Three-dimensional contact analysis of coupled surfaces by a novel contact transformation method based on localized Lagrange multipliers

Instead of obsessively emphasizing to reduce the number of time increments and reshape the models, a novel surface contact transformation to increase efficiency is presented in this study. Wear on the bearing surfaces was investigated following the coupled regions from the pressure distribution, computed by means of three-dimensional finite element method models; an approximate analytical model and formulation in three-dimensional frictional contact problems based on modified localized Lagrange multiplier method have also been developed and discussed. Understanding wear behavior patterns in mechanical components is a significant task in engineering design. The proposed approach provides a complete and effective solution to the wear problem in a quasi-dynamic manner. However, expensive computing time is needed in the incremental procedures. In this article, an alternative and efficient finite element approach is introduced to reduce the computation costs of wear prediction. Through the successful verification of wear depth and volume loss of the pin-on-plate, block-on-ring, and metal-on-plastic artificial hip joint wear behaviors, the numerical calculations are shown to be both valid and feasible. Furthermore, the results also show that the central processing unit time required by the proposed method is nearly half that of the previous methods without loss of accuracy.