i c t u r e .
Hertz Pressure
The Pressure distribution is:


Equation for determining surface displacement:



The Hertz displacement equation:



p(r) =
p
o
a
2
r
2
( )
1/ 2
a

u
z
z= 0
=
1v
2
tE
p s,|
( )
ds d|
S
}}

u
z
z=0
=
1v
2
E
tp
o
4a
2a
2
r
2
( )
, r s a
where a is the radius of the contact area
Hertz Theory of Elastic Contact
Assumptions:
The radii of curvature of the contacting bodies
are large compared with the radius of the
circle of contact.
The dimensions of each body are large
compared to the radius of the circle of
contact.
The contacting bodies are in frictionless
contact.
The surfaces in contact are continuous and
nonconforming.

Examples
Focus on two examples:
1. Rigid spherical indenter pushing to deformable flat
surface.
2. Deformable sphere contacting rigid plate.
(2)
QuickTime and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
(1)
Equations to be Used

(2) where is the vertical distance the point where the load is
applied moves and a is the contact area radius determined
by the equation:
(1) where R is the radius of the rigid sphere and
R
S
is the radius of the deformable plate
(3) h is the original distance between a point on the rigid sphere
and the deformable plate before load application.
(4) These are the equations of
displacement derived
previously
(5) This states that the translation of the point of load
application equals the surface displacement of the
plate and sphere plus the original distance
between the surfaces.

a =
3 P R
4 E
*
( )
1/ 3
Rigid Sphere Contacting Deformable Flat
Surface with Abaqus
Theoretical Contact Radius: 11.995 mm
Abaqus Contact Radius: 11.6 mm
Error: 3%
Deformable Sphere Contacting Rigid
Plate with Abaqus
Theoretical Contact Radius: 9.288 mm
Abaqus Contact Radius: 8.5 mm
Error: 6%
Conclusion
Contact problems in general are very
complicated to model numerically and
theoretically
Other factors
Friction - rough surfaces
Blunt edges, sharp corners
Sliding and rolling contact
Dynamic impact


A Special Thank You To:
Dr. Ashkan Vaziri
Professor James Rice

References
Johnson, K. L. Contact Mechanics, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press; 1985
Fisher-Cripps, A. C. The Hertzian contact surface. J.
Materials Science. 1999;34:129-137
Kogut, L., Etsion, I. Elastic-Plastic Contact Analysis
of a Sphere and a Rigid Flat. J. of Applied
Mechanics. 2002;69:657-662
Johnson, K. L., Greenwood, J. A. An Adhesion Map
for the contact of elastic Spheres. J. of Colloid and
Interface Science. 1997;192:326-333
Barber, J. R.,Clavarella, M. Contact mechanics.
Inter. J. of Solids and Structures. 2000;37:29-43

Any Questions?