Development of contact stress analysis programs using the hybrid method of FEM and BEM

This paper deals with the development of two- and three-dimensional contact stress analysis programs using a hybrid method of the finite element method and the boundary element method. In order to improve the accuracy of analysis using the hybrid method, a new method for computing the equivalent stiffness matrix is described. Furthermore, the penalty function is applied to introduce the contact conditions. The 3-node contact element was used for two-dimensional analysis and the 5-node contact element for three-dimensional analysis. Considering the application to general slide movements, the new 8-node contact element is developed. The programs are applied to the problem of contact between a magnetic disc and a slider. A thin-film of the disc and a slider are modeled using finite elements and the substrate of the disc is modeled using boundary elements. The results show the validity and the accuracy of this procedure.