Numerical Investigation of the Contact Interaction of Complex-Shaped Bodies Using Integrated Computational Platforms

Abstract

The paper presents an approach to solving problems of numerical modeling of the con-tact interaction between rigid cylindrical punches and an elastic half-space, which combines the use of Ansys for constructing and solving finite element models with MATLAB for ad-vanced postprocessing and visualization of the obtained results. A distinctive feature of the study is the integrated use of numerical methods and computer visualization tools in different software environments to analyze the contact interaction of punches of complex geometry with an isotropic homogeneous elastic half-space. The analysis focuses on punches with cir-cular ring, elliptical ring, and symmetrically deformed elliptical ring cross-sections, which form a doubly connected contact region under the action of a centrally applied load in an axi-symmetric problem formulation, i.e., under axial compression applied along the punch axis. Within the Ansys environment, finite element models were constructed with explicit considera-tion of the geometric complexity of the punches, and a systematic analysis of the influence of discretization parameters on the quality and stability of the numerical solution was carried out. This made it possible to clarify the requirements for the mesh in the vicinity of the contact zone and to obtain displacement and stress fields that are suitable for further detailed inter-pretation. The subsequent postprocessing of the numerical results was performed in MATLAB, where three-dimensional visualizations and contour plots of the contact pressure field were implemented, allowing for a clearer representation of the spatial structure and lo-calization of stress concentrations in the contact region. Within the proposed approach, a numerical study of the regularities of axisymmetric contact interaction of bodies of complex geometry was carried out, and it was demonstrated that the combined Ansys–MATLAB work-flow is effective for analyzing the results of contact mechanics problems. The extended visu-alization capabilities improve the quality of interpretation of the numerical data, support more reliable verification of the finite element models, and form a basis for the subsequent optimization of the structural parameters of elements of technical systems operating under contact loading.