Implementation of an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method to optimise the shapes of contact surfaces

Abstract

A novel numerical method to optimise the shape of the contact surfaces in complex engineering components is developed herein. The arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method is applied to adjust the node coordinates of the contact surface in the finite element model by the user subroutine UMESHMOTION in ABAQUS®. The adjustment strategy changes the profile of the contact surface gradually according to the local contact pressure and a termination criterion based on the coefficient of variation controls the optimisation process. Thus, a new profile is obtained through continuous modification from the former iteration until the termination condition is satisfied. A performance test case using a 3D drum-brake was used to demonstrate this method, and the new shape of the friction plates was obtained to yield a better contact status. The results demonstrate that this method can improve the contact status and provide a good reference for new designs.