FINITE ELEMENT Contact and thermal prediction of surface failure during dry friction of a steel-alumina sliding pair

Abstract

Contact and thermal pulsating and oscillating stresses can play an important role in surface failure. This study models the physical processes occurring in the contact area by contact and thermal simulations as well as present experimental results. The real contact area was determined on the basis of the surface topographies of worn sliding pairs, then the temperature developed in the contact area was simulated. When evaluating data, contact and thermal processes were analysed producing pulsating and oscillating stresses generated by the moving contact area passing through the sliding contact. The results justify the analysis and provide a basis for further research steps.