METHOD OF DIMENSIONALITY REDUCTION IN CONTACT MECHANICS AND FRICTION: A USER'S HANDBOOK. II. POWER-LAW GRADED MATERIALS.

Until recently, the only way of solving contact problems was to apply three-dimensional contact theories. However, this presupposes higher mathematical and numerical knowledge, which usually only research groups possess. This has changed drastically with the development of the method of dimensionality reduction (MDR), which allows every practically oriented engineer an access to the solution of contact problems. The simple and contact-type dependent rules are summarized in the first part of the user manual; they require contacts between elastically homogeneous materials. The present paper forms the second part of the user handbook and is dedicated to the solution of contact problems between power-law graded materials. All the MDR-rules are listed with which normal, tangential and adhesive contacts between such high-performance materials can be calculated in a simple manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]