The effect of variable amplitude loading on stress distribution within a cylindrical contact subjected to fretting fatigue

A finite element model of a cylindrical Hertzian contact on a test sample subjected to alternating shear loading has been developed. The model has been used to investigate shear stress distributions at the contact during variable amplitude fretting fatigue for a load configuration in which the sample cyclic stress is applied in phase with shear force on the cylindrical contact. It has been found that during constant amplitude cyclic loading, shear stress distributions and positions of the stick-slip boundary at load maxima and minima remain fixed. Application of overloads changes the stress distribution and the position of the stick-slip boundary attained by loading of subsequent cycles. The largest cycle maximum stress determines the position of the stick-slip boundary adopted by subsequent smaller amplitude cycles. In general variable amplitude fretting fatigue the position of the stick-slip boundary will be changing with each load cycle. Hence fatigue initiation processes will occur at locations dispersed over an extended region over the contact. The implications of this behaviour for models for fretting fatigue life calculation are explored.