Characteristics of frictionless contact of bonded elastic and viscoelastic layered solids

This paper presents a generic contact mechanics model for thin layered elastic and viscoelastic solids that are perfectly bonded to rigid substrates. There are increasing applications for such thin layers including in bearings and seals. The developed analytic models enable the evaluation of contact pressures. Finite element results are also presented and comparisons are made between these and the analytic models.