Algorithms for non-linear contact constraints with application to stability problems of rods and shells

In this paper a class of non-linear problems is discussed where stability as well as post-buckling behaviour is coupled with contact constraints. The contact conditions are introduced via a perturbed Lagrangian formulation. From this formulation the penalty and Lagrangian multiplier method are derived. Both algorithms are investigated together with an algorithm based on an augmented Lagrangian method. The resulting finite element formulation is applied to structural problems of beams and shells undergoing finite elastic deflections and rotations. For the examination of the post-buckling behaviour the arc-length method is used. The performance of the element formulation and a comparison of the different contact algorithms are demonstrated by numerical examples.     

Simulation of two dimensional unilateral contact using a coupled FE/EFG method

In this paper, simulation of two dimensional unilateral contact problems using a coupled finite element/element free Galerkin method is proposed. For the analysis, the element free Galerkin method and Galerkin formulation for two dimensional elasticity problems are considered. Then, the penalty method for imposition of contact constraint is proposed. The finite element shape functions are used in the penalty term of contact constraint. Finally, the accuracy of the presented method is verified through some examples. The numerical results have demonstrated that the presented approach is simple and accurate for frictionless contact analysis of 2D solids.     

A formulation of arbitrarily shaped surface elements for three-dimensional large deformation contact with friction

The paper introduces a general theory for the numerical simulation of large deformation contact problems. The contacting bodies under consideration may be of two- or three-dimensional shape modelled by finite elements. A contact finite element which can be applied to handle multi-body contact as well as contact with rigid bodies is developed. The element is universal in the sense that it can be used as a surface element for any known finite element model and includes friction. The frictional behaviour of the model obeys Coulomb's law of friction distinguishing between sticking and sliding contact. The algorithmic treatment is based on a penalty formulation for the normal and sticking contact. The corresponding consistent tangential stiffness matrices are derived, leading to an overall quadratic convergence behaviour for the method. This feature is demonstrated in a number of representative examples. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerically efficient procedures for dynamic contact problems

The solution of dynamic contact (elastic impact) problems is complicated by the changing nature of the contact area. If a finite element approach is used, the system matrices vary with the contact area. If the problem is properly formulated, such changes are rank one. Rank one changes produce easily determinable changes in the LDL ^T decompositions of the system matrices. This renders a class of dynamic contact problems soluble with the same accuracy and computational effort as is associated with the solution of any dynamic problem using finite element procedures. Consideration of an example problem involving the impact of spring–mass systems confirms this claim.     

A Direct analysis of elastic contact using super elements

Solutions to contact problems are important in mechanical as well as in civil engineering, and even for the most simple problems there is still a need for research results. In the present paper we suggest an alternative finite element procedure and by examples show the need for more knowledge related to the compliance of contact surfaces. The most simple solutions are named Hertz solutions from 1882, and we use some of these solutions for comparison with our finite element results. As a function of the total contact force we find the size of the contact area, the distribution of the contact pressure, and the contact compliance. In models of finite size the compliance depends on the flexibility of the total model, including the boundary condition of the model, and therefore disagreement with the locally based analytical models is expected and found. With computational contact mechanics we can solve more advanced contact problems and treat models that are closer to physical reality. The finite element method is widely used and solutions are obtained by incrementation and/or iteration for these non-linear problems with unknown boundary conditions. Still with these advanced tools the solution is difficult because of extreme sensitivity. Here we present a direct analysis of elastic contact without incrementation and iteration, and the procedure is based on a finite element super element technique. This means that the contacting bodies can be analyzed independently, and are only coupled through a direct analysis with low order super element stiffness matrices. The examples of the present paper are restricted to axisymmetric problems with isotropic, elastic materials and excluding friction. Direct extensions to cases of non-isotropy, including laminates, and to plane and general 3D models are possible.     

Improvement of a frictional contact algorithm for strongly curved contact problems

One of the challenges in contact problems is the prediction of the actual contact surface and the kind of contact that is established in each region. In numerical simulation of deep drawing problems the contact conditions change continuously during the forming process, increasing the importance of a correct evaluation of these parameters at each load step. In this work a new contact search algorithm devoted to contact between a deformable and a rigid body is presented. The rigid body is modelled by parametric Bézier surfaces, whereas the deformable body is discretized with finite elements. The numerical schemes followed rely on a frictional contact algorithm that operates directly on the parametric Bézier surfaces. The algorithm is implemented in the deep drawing implicit finite element code DD3IMP. This code uses a mechanical model that takes into account the large elastoplastic strains and rotations. The Coulomb classical law models the frictional contact problem, which is treated with an augmented Lagrangian approach. A fully implicit algorithm of Newton–Raphson type is used to solve within a single iterative loop the non‐linearities related with the frictional contact problem and the elastoplastic behaviour of the deformable body. The numerical simulations presented demonstrate the performance of the contact search algorithm in an example with complex tools geometry. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A finite element model for contact analysis of multiple Cosserat bodies

The objective of this paper is to develop a finite element model for multi-body contact analysis of Cosserat materials. Based on the parametric virtual work principle, a quadratic programming method is developed for finite element analysis of contact problems. The contact problem with friction between two Cosserat bodies is treated in the same way as in plastic analysis. The penalty factors, that are normally introduced into the algorithm for contact analysis, have a direct influence on accuracy of solution. There is no available rule for choosing a reasonable value of these factors for simulation of contact problems of Cosserat materials, and they are therefore cancelled through a special technique so that the numerical results can be of high accuracy. Compared with the conventional work on Cosserat elasticity, the newly developed model is on the contact analysis of the Cosserat materials and is seldom found in the existing literatures. Four examples are computed to illustrate the validity and importance of the model developed.     

