Contact Stresses and Deformations

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Topic 7

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-1

Curved Surfaces in Contact

The theoretical contact area of two spheres is a point (= 0-dimensional) The theoretical contact area of two parallel cylinders is a line (= 1-dimensional)
As a result, the pressure between two curved surfaces should be infinite The infinite pressure at the contact should cause immediate yielding of both surfaces

In reality, a small contact area is being created through elastic deformation, thereby limiting the stresses considerably These contact stresses are called Hertz contact stresses

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-2

Curved Surfaces in Contact Examples

Linear bearings (ball and rollers) Rotary ball bearing

Rotary roller bearing

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-3

Curved Surfaces in Contact Examples (contd.)

Ball screw

Gears

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-4

Spheres in Contact
z

The radius of the contact area is given by:

F

y Z = 0: x Sphere 1 E 1,
1

R1

pmax

2a

2a y

2 1 12 1 2 + 3F E2 E1 a=3 1 1 4 + R R 2 1

Circular contact area, resulting in a semi-elliptic pressure distribution E 2,

pmax
2

R2

Sphere 2 x

Where E1 and E2 are the moduli of elasticity for spheres 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 are the Poissons ratios, respectively The maximum contact pressure at the center of the circular contact area is:

pmax =
F

3F 2a 2

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-5

Spheres in Contact (contd.)

The equations for two spheres in contact are also valid for:
Sphere on a flat plate (a flat plate is a sphere with an infinitely large radius) Sphere in a spherical groove (a spherical groove is a sphere with a negative radius)
z y Z = 0: x F

pmax

2a

E1,

R1
1

2a y E2,
2

Flat plate (R2 = )

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-6

Spheres in Contact Principal Stresses

The principal stresses 1, 2, and 3 are generated on the z-axis:

1 z a 1 = 2 = x = y = pmax (1 + )1 arctan a z z2 2 + 1 a2

z2 3 = z = pmax 2 + 1 a

The principal shear stresses are found as:

1 = 2 = max =

1 3
2

3 = 0

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-7

Spheres in Contact Vertical Stress Distribution at Center of Contact Area

,
1 Von Mises 0.8 Ratio of stress to pmax

z
0.6

0.4

X, y max

Plot shows material with Poissons ratio = 0.3

0.2

0 0 0.5a a 1.5a 2a 2.5a 3a Depth below contact area

The maximum shear and Von Mises stress are reached below the contact area This causes pitting where little pieces of material break out of the surface
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-8

Cylinders in Contact
F
z E1, 1

The half-width b of the rectangular contact area of two parallel cylinders is found as:
2 1 12 1 2 4F + E2 E1 b= 1 1 L + R R 2 1

E2, 2 R1
2b

pmax

x R2

Rectangular contact area with semi-elliptical pressure distribution

Where E1 and E2 are the moduli of elasticity for cylinders 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 are the Poissons ratios, respectively. L is the length of contact. The maximum contact pressure along the center line of the rectangular contact area is:

pmax =

2F bL
7-9

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

Cylinders in Contact (contd.)

The equations for two cylinders in contact are also valid for:
Cylinder on a flat plate (a flat plate is a cylinder with an infinitely large radius) Cylinder in a cylindrical groove (a cylindrical groove is a cylinder with a negative radius)
Rectangular contact area with semi z elliptical pressure distribution
R1 E2, 2 pmax
2b L

E1, 1

Rectangular contact area with semielliptical pressure distribution

z

E1, 1

E2, 2

Rg R1 pmax
L

y Flat plate (R2 = ? )

2b

Cylindrical groove (R2 = -Rg)

y

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-10

Cylinders in Contact Principal Stresses

The principal stresses 1, 2, and 3 are generated on the z-axis:

1 = x = 2pmax

z2 z +1 2 b b

z 2 1 z 2 z 2 = y = pmax 2 2 + 1 2 + 1 2 b b b

z2 3 = z = pmax 2 + 1 b

1 =

2 3
2

, 2 =

1 3
2

, 3 =

1 2
2
7-11

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

Cylinders in Contact Vertical Stress Distribution along Centerline of Contact Area

, 1 y 0.8 Ratio of stress to pm ax z x Von Mises

0.6

Plot shows material with Poissons ratio = 0.3

0.4

0.2

1 z

0.5b

b 1.5b 2b Depth below contact area

2.5b

3b

The maximum shear and Von Mises stress are reached below the contact area This causes pitting where little pieces of material break out of the surface
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-12

Sphere vs. Cylinder Von Mises Stress

2.5 .10
9

Sphere vs. Cylinder - Von Mises Stress

Dia 10 mm sphere (steel) on flat plate (steel) Dia 10 mm x 0.5 mm cylinder on flat plate (s teel)

2 .10 Von Mises Stress [Pa]

1.5 .10

1 .10

5 .10

20

40

60

80

100

Contact F orce [N]

The Von Mises stress does not increase linearly with the contact force The point contact of a sphere creates significantly larger stresses than the line contact of a cylinder
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-13

Effects of Contact Stresses - Fatigue

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-14

Elastic Deformation of Curved Surfaces

The displacement of the centers of two spheres is given by:
2 1 12 1 2 3 1 1 1 + s = 1.04 F + R R E E2 2 1 2 1 2 1 3

The displacement of the centers of two cylinders is given by: With 1 = 2 = , and E1 = E2 = E:

c =

2 F 1 2 2 4R 4R + ln 1 + ln 2 b b LE 3

Note that the center displacements are highly nonlinear functions of the load

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-15

Sphere vs. Cylinder Center Displacement

5 .10
6

Sphere vs. Cylinder - Center Displacement

Dia 10 mm sphere (steel) on flat plate (steel) Dia 10 mm x 0.5 mm cylinder (steel) on flat plate (steel)

4 .10 Center Displacement [m]

3 .10

2 .10

1 .10

20

40

60

80

100

Contact F orce [N]

The point contact of a sphere creates significantly larger center displacements than the line contact of a cylinder
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-16

Sphere vs. Cylinder Stiffness

4 .10
7

Sphere vs. Cylinder - Stiffness

Dia 10 mm sphere (steel) on flat plate (steel) Dia 10 mm x 0.5 mm cylinder (steel) on flat plate (steel)

3 .10 Stiffness [N/m]

2 .10

1 .10

20

40

60

80

100

Contact F orce [N]

The point contact of a sphere creates significantly lower stiffness than the line contact of a cylinder
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-17

Effects of Material Combinations

The maximum contact pressure between two curved surfaces depends on:
Type of curvature (sphere vs. cylinder) Radius of curvature Magnitude of contact force Elastic modulus and Poissons ratio of contact surfaces

Through careful material pairing, contact stresses may be lowered

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-18

Contact Pressure Depending on Material Combination

2 .10
9

10 mm Sphere on Flat Plate(Steel) Tungsten (E = 655 GPa, = 0.2) Steel (E = 207 GPa, = 0.3) Bronze (E = 117 GPa, = 0.35) Titanium (E = 110 GPa, = 0.31) Aluminum (E = 71 GPa, = 0.33) Acrylic Thermoplastic = 2.8 GPa, = 0.4) (E

1.5 .10 Maximum pressure [Pa]

1 .10

5 .10

10

20

30

40

50 60 Contact force [N]

70

80

90

100

Materials with a lower modulus will experience larger deformations, resulting in a lower contact pressure
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations 7-19

Center Displacement Depending on Material Combination

4 . 10
5

10 mm Sphere on Flat Plate (Steel) Tungsten (E = 655 GPa , = 0.2) Steel (E = 207 GPa, = 0.3) Bronze (E = 117 GPa, = 0.35) Titanium (E = 110 GPa, = 0.31) Aluminum (E = 71 GPa, = 0.33) Acrylic Thermoplastic (E = 2.8 GPa, = 0.4)

3 . 10 Center Displacement [m]

2 . 10

1 . 10

10

20

30

40

50 60 Contact force [N]

70

80

90

100

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Contact Stresses and Deformations

7-20

10