By John Crawford

Consulting Analyst
Demystifