Partial slip contact analysis on three-dimensional elastic layered half space

An elastic contact model for three-dimensional layered or coated materials under coupled normal and tangential loads, with consideration of partial slip effects, has been developed in this paper. The response functions for calculating the displacements and stresses were determined in the frequency domain by using the Papkovich-Neuber poten-tials. The partial slip contact problem was solved by a numerical procedure based on the conjugate Gradient method and fast Fourier transform technique. The contact pressure, surface shear tractions, stick ratios, rigid body displacements, and subsurface stresses are analyzed under different conditions with variations in the material properties and coating thickness. Results show that stiffer coatings tend to decrease the stick ratios and the rigid ball tangential displacements in comparison to those with compliant coatings under the same contact conditions. For stiffer coatings, the values of the von Mises stress and compressive surface stress increase and the positions of maximum von Mises stress move up to the surface; meanwhile, the distributions of the compressive stress become asymmetric due to the action of the tangential load.