The three-dimensional contact problem with friction for an elastic wedge

Solutions of three-dimensional boundary-value problems of the theory of elasticity are given for a wedge, on one face of which a concentrated shearing force is applied, parallel to its edge, while the other face is stress-free or is in a state of rigid or sliding clamping. The solutions are obtained using the method of integral transformations and the technique of reducing the boundary-value problem of the theory of elasticity to a Hilbert problem, as generalized by Vekua (functional equations with a shift of the argument when there are integral terms). Using these and previously obtained equations, quasi-static contact problems of the motion of a punch with friction at an arbitrary angle to the edge of the wedge are considered. In a similar way the contact area can move to the edge of a tooth in Novikov toothed gears. The method of non-linear boundary integral equations is used to investigate contact problems with an unknown contact area.     

The three-dimensional problem of a thin inclusion in a composite elastic wedge

The three-dimensional problem of a thin rigid elliptic inclusion in the middle of a composite elastic wedge is investigated. The wedge consists of three connected wedge-shaped layers connected by a sliding clamp, in which the layer containing the inclusion is incompressible. The outer faces of the composite wedge are also under sliding-clamp conditions. The inclusion is completely bonded to the elastic medium in the contact region. Using Fourier and Kontorovich–Lebedev transformations, a system of integral equations of the problems are derived for the shear contact stresses. A regular asymptotic method is used to solve this system. Calculations are carried out. The results can be used for calculations on the strength of rubber-metal articles and structures having a corner line.     

The calculation of the energy losses in a sliding elastic contact with friction and wear (the plane problem)

The plane problem of the sliding contact of a punch with an elastic foundation when there is friction and wear is considered. Assuming the existence of a steady solution in a moving system of coordinates, relations are derived between the sliding velocity, the wear, the contact stresses and the displacements for an arbitrary dependence of the wear rate on the contact pressure. Taking into account the presence of a deformation component of the friction force, an equation is written for the balance of the mechanical energy for the punch - elastic base system considered. It is shown that the equality of the work of the external force in displacing the punch to the losses due to friction and the change in the shape of the foundation due to wear is satisfied when the work done by the contact stresses on the increments of the boundary displacements is equal to zero, and the frictional losses must be determined taking into account the non-uniformity of the distributions of the shear contact stresses and the sliding velocity in the contact area. Two special cases of the foundation in the form of a wide and narrow strip are considered, for which the total coefficient of friction is calculated, taking into account the deformation component of the friction force.     

Three-dimensional contact problems for an elastic wedge with a coating

Three-dimensional contact problems for an elastic wedge, one face of which is reinforced with a Winkler-type coating with different boundary conditions on the other face of the wedge, are investigated. A power-law dependence of the normal displacement of the coating on the pressure is assumed. The contact area, the pressure in this region, and the relation between the force and the indentation of a punch are determined using the method of non-linear boundary integral equations and the method of successive approximations. The results of calculations are analysed for different values of the aperture angle of the wedge, the relative distance of the punch from the edge of the wedge, the ratio of the radii of curvature of the punch (an elliptic paraboloid), and the non-linearity factors of the coating. The results obtained are compared with the solutions of similar problems for a wedge without a coating.     

The interaction of punches on the face of an elastic wedge

The interaction of two punches, which are elliptic in plan, on the face of an elastic wedge is investigated in a three-dimensional formulation for different types of boundary conditions on the other face. The wedge material is assumed to be incompressible. An asymptotic solution is obtained for punches which are relatively distant from one another and from the edge of the wedge. For the case when the punches are arranged relatively close to the edge of the wedge (or reach the edge, the contact area is unknown) the numerical method of boundary integral equations is used. The mutual effect of the punches is estimated by means of calculations. The asymptotic solution of the generalized Galin problem, concerning the effect of a concentrated force applied on the edge of the three-dimensional wedge on the contact pressure distribution under a circular punch relatively far from the edge, is obtained.     