A two-dimensional homogenized model for a pile of thin elastic sheets with frictional contact

The present paper deals with the computational simulation of a pile of thin sheets. The sheets are not laminated or glued, but they interact by frictional contact. In general, it is not possible to perform a full-scale finite element contact computation for piles containing thousands of sheets; the problem size becomes too large, and numerical solution methods suffer from severe convergence problems due to the large number of strongly coupled contact conditions. In this paper, a macroscopic material model is presented for the two-dimensional case. The pile of sheets is homogenized by introducing an effective anisotropic constitutive law, which is motivated by formulations of the theory of elasto-plasticity. This macroscopic material law models the behavior of a pile of sheets, allowing for no tensile stresses in the direction normal to the sheets and obeying Coulomb??s law of friction in the tangential contact plane. Applying this macroscopic material model, an equivalent homogeneous body can be treated using much coarser discretizations. Computational results for the problems are provided, and a comparison with simplified contact computations is done.     

A finite element method for contact using a third medium

The numerical simulation of contact problems is nowadays a standard procedure in many engineering applications. The contact constraints are usually formulated using either the Lagrange multiplier, the penalty approach or variants of both methodologies. The aim of this paper is to introduce a new scheme that is based on a space filling mesh in which the contacting bodies can move and interact. To be able to account for the contact constraints, the property of the medium, that imbeds the bodies coming into contact, has to change with respect to the movements of the bodies. Within this approach the medium will be formulated as an isotropic/anisotropic material with changing characteristics and directions. In this paper we will derive a new finite element formulation that is based on the above mentioned ideas. The formulation is presented for large deformation analysis and frictionless contact.     

Shape optimization in frictionless contact problems

A finite element approach for shape optimization in two-dimensional (2-D) frictionless contact problems is presented in this work. The goal is to find the shape that gives a constant distribution of stresses along the contact boundary. The whole formulation, including mathematical model for the unilateral problem, sensitivity analysis and geometry definition is treated in a continuous form, independently of the discretization in finite elements. Shape optimization is performed by direct modification of geometry through B-spline curves and an automatic mesh generator is used at each new configuration to provide the finite element input data for numerical analysis and sensitivity computations. Using augmented-Lagrangian techniques (to solve the contact problem) and an interior-point mathematical-programming algorithm (for shape optimization), we obtain several results reported at the end of the article.     

Enhanced multiple-point beam-to-beam frictionless contact finite element

In this paper a new contact finite element for beams with circular cross-sections is presented. The element is an enhancement of the previously formulated point-wise beam-to-beam contact finite elements to be used in cases when beams get in contact at very acute angles. In such situation, if beam deformations in the vicinity of the contact zone are taken into account, the contact is not point-wise but it extends to a certain area. To cover such a case in a more realistic way, two additional pairs of contact points are introduced to accompany the original single pair of contact points. The central pair is determined using the orthogonality conditions for the beam axes and the positions of two extra points are defined on one beam axis by a shift of the local co-ordinate. This shift depends on beams geometry and the current angle between tangent vectors at the central contact point. The appropriate kinematic variables for normal contact together with their finite element approximation are derived. Basing on the weak form for normal contact and its linearisation, the tangent stiffness matrix and the residual vector are derived. The new element is tested using author’s computer programs and comparisons with the point-wise contact elements are made.     

Frictional contact analysis of composite materials

In this paper, the highly non-linear frictional contact problems of composite materials are analysed. A proportional loading, the potential contact zone method and finite element analysis are used to solve the problems. A tree-like searching method is used to obtain the solution of the parametric linear complementary problem, which may overcome the anisotropic properties of contact equations caused by composite materials. In the frictional contact analysis of composite materials, the distributions of normal contact pressures, tangential contact stresses and relative tangential displacements are presented for different contact material systems and different coefficients of friction. The results show that the solutions in the paper have good agreement with Hertzian solutions. The influence of different contact material systems and different coefficients of friction on the contact stresses and displacements is large. As a numerical example, ball-indentation tests of composite materials are modelled by the three-dimensional finite element method.     

A finite element formulation of three-dimensional contact problems with slip and friction

The paper describes a special finite element for three-dimensional, large displacement analysis of contact problems with slip and friction. This element may be used to model contact between several finite element bodies or contact between a finite element body and a flexible or rigid geometrical surface fixed in space or moving with time. The contact formulation is based on the concept of a spring-supported, moving disk that transfers normal contact forces and Coulomb friction forces. The contact surface has a finite, prescribed boundary.The contact element has been incorporated into the general-purpose, nonlinear, finite element program FENRIS. Three examples of its application are described in the paper.J. W. Simons was previously NTNF Fellow, Division of Technology, Trondheim, Norway     

A general finite element approach for contact stress analysis

This paper presents a general finite element approach for the treatment of contact stress problems. Stanctard shape function routines are used for the detection of contact between previously separate meshes and for the application of displacement constraints where contact has been identified. The mesh contact routines are installed in an incremental approach whereby the contact constraints are imposed by using either penalty functions or Lagrange multipliers.     

A new boundary element approach for contact problems with friction

A new boundary element solution algorithm for two-dimensional and axisymmetric contact problems with friction, based on an independent discretization of the contacting surfaces and under static and proportional loading conditions, is presented. The solution procedure uses the element shape functions to distribute the geometry, tractions and displacements on each contact element. The contact constraints are then applied between each contacting node and the opposite contact segment. The overall boundary element matrix equations for the contacting bodies are coupled using the contact conditions at the interface without introducing any additional variables into the solution matrix. The algorithm is applied to several two-dimensional and axisymmetric frictional contact examples and the results obtained are in very good agreement with finite element and analytical solutions.     

A comparative analysis of contact algorithms in contact shape optimization problems

This paper presents a comparative analysis of contact algorithms used for solving contact shape optimization problems. Specifically, a nonlinear, feasible direction interior point method (FDIPM) for the frictional contact analysis of hyperelastic materials has been implemented in which the friction is introduced using the return mapping approach. This comparative investigation aims to find the cause of instability in sensitivity of the contact pressure nonuniformity (CPN). The results obtained by the FDIPM are found to be comparable with those by the penalty methods (PM) and the augmented Lagrange multiplier methods (ALMM); however, the FDIPM possesses advantages, including good convergence and convenience in modeling. Furthermore, the basic cause of the unstable sensitivity is revealed to be the discretization of the finite element method, which causes the discontinuous increase of contact area with respect to the continuous increase of contact load. To improve the stability of the CPN, an adaptive post-processing technique is proposed.     

Development of a semi-implicit contact methodology for finite volume stress solvers

The past decades have seen numerous efforts to apply the finite volume methodology to solid mechanics problems. However, only limited work has been done by the finite volume community toward the simulation of mechanical contact. In this article, we present a novel semi-implicit methodology for the solution of static force-loading contact problems with cell-centered finite volume codes. Starting from the similarities with multi-material problems, we derive an implicit discretization scheme for the normal contact stress with a straightforward inclusion of frictional forces and correction vectors for non-orthogonal boundaries. With the introduction of a sigmoid blending function interpolating between contact stresses and gap pressure, the proposed approach is extended to cases with partially closed gap. The contact procedure is designed around an arbitrary mesh mapping algorithm to allow for non-conformal meshes at the contact interface between the two bodies. Finally, we verify the contact methodology against five benchmarks cases.     

Automation of finite element formulations for large deformation contact problems

The aim of this paper is to present a general method for automation of finite element formulations of large deformation contact problems. A new automatic‐differentiation‐based notation is introduced that represents a bridge between the classical mathematical notation of contact mechanics and the actual computer implementation of contact finite elements. Automation of derivation of the required formulas (e.g. element residual and tangent matrix) combined with automatic code generation makes the finite element implementation possible at a moderate effort. Accordingly, several 3D contact formulations have been implemented in this work, including penalty and augmented Lagrangian treatments of contact constraints, and several contact smoothing techniques. A typical benchmark problem could thus be executed in an objective way leading to a comprehensive study of the efficiency and the accuracy of various formulations of 3D contact finite elements. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An adaptive finite element algorithm for contact problems in plasticity

Due to the fact that in contact problems the contact area is not known a priori, a sufficient discretization to obtain a convergent finite element solution cannot be supplied from the outset. Therefore it is necessary to use adaptive finite element methods to adjust automatically the mesh sizes not only in the bodies under consideration but also in the contact zone. In this paper we develop an adaptive method for geometrically linear contact problems, which also includes elastoplastic material behavior. The radial return algorithm is used to derive the error estimator for one time increment of the solution process. The error estimator is based on the Zienkiewicz-Zhu projection scheme, which is extended to account for the special situation in the contact interface.In memoriam of J. C. Simo     

A direct automated procedure for frictionless contact problems

The solution of elastostatic bodies in frictionless contact is obtained by an automated direct method which exploits the theory of linear elasticity and circumvents the need for the inclusion of artificial interface elements, mathematical programming techniques or computation of contact pressure. The method is simple and economical to use and can be easily appended to existing numerical schemes such as the finite element method. The formulation and numerical algorithm are presented for body combinations which are independent of relative tangential displacements along the contact surface. The method is illustrated through an elementary example amenable to hand calculation. Numerical results for more realistic problems are given and compared to known solutions. It is concluded that the method provides a powerful means for both the analysis and design of contacting bodies when used in conjunction with a finite element computer program.