Update – How To Undertake a Contact and Friction Analysis

Introduction

NAFEMS wishes to commission an author to provide an update to the publication “How To – Undertake a Contact and Friction Analysis”.

The original book, published in 2000 includes a brief introduction to non-linear analysis, a resume of the various types of contact problems as well as a discussion on the approaches that are typically used to specify and solve the contact problem. There are also examples of some of the common difficulties that can arise and how these problems might be resolved for a range contact scenarios.

Although the basic principles of contact modelling have not changed since the original book was written, the methods and procedures by which these principles are implemented most certainly has. More sophisticated algorithms combined with increased processing power and massive changes in the amount of memory that are now available has meant that analysis software is now able to automatically deal with complex contact issues and the whole operation is much more transparent to the analyst. This is not to say that modelling contact is now a ‘black box’ solution, and although the algorithms are much more robust than they used to be, there are still pitfalls and mistakes that can be made that can affect both the accuracy and efficiency of the contact solution.

The author can use the existing material in the publication but will be required to update it to reflect current practice. The update also includes the revision of the figures.

Intended Readership

The intended readership consists of simulation engineers building models involving contact conditions.

Suggested Content

It should be noted that the content provided below is a suggestion and that prospective authors are encouraged to suggest an outline based on their own experience.

The original 7 sections are still viewed to be valuable and should be updated to reflect modern approaches. These seven sections include:

• Introduction,
• Why non-linear analysis?
• Classification of contact problems,
• Approaches for contact analysis,
• Complicating aspects in contact analysis and how they can be resolved,
• Concluding Remarks,
• References.

The following topics are anticipated to be included in the update:

• Detailed description of the how contact is handled in explicit methods,
• General contact algorithms,
• New guidance and examples on resolving difficult contact problems.

F​ormat

The document should confirm to the standard NAFEMS publication template (provided upon contract award). The anticipated length of the publication is between 70-100 A5 pages.