Axisymmetric contact problems for a prestressed incompressible elastic layer

Two axisymmetric problems of the indentation without friction of an elastic punch into the upper face of a layer when there is a uniform field of initial stresses in the layer are considered. The model of an isotropic incompressible non-linearly elastic material, specified by a Mooney potential, is used. Two cases are investigated: when the lower face of the layer is rigidly clamped after it is prestressed, and when the lower face of the layer is supported on a rigid base without friction after it is prestressed. It is assumed that the additional stresses due to the action of the punch on the layer are small compared with the initial stresses; this enables the problem of determining the additional stresses to be linearized. The problem is reduced to solving integral equations of the first kind with symmetrical irregular kernels relative to the pressure in the contact area. Approximate solutions of the integral equations are constructed by the method of orthogonal polynomials for large values of the parameter characterizing the relative layer thickness. The case of a punch with a plane base is considered as an example.     

3‐D Contact problems for elastic wedges with Coulomb friction

3‐D quasi‐static contact problems for elastic wedges with Coulomb friction are reduced to integral equations and integral inequalities with unknown contact normal pressures. To obtain these equations and inequalities, Green's functions for the wedges, where one face of the wedges is either stress‐free or fixed, are needed. Using Fourier and Kontorovich–Lebedev integral transformations, all the stresses and displacements in the wedges can be constructed in terms of solutions of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind on the semiaxis. The Green's functions can be calculated as uniformly convergent power series in (1‐2ν), where νis Poisson's ratio. An exponential decay of the kernels and right‐hand sides of the Fredholm integral equations provides the applicability of the collocation method for simple and fast calculation of the Green's functions. For a half‐space, which is a special case of an elastic wedge, the kernels degenerate and the functions reduce to the well‐known Boussinesq and Cerruti solutions. Analysing the contact problems reveals that the Green's functions govern the kernels of the above mentioned integral equations and inequalities. Under the assumption that the punch has a smooth shape, the contact pressure is zero on the boundary of the unknown contact zone. Solving the contact problems with the help of the Galanov–Newton method, the normal contact pressure, the contact zone and the normal displacement around the contact zone can be determined simultaneously. In view of the numerical results, the influence of the friction forces on the punch force and the punch settlement is discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The solution of the Hertz axisymmetric contact problem

The main terms of the asymptotic form of the solution of the contact problem of the compression without friction of an elastic body and a punch initially in point contact are constructed by the method of matched asymptotic expansions using an improved matching procedure. The condition of unilateral contact is formulated taking account of tangential displacements on the contact surface. An asymptotic solution of the problem for the boundary layer is constructed by the complex potential method. An asymptotic model is constructed, extending the Hertz theory to the case where the surfaces of the punch and elastic body in the vicinity of the contact area are approximated by paraboloids of revolution. The problem of determining the convergence of the contacting bodies from the magnitude of the compressive force is reduced to the problem of calculating the so-called coefficient of local compliance, which is an integral characteristic of the geometry of the elastic body and its fixing conditions.     

Asymptotic solution of contact problemsfor a relatively thick elastic layer when there are friction forces in the contact area

The plane contact problem of the theory of elasticity of the interaction between a punch, having a base in the form of a paraboloid,and a layer, taking Coulomb friction in the contact region into account, is considered. It is assumed that either the lower boundary of the layer is fixed or there are no normal displacements and shear stresses on it, and that normal and shear forces are acting on the punch. Here, the punch-layer system is in a condition of limit equilibrium, and the punch does not turn during the deformation of the layer. The case of quasi-statistics, when the punch moves evenly over the layer surface, can be considered similarly in a moving system of coordinates. The problem is investigated by the large-λ method (see [1–3], etc.), which is further developed here, namely, simple recurrence relations are derived for constructing any number of terms of the series expansion of the solution of the corresponding integral equation in negative powers of the dimensionless parameter λ related to the thickness of the layer.     

The spatial contact problem for an elastic layer and wavy punch when there is friction and wear

The spatial (three-dimensional) problem of the wear of a wavy punch sliding over an elastic layer bonded to a rigid base, assuming there is complete contact between the punch and the layer, is considered. It is assumed that there is Coulomb friction and wear of the punch. An analytical expression for the contact pressure is constructed using the general Papkovich–Neuber solution, the harmonic functions in which are represented in the form of double Fourier integrals, after which the problem reduces to a linear system of differential equations. It is established that the harmonics constituting the shape of the punch and the contact pressure are shifted with respect to one another in time along the sliding line of the punch. The velocity of this shift depends on the longitudinal and transverse frequencies of the harmonic, that is, dispersion of the waves is observed.     

