The indentation of a punch in the form of an elliptic paraboloid into the plane boundary of an elastic body

The three-dimensional contact problem for an elastic body of arbitrary geometry with a single plane face, into which a punch in the shape of an elliptic paraboloid is indented, is considered. The curvilinear boundary of the body is partially clamped, and the remaining boundary (outside the contact region) is stress-free. It is assumed that the dimensions of the contact area are small compared with the characteristic dimension of the body. Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions a model problem of unilateral contact without friction is derived for the boundary layer, which is solved using the apparatus of Hertz's theory. Asymptotic models of the contact interaction of different degrees of accuracy are constructed, including corrections to the geometry and clamping conditions of the elastic body. The sensitivity of the parameters of the elliptic region of the contact to these factors is investigated.