NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF ELASTIC CONFORMING CONTACTS UNDER ECCENTRIC LOADING

The subject of eccentrically loaded conforming contacts is approached analytically under the restriction that the eccentricity is small enough to keep the contact closed. This paper advances a numerical method for contact analysis valid at any eccentricity value. An additional loop is added to the classic elastic contact solver to account for load eccentricity. The method predicts contact area and pressure distribution even when the contacting bodies lose contact in some peripheral points. Numerical results of pressure distribution for a circular flat end punch agree well with existing analytical predictions.