Durability & Life Extension

Finite Element Simulation of Contact Problems

Workshop Description

This is the first workshop in the FENET EU Thematic Network on issues related to Durability and Life Extension. The workshop is concerned with contact problems, including impact, friction, sliding and case studies. The seminar will address the following questions:

• Are there sufficient FE contact benchmarks?

• Are there difficulties experienced by FE users in modelling contact problems?

• What are the current limitations of commercial FE software?

• What are the desirable contact features that are not currently offered by FE software?

• Is there a need for further research in the application of FE to contact problems?

Workshop Objectives

The main objectives of this workshop are:

• To present and review the existing set of contact benchmarks

• To provide feedback from FE users on the contact benchmarks

• To identify more challenging contact benchmarks

• To identify limitations in the contact capabilities of commercial FE software

• To identify future desirable features in Contact simulation using FE

• To present cases studies reflecting modern FE contact analysis

Presentations

Workshop Introduction and Objectives
A. Becker, University of Nottingham, U.K.

Alternative Technology: Boundary Element Contact Analysis
A. Becker, University of Nottingham, U.K.

Running NAFEMS Contact Benchmark Problems using MSC. Marc
Adrie Bout, MSC. Software Benelux B. V., The Netherlands

FE Simulation of Paper Calendering
Y. Deger, Sulzer Markets and Technology AG, Switzerland
In the production process paper is calendered (smoothed) under high temperature and pressure whilst passing through one or more nips formed by elastic and hard rolls at high speeds. As a matter of fact the quality of the paper depends on various operational parameters, including the positioning and interaction of the rolls. Under the contract of Voith Sulzer Finishing GmbH, Krefeld, Germany, Sulzer Innotec has performed an investigation of the deformations of the individual rolls and their contact properties under selected operational conditions for two different positioning of the calender. The work aimed firstly to prove qualitatively that the model reproduces the deformation and force quantities observed during operation of the present calender. In a second step, changes of the significant contact pressure distributions and deformations of the rolls were to be estimated for a prospective modification of the roll positions. In addition, the influence of the rolling movement on the contact conditions has been studied by means of the „steady state transport" analysis capability of ABAQUS. This method suitably combines the Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches for the description of movement and deformation and accounts for frictional and inertial effects. The presentation highlights selected modelling details of this case study and discusses the results obtained.

Contact Benchmarks with PERMAS
R. Helfrich, INTES GmbH, Germany
A number of benchmarks out of NAFEMS Report R0081 together with the results achieved by PERMAS are presented (CGS-1, CGS-2, CGS-3). In addition, a number of benchmark cases are proposed to cover frictional contact in particular. Finally some general comments on contact analysis are made.

Contact Between Flexible Bodies in Nonlinear Analysis, Using Lagrange Multipliers
P. Jetteur, Samtech s.a., Belgium
This paper deals with contact in nonlinear analysis. Only implicit schemes are looked at. In order to solve the contact problem, an augmented lagrangien procedure is used. The resulting system of equations is solved simultaneously for the displacements and Lagrange multipliers. Contact between two flexible boedies and contact between a flexible body and a rigid surface are treated. A special care is taken when the flexible body is modelised by second order element in 3d analysis.

FE Modelling of Contact Phenomena in Structural Analysis
A.Konter, Netherlands Institute of Metals Research, The Netherlands Summary

• Overview of contact analysis using FE
• Contact comparisons MSC.Marc & Abaqus
• Seminar themes
• FE contact benchmarks
• difficulties by FE users in modeling contact problems
• current limitations of commercial FE codes
• desirable contact features not currently offered by FE software
• need for further research in application of contact problems
• Concluding remarks

Coupling FE Contact and Heat Transfer Analysis in Investment Casting Simulations
G. Laschet, L. Haas, Access e.V., Germany

Overview of Current NAFEMS Contact Benchmarks
N. Prinja, NNC Ltd., U.K.

Advanced Contact Benchmarks
A. Prior, HKS Ltd., U.K.