Finite element analysis for fretting contacting stresses

A fretting fatigue contact geometry of a specimen contacting a rectangular fretting pad was studied. Distribution of elastic stresses on the contact surface of the specimen and the rectangular pad was analyzed in detail using a finite element solver ANSYS. The correction of the finite element model was verified. The contacting status (sticking, sliding and opening) and contact stresses on the contact surface were calculated to investigate the effect of the nominal contact pressure and frictional coefficient on the distribution of the contact stress. The influence of the load on the distribution of the three zones and stress on contact surface was also analyzed at different load level. The results show that there exist mixed sticking/sliding zone on which the tensile stress and shear stress change fiercely in process of fretting. The fatigue cracks will nucleate at the zone and then propagate. The some calculated results are in agreement with the observation by experiment.