Problems of cuts in a composite elastic wedge

Problems of strip and elliptical cuts (tensile cracks) in the middle of a three-layer elastic wedge are investigated in a three-dimensional formulation. Free or rigid clamping conditions or the stress-free condition are stipulated on the outer surfaces of the composite wedge. The problems are assumed to be symmetrical about the plane of the cut. The wedge-shaped layer containing the cut is incompressible and hinged along both faces with two other layers. The integral equations of the problems with respect to the opening of the cut are derived. Inverse operators are obtained for the operators occurring in the kernels of these equations. The relation between problems on cuts and the corresponding contact problems for a composite wedge of half the aperture angle is used. The method of paired integral equations is used for the case of a strip cut emerging from the edge of the wedge. The problems are reduced to Fredholm integral equations of the second kind in certain auxiliary functions, in terms of the values of which the normal stress intensity factors are expressed. A regular asymptotic solution is constructed for the case of an elliptic cut.     

Static frictional indentation of an elastic half-plane by a rigid unsymmetrical punch

Static rigid 2-D indentation of a linearly elastic half-plane in the presence of Coulomb friction which reverses its sign along the contact length is studied. The solution approach lies within the context of the mathematical theory of elastic contact mechanics. A rigid punch, having an unsymmetrical profile with respect to its apex and no concave regions, both slides over and indents slowly the surface of the deformable body. Both a normal and a tangential force may, therefore, be exerted on the punch. In such a situation, depending upon the punch profile and the relative magnitudes of the two external forces, a point in the contact zone may exist at which the surface friction changes direction. Moreover, this point of sign reversal may not coincide, in general, with the indentor's apex. This position and the positions of the contact zone edges can be determined only by first constructing a solution form containing the three problem's unspecified lengths, and then solving numerically a system of non-linear equations containing integrals not available in closed form.The mathematical procedure used to construct the solution deals with the Navier-Cauchy partial differential equations (plane-strain elastostatic field equations) supplied with boundary conditions of a mixed type. We succeed in formulating a second-kind Cauchy singular integral equation and solving it exactly by analytic-function theory methods.Representative numerical results are presented for two indentor profiles of practical interest—the parabola and the wedge.     

Electro-mechanical sliding frictional contact of a piezoelectric half-plane under a rigid conducting punch

This paper investigates the two-dimensional sliding frictional contact of a piezoelectric half-plane in the plane strain state under the action of a rigid flat or a triangular punch. It is assumed that the punch is a perfect electrical conductor with a constant electric potential. By using the Fourier integral transform technique and the superposition theorem, the problem is reduced to a pair of coupled Cauchy singular integral equations and then is numerically solved to determine the unknown contact pressure and surface electric charge distribution. The effects of the friction coefficient and electro-mechanical loads on the normal contact stress, normal electric displacement, in-plane stress and in-plane electric displacement are discussed in detail. It is found that the friction coefficient has a significant effect on the electro-mechanical sliding frictional contact behaviors of the piezoelectric materials.     

The solution of contact problems using boundary element method

The formulation of contact problems is extended to the case of moving punches and to the case when the state of the systems being investigated depends on the history of the change in the external actions. The quasi-static contact problem for a moving rigid rough punch and a single linearly deformable body is considered. A new iterational process is proposed for solving contact problems, taking friction in the contact area into account, and its convergence is proved. An algorithm of the solution, based on the boundary element method, is developed. Solutions of specific problems are given and analysed. Estimates of the difference of the solutions due to the difference in the impenetrability conditions and the difference in the steps of the loading parameter are obtained.     

An asymptotic method of solving transient dynamic contact problems of the theory of elasticity for a strip

An asymptotic method is proposed for solving transient dynamic contact problems of the theory of elasticity for a thin strip. The solution of problems by means of the integral Laplace transformation (with respect to time) and the Fourier transformation (with respect to the longitudinal coordinate) reduces to an integral equation in the form of a convolution of the first kind in the unknown Laplace transform of contact stresses under the punch. The zeroth term of the asymptotic form of the solution of the integral equation for large values of the Laplace parameter is constructed in the form of the superposition of solutions of the corresponding Wiener-Hopf integral equations minus the solution of the corresponding integral equation on the entire axis. In solving the Wiener-Hopf integral equations, the symbols of the kernel of the integral equation in the complex plane is presented in special form — in the form of uniform expansion in terms of exponential functions. The latter enables integral equations of the second kind to be obtained for determining the Laplace-Fourier transform of the required contact stresses, which, in turn, is effectively solved by the method of successive approximations. After Laplace inversion of the zeroth term of the asymptotic form of the solution of the integral equations, the asymptotic solution of the transient dynamic contact problem is determined. By way of example, the asymptotic solution of the problem of the penetration of a plane punch into an elastic strip lying without friction on a rigid base is given. Formulae are derived for the active elastic resistance force on the punch of a medium preventing the penetration of the punch, and the law of penetration of the punch into the elastic strip is obtained, taking into account the elastic stress wave reflected from the strip face opposite the punch and passing underneath it.     

