Surface roughness effects result in asperity contacts spanning a wide range of length scales. In view of the multi-scale roughness of real surfaces, contact deformation of solid bodies exhibits strong scale dependence. Therefore, it is essential that contact mechanics analyses account for the evolution of deformation over a range of length scales, similar to that of the wavelengths comprising the topographies of the interacting surfaces. Results from finite element method (FEM) and molecular dynamics (MD) analyses based on continuum and discrete models of the interacting solids, respectively, reveal important effects of topography, length parameters (e.g., indenter tip radius, coating thickness, and penetration depth), surface traction, and elastic-plastic material properties on the deformation behavior at different length scales.

This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.