Effect of Blunt Chamfers on Contact Pressure Distribution and Elastic Limit

Abstract

The interfacial pressure profile is derived analytically, and the elastic load limit is evaluated numerically, for plane strain frictionless elastic contact between a flat surface and a symmetric trapezoidal body whose obtuse corners are replaced by tangent circular arcs. The shape of the pressure distribution depends only on plateau and arc widths. The results enable design of radiused chamfers to give peak-to-mean pressure ratios as low as 1.2 and elastic mean pressure limits up to 1.5 times the yield stress. Conversely, the pressure peak and elastic limit can be predicted for any microscopically blunt chamfer.