The indentation of a spherical punch into an ideally plastic half-space when there is contact friction

Calculations are presented of the indentation of a spherical punch into an ideally plastic half-space under condition of complete plasticity and taking account of contact friction, which is modelled according to Prandtl and Coulomb. Friction leads to the formation of a rigid zone at the centre of the punch when there is slipping of the material on the remaining part of the contact boundary. Limit values of the friction coefficients are obtained for which the rigid zone extends over the whole of the contact boundary. The dependence of the indentation force on the radius of the plastic area is in good agreement with experimental data.     

Moving contact problems involving a rigid punch and a functionally graded coating

Frictional contact mechanics analysis for a rigid moving punch of an arbitrary profile and a functionally graded coating/homogeneous substrate system is carried out. The rigid punch slides over the coating at a constant subsonic speed. Smooth variation of the shear modulus of the graded coating is defined by an exponential function and the variation of the Poisson's ratio is assumed negligible. Coulomb's friction law is adopted. Hence, tangential force is proportional to the normal applied force through the coefficient of friction. An analytical method is developed utilizing the singular integral equation approach. Governing partial differential equations are derived in accordance with the theory of elastodynamics. The mixed boundary value problem is reduced to a singular integral equation of the second kind, which is solved numerically by an expansion-collocation technique. Presented results illustrate the effects of punch speed, coefficient of friction, material inhomogeneity and coating thickness on contact stress distributions and stress intensity factors. Comparisons indicate that the difference between elastodynamic and elastostatic solutions tends to be quite larger especially at higher punch speeds. It is shown that use of the elastodynamic theory provides more realistic results in contact problems involving a moving punch.     

The contact problem for a two-layer spherical base

Analytical methods for solving problems of the interaction of punches with two-layer bases are described using in the example of the axisymmetric contact problem of the theory of elasticity of the interaction of an absolutely rigid sphere (a punch) with the inner surface of a two-layer spherical base. It is assumed that the outer surface of the spherical base is fixed, that the layers have different elastic constants and are rigidly joined to one anther, and that there are no friction forces in the contact area. Several properties of the integral equation of this problem are investigated, and schemes for solving them using the asymptotic method and the direct collocation method are devised. The asymptotic method can be used to investigate the problem for relatively small layer thicknesses, and the proposed algorithm for solving the problem by the collocation method is applicable for practically any values of the initial parameters. A calculation of the contact stress distribution, the parameters of the contact area, and the relation between the displacement of the punch and the force acting on it is given. The results obtained by these methods are compared, and a comparison with results obtained using Hertz, method is made for the case in which the relative thickness of the layers is large.     

The dynamics of the motion of a flat punch on the boundary of an elastic half-plane

The dynamic contact problem of the motion of a flat punch on the boundary of an elastic half-plane is considered. During motion, the punch deforms the elastic half-plane, penetrating it in such a manner that its base remains parallel to the boundary of the half-plane at each instant of time. In movable coordinates connected to the moving punch, the contact problem reduces to solving a two-dimensional integral equation, whose two-dimensional kernel depends on the difference between the arguments for each of the variables. An approximate solution of the integral equation of the problem is constructed in the form of a Neumann series, whose zeroth term is represented in the form of the superposition of the solutions of two-dimensional integral equations on the coordinate semiaxis minus the solution of the integral equation on the entire axis. This approach provides a way to construct the solution of the two-dimensional integral equation of the problem in four velocity ranges of motion of the punch, which cover the entire spectrum of its velocities, as well as to perform a detailed analysis of the special features of the contact stresses and vertical displacements of the free surface on the boundary of the contract area. An approximate method for solving the integral equation, which is based on a special approximation of the integrand of the kernel of the integral equation in the complex plane, is proposed for obtaining effective solutions of the problem that do not contain singular quadratures.