Numerical and experimental study of contact for bodies of complex shape

Abstract

This work delivers results of experimental studies performed in order to justify the validity of the developed version of the boundary element method that accounts for the compliance of the intermediate layer. Experimental investigation of contact interaction of complex shaped bodies in the presence of local compliance of conjugate surfaces has been conducted on a prototype of a hydrovolumetric drive, for which the contact area and the magnitude of the contact pressure were determined by means of pressure sensitive films. In order to capture the entire domain where contact pressure is applied and their maximal values and therefor for the sake of measurement error reduction each test is made using two types of contact films: MS and HS. It was demonstrated that the increased compliance of the intermediate layer results in contact over a larger area and leveling of the maximal contact pressure pike. With the increase of pressing force both the size of the contact zone and the values of contact pressure grow. Comparison of contact pressure distributions obtained experimentally and from numerical boundary element method solution confirmed full qualitative and quantitative correspondence of the experimental and numerical results. The discrepancy in contact area and maximal contact pressure was less then 10%. The results are summarised in a curve chart that contains correlation between the size of the contact area and the value of the maximal contact pressure for different local compliances of the contact layer.