ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006

1
CONTACT

Mechanical interaction of bodies via surfaces

Surfaces must touch

Forces press bodies together

Size (area) of contact dependent on forces, materials,
geometry, temperature, etc.

Contact mechanics

ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
2
NATURE OF CONTACT

Rough surfaces contact

Highest peaks on highest peaks

Contact area = discrete islands

Real contact area small fraction of apparent area

Consequence

contact stresses higher
heating (friction) more intense
electrical contacts: local constriction resistance

ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
3
CONTINENTAL ANALOGY
OF CONTACT

Earth's surface rough:
mountains & valleys






Place South America
on North America



Contact: highest peaks
against highest peaks
- Andes/Appalachia
- Highlands/Rockies

Apparent contact area large, real contact area small

Contact between bodies similar
ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
4
CONTACT MECHANICS
FUNDAMENTALS


Fundamental Solutions:
Boussinesq: 3D Elastic deformations from point
force normal to semi-infinite space
Flamant: 2D Elastic deformations from point force
normal to semi-infinite space



Contact between spheres
elastic: Hertzian contact
plastic: Indentation (Meyer) hardness
overall
quirks

ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
5

FLAMANT SOLUTION (2D)

Point force P, normal to semi-infinite elastic space
2D: plane strain or plain stress
P
x
y
(x, y)
v
u

Elastic deformations: (u, v) along (x, y)
!
u = "
P
4#
($ "1)% "
2xy
r
2
&
'
(
)
*
+
,
!
v = "
P
4#
($ +1)logr "
2y
2
r
2
%
&
'
(
)
*

Stresses:
!
"
xx
= #
2P
$
y
r
2
#
y
3
r
4
%
&
'
(
)
*

!
"
yy
= #
2P
$
y
3
r
4
%
&
'
(
)
*

!
"
xy
= #
2P
$
xy
2
r
4
%
&
'
(
)
*


: elastic shear modulus, !: Poisson's ratio
Elastic modulus: E = 2(1 + !)
Dundars constant: ! = 3 4!, plane strain,
= (3 !)/(1 + !), plane stress

!
r = x
2
+ y
2
, tan " = x/y
ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
6
SOLUTION (2D)

Point force P, tangential to semi-infinite elastic space
2D: plane strain or plain stress
P
x
y
(x, y)
v
u


Elastic deformations: (u, v) along (x, y)
!
u = "
P
4#
($ +1)logr +
2y
2
r
2
%
&
'
(
)
*
,
!
v =
P
4"
(# $1)% +
2xy
r
2
&
'
(
)
*
+
,
Stresses:
!
"
xx
=
2P
#
$
x
r
2
+
xy
2
r
4
%
&
'
(
)
*

!
"
yy
= #
2P
$
xy
2
r
4
%
&
'
(
)
*

!
"
xy
=
2P
#
$
y
r
2
+
y
3
r
4
%
&
'
(
)
*


: elastic shear modulus, !: Poisson's ratio
!: Dundars constant
= 3 4!, plane strain; = (3 !)/(1 + !), plane stress

!
r = x
2
+ y
2
, tan " = x/y
ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
7
BOUSSINESQ SOLUTION (3D)

Point force P on semi-infinite elastic space
P
x
z
y
(x, y, z)
w
u


Elastic deformations: (u, v, w) along (x, y, z)

u =
P
4!
{
x z
r
3
- (1 - 2 ")
x
r (r + z)
}

v =
P
4!
{
y z
r
3
- (1 - 2 ")
y
r (r + z)
}

w =
P
4!
{
z
2
r
3
+
2(1 - ")
r
}

: elastic shear modulus, ": Poisson's ratio

r = x
2
+ y
2

+

z
2

ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
8
HERTZIAN CONTACT THEORY

Contact between elastic curved bodies

Initial Contact







bodies (spheres) touch at
origin

curvatures R
1
, R
2

elastic parameters
(E
1
,"
1
) (E
2
,"
2
)

initial separation
(parabolas)

Z
o
(x, y)=
x
2
+ y
2
2
{
1
R
1
+
1
R
2
}
E
1
!
1
E
2
!
2
x
Z
o
(x, y)
R
2
R
1
initial contact
ME 383S Bryant February 17, 2006
9
HERTZIAN CONTACT THEORY

Compressive normal load P

Induces contact pressures p = p(x, y)


2a
P
P
Z
f
(x, y)
x
p(x,y)








normal surface
deformations w
1
, w
2
w
i
= w
i
[p(x, y); E
j,
"
j,
R
j
]

(from Boussinesq)

final separation

Z
f
(x, y) = Z
o
(x, y)
- # + w
1
+ w
2


contact diameter 2a,
defines contact area

normal approach #,
amount centers of bodies
come together


10
HERTZIAN CONTACT THEORY


Problem Statement


2a
P
P
Z
f
(x, y)
x
p(x,y)







Unknowns
a, # (eigenvalues)
Contact pressures p(x, y)
(eigenfunction)

Physics: static equilibrium

Boundary Conditions

over contact (x
2
+ y
2

<

a
2
)

Z
f
(x, y) = 0, p(x, y)
" 0

outside (x
2
+ y
2

"

a
2
)

p = 0



P =
$
%
contact area
p(x, y) dx dy


11
HERTZIAN CONTACT THEORY

Solution


2a
P
P
Z
f
(x, y)
x
p(x,y)








Sphere on Sphere (point
contact):
p(x, y) = p
o
!
1"
x
2
a
2
"
y
2
a
2


p
o
=
3P
2! a
2



a =
{
!
3"P(k
1
+ k
2
)R
1
R
2
4(R
1
+ R
2
)
}
1
3


k
i
=
1- "
i
2
!E
i



# =
{
!
9"
2
P
2
R
1
+ R
2
( ) k
1
+ k
2
( )
16R
1
R
2
2
}
1
3



12
Cylinder on Cylinder (line contact):


!
p(x) = p
o
1"
x
2
a
2
,
!
p
o
=
2P
"al



!
a =
4P(k
1
+ k
2
)R
1
R
2
l(R
1
+ R
2
)
"
#
$
%
&
'
1/ 2
, k
i
=
1- "
i
2
!E
i




!
" =
P
l
(k
1
+ k
2
) 1+ ln
4l
3
(k
1
+ k
2
)P
1
R
1
+
1
R
2
#
$
%
&
'
(
)
*
+
,
-
.
/
0
1
1
2
3
4
4


l: length of contact along axis of cylinders

13
PLASTIC CONTACT THEORY

Indentation (Meyer) hardness


Bodies in contact

Load P > elastic limit
& plastic deformations
















Contact pressures p(x, y)
approximately uniform

Hardness pressure
(indentation hardness)

$ % p !
P
&A


H # 3 x Yield stress

Use: estimate contact
area, given H and P
!A
P
P
p

14

OVERALL CONTACT MODEL
2a
P
P
p(x,y)
P
P
!
2
!
1


Spheres

Increasing normal load P

0 $ P < P
e
; Elastic (Hertzian) contact model
# = #
1
+#
2
=

{
9!
2
P
2
(k
1
+k
2
)
2
(R
1
+R
2
)
16R
1
R
2
}
1
3


P " P
e
; Elastic-Plastic contact model

# = #
1
+#
2
>

{
9!
2
P
e
2
(k
1
+k
2
)
2
(R
1
+R
2
)
16R
1
R
2
}
1
3



Similar formulations, tangential loads & deformations

P >> P
e, Meyer Hardness problem


15

Hardness (Indentation) Test
Brinell hardness H
B
Hard steel ball (diameter D, load F)
indent for 30 sec.
measure permanent (pla stic) set
H
B
= F/(! D t) [N/m
2
] (units of
stress)
t " {D - (D
2
- d
2
)
1/2
}/2
Other hardness tests

Vickers: Diamond point indentation

Rockwell: measured like Brinell

or
Vickers

scratch test
Hard St eel Ball
(dia meter D)
s pecim en
F
d
t

16
Brinell Hardness
For steels S = S(H)
Ultimate strength
S
u
=

K
B
H
B
Yield Strength
S
y
! 1.05S
u
- 30ksi

17
Micro Hardness Measurements


Micro hardness tester:
Indents specimen
Use on thin films, e.g. hard drive coatings

18
CONTACT QUIRKS

Nonlinear contact stiffness P = P(#)

P = C #
3/2
, C =

4
3!(k
1
+k
2
)
R
1
R
2
R
1
+R
2




& nonlinear contact vibrations

Tangential motions: slip/stick

with friction

high pitched "squeal" / fingernail on blackboard

19
ROUGH CONTACT MODELS

Greenwood & Williamson
d
P
P


Rough surfaces contact: current separation = d
d
P
P


Asperities contact

interference # = (z
1
+ z
2
) - d

z
1
, z
2
surface heights, upper & lower

20

Model asperities as spheres

do
z1
z2
r1
r2
h



Relate contact quantities to surface heights z = z
1
+ z
2

(random variable)


Expected values & Macroscopic Contact Parameters

E[H(z)] = N
!
H(z)
d
"
#
F(z)dz


N: total number asperities
H(z): physical quantity, dependent on heights z
Lower limit: heights z " d for asperities to touch

Microscopic understanding & Important
practical engineering parameters

21


Contact force (elastic) on ith asperity

Asperity force: P
i
(z) = C #
3/2
= C (z - d)
3/2
(Hertz)

Total force: H(z) = P
i
(z)
P = E[P
i
(z)] = N
!
P
i
(z)
d
"
#
F( z)dz


Real contact area

Asperity area: H(z) = A
i
(z) = ! a
2


From Hertz: a = C
1

!
"
1/ 2
!
= C
1

!
z " d ( )
1/ 2
!


Contact conductance

Asperity conductance: G
i
(z) = '/2a (Holm)