Elasto-Plastic Finite Element Analyses of Two-Dimensional Rolling and Sliding Contact Deformation of Bearing Steel

In the past, the mechanics of repeated rolling and sliding contact could only be treated for the idealized, elastic-perfectly-plastic (and isotropic) cyclic materials behavior, albeit approximately. They have not proven useful because the real cyclic plastic behavior of contacting materials is anything but perfectly plastic or isotropic. Using finite element methods, the authors have developed techniques for treating elastic-linear-kinematic hardening-plastic (ELKP) behavior, an idealization that comes much closer to the behavior of low, medium, and high hardness steels. In an earlier paper, the authors have examined rolling and sliding on rail steel, which is much softer than hardened bearing steel and displays quite different ELKP properties. The present paper offers the first results for repeated rolling and sliding for high strength bearing steel ELKP behavior and material properties.