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Fretting is a damaging phenomenon, generally observed when a mating pair is subjected to a small amplitude of oscillatory motion. The contact behavior in fretting is governed by a complex interaction between mechanical properties of mating pair, contact geometry, and loading conditions. In most of the practical applications, dissimilar materials are chosen for a contacting pair with one of the materials having superior material properties than other so as to replace the worn-out or unfit component during the maintenance. In the literature, many researchers have studied the effect of dissimilar materials on fretting behavior but mainly in the context of hardness. As experimental methodology has been adopted in these studies, the effect of dissimilar material properties has been reported in terms of global variables like wear volume or fretting fatigue life, but its influence on underlying local contact tractions could not be studied. In the present work, a two-dimensional finite element analysis has been carried out for a cylinder-on-plate configuration. The effect of dissimilar materials for the mating pair has been studied by modeling elastic–plastic behavior for combinations of three different materials, namely, SS 304, ASTM A302-B, and aluminum. The validation of the finite element model is carried out by comparing the results of elastic analysis with the analytical solutions available in the literature. The pertinent contact parameters in the context of fretting wear, namely, contact pressure, contact slip, and contact stresses are extracted. A frictional dissipation energy density-based approach is used for the qualitative comparison of the fretting damage for different cases and validated with the literature data.

A deterministic adhesive model for the contact between an elastic layered medium with surface roughness and a smooth elastic microsphere was developed on the basis of the Lennard–Jones surface force law. Through numerical simulations, the adhesive contact behavior of the layered medium with the measured three-dimensional (3D) surface topography was comparatively analyzed with that of the homogeneous medium. Furthermore, the contact characteristics of the layered medium with pre-assigned roughness parameters were investigated with the aid of a computer-generated technique for simulating surface roughness. Results showed that the pull-off force for the contact problem involving rough surfaces was influenced by the contact location, and the average value for the contact between an alumina (SiO2) microsphere and a diamond-like carbon/silicon (DLC/Si)-layered medium was smaller than that for the contact between a SiO2 microsphere and a Si homogeneous half-space. In addition, the effect of the diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer on reducing adhesion was smaller than that of the surface roughness. Finally, the average pull-off force for a DLC/Si-layered medium with computer-generated surface roughness rapidly decreased; however, it eventually became almost unchangeable with the increase in the root-mean-square (RMS) deviation.

Extensive investigations have been carried out in the present paper to understand polymer gear performance, i.e., wear and contact behaviors. The experimental results and possible wear mechanisms for polymer gears run against themselves have been presented, especially the wear rate of the polymer gears under different running speeds and loads. The tested samples were made of three different materials (acetal, nylon, and polycarbonate (PC)) and the effects of two different manufacturing techniques were also investigated (i.e., machine-cut and injection-molded polymer gears). The polymer gear performances (wear and life) were recorded using a uniquely designed and built test rig for this purpose. The testing results have been compared with the existing literature for polymer fatigue and wear theory. Further extensive investigations have been carried out to understand the wear phenomena on tooth flank surface profile of these gears and the data obtained have been discussed.

When adhesive forces are taken into consideration, contacting asperities can still interact after intimate contact is broken. Current theories that predict the contact behavior of adhesive cylindrical asperities fail to capture the forces in this regime. In the present investigation, prior solutions for adhesive cylindrical asperities will be extended to include the condition where the asperities are not in physical contact but are still interacting through adhesive forces. In the extended results, relationships between the adhesive contact radius and the applied normal load will be developed and discussed with respect to the design of micro-scale components.Copyright © 2004 by ASME