Contact Stress

(3.19)
MAE 316 Strength of Mechanical Components
Y. Zhu
Contact Stress 1
Introduction
Contact Stress 2
Where does contact stress occur?
Ball bearings
Railroad wheel on a track
Bowling ball on an alley
Want to find the local stress at the point (region) of
contact.
This will depend on elasticity of contacting materials (E &
), loading, and geometry.
Spherical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 3
Where a = radius of circular contact area and p
o
= p
max
=
maximum pressure.
Spherical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 4
For spheres in contact, the contact patch is circular
(radius a).
2 2
1 1 2 2
3
1 2
(1 ) / (1 ) / 3
8 1/ 1/
E E F
a
d d
v v +
=
+
Where:
F = force pressing the two spheres together
d
1
and d
2
= diameters of the two solid spheres in contact
E
1
,
1
, E
2
,
2
= respective elastic constants of the two spheres
Spherical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 5
The maximum contact pressure is
The stress distribution is
max
2
3
2
F
p
a t
=
1
1 2 max
2
max
3
2
12
max 13 23 1 3 2 3
1 1
1 tan (1 )
2 1 ( )
1 ( )
0
1 1
( ) ( )
2 2
x y
z
xy
yz xz
z
p
a z a
z a
p
z a
o o o o v
o o
t t
t t t t t o o o o

(
| |
( = = = = +
|
|
( +
(
\ .


= =
+
= =
= = = = = =
Spherical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 6
Figure 3-37 in the
textbook shows the
magnitude of the stress
components below the
surface as a function of
p
max
of contacting
spheres with = 0.3.
Cylindrical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 7
Where b = half-width of rectangular contact area and p
o
= p
max
= maximum pressure.
2b
l
Cylindrical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 8
For cylinders in contact, the contact patch is rectangular
(half-width b).
2 2
1 1 2 2
1 2
(1 ) / (1 ) / 2
1/ 1/
E E F
b
l d d
v v
t
+
=
+
Where:
l = length of contact area
F = force pressing the two spheres together
d
1
and d
2
= diameters of the two solid spheres in contact
E
1
,
1
, E
2
,
2
= respective elastic constants of the two spheres
Cylindrical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 9
The maximum contact pressure is
The stress distribution is
max
2F
p
bl t
=
( )
2
1 max
2
2 max
2
max
3
2
2 1 ( )
1 2( )
2
1 ( )
1 ( )
x
y
z
p z b z b
z b
p z b
z b
p
z b
o o v
o o
o o
= = +
| |
+
| = =
|
+
\ .
= =
+
Cylindrical Contact Surfaces (3.19)
Contact Stress 10
Figure 3-39 in the
textbook shows the
magnitude of the stress
components below the
surface as a function of
p
max
of contacting
cylinders with = 0.3.
Example
Two carbon steel balls, each 30 mm in diameter, are
pressed together by a force F. Find the maximum values
of the principal stress and the maximum shear stress if F
= 50 N, = 0.3, and E = 207 GPa.
Contact Stress 11