New Method for Accurate and Efficient Transient Simulation of Finite Element Structures with Interference Fits.

An interference fit is a common joining technique used to connect a shaft and a hub. In the presence of dynamic loads and vibrations, characteristic variables such as contact pressure and slippage are load and state-dependent quantities. Such effects have either not been investigated using previous simulation methods or have only been addressed in a simplified manner. The reason for this is the nonlinear contact between the shaft and the hub, which makes a Finite Element simulation with fine meshing, while taking all dynamic effects into account, very demanding and significantly increases the computational effort.

This work also offers a new and alternative view of contact modes. This perspective is particularly advantageous for structures with initial stresses that occur in the presence of an interference fit. In this paper, so-called contact modes are applied to interference fits with some modifications. This closes the previously mentioned gap in the simulation landscape because it allows nonlinear, accurate, and fast numerical time integration of finely meshed Finite Element models with interference fits, without the need for simplifications regarding contact, friction, and dynamics due to vibrations and nonlinear rigid body motion. Local plasticity and temperature fields were not taken into consideration.