Kinematics of Contact

Abstract

Most of the forces applied to engineering components arise from contact with one or more other components. The contact may be nominally static as in the case of components that are bolted together or assembled by a shrink fit, or it may involve relative motion, as in the case of meshing gear teeth or the contact between a brake pad and disc. In both cases, the contact can give rise to significantly enhanced local stresses, implying the possibility of local material failure. Furthermore, the transmission of force across a contact is affected by the local microtopography and may involve local sliding, with consequent energy dissipation and the generation of heat.