Contact mechanics

Contact mechanics studies deformation and forces where solid bodies touch, including how pressure, friction, adhesion, and wear arise at their interfaces.

Hertzian contact theory: An elastic theory that predicts contact size and pressure for smooth, nonadhesive bodies under load. It provides the classical pressure and contact-area solution for curved elastic bodies.
Elasticity: The property of a material that lets it recover its shape after deformation. Elastic constitutive laws determine how contact loads reshape bodies without permanent damage.
Rolling-element bearing: A bearing that supports loads using rolling elements between races to reduce sliding friction. Its balls or rollers create repeated concentrated contacts that shape fatigue life.
Fluid mechanics: The study of fluids at rest and in motion, including their forces and deformation. Unlike solid contact mechanics, it treats the contacting medium as a flowing fluid.
Fretting: Surface damage caused by small-amplitude oscillatory motion between contacting bodies. Repeated microslip at loaded contacts can initiate fretting damage.
Contact pressure: The compressive normal force transmitted per unit area across a contact interface. Its distribution reveals where contacting bodies are most likely to deform or fail.
Plasticity: The permanent deformation of a material after applied stress exceeds its elastic limit. Plastic flow changes contact geometry and leaves residual deformation after unloading.
Gear: A toothed machine element that transmits torque by engaging with another toothed element. Tooth-flank contact pressures and sliding influence efficiency, noise, and durability.
Adhesion: The attraction or bonding between unlike surfaces brought into contact. It is an interfacial force that can enlarge or stabilize solid contact.
Wear: The progressive loss or alteration of material caused by surface interaction and motion. Contact pressure and sliding determine where and how material is removed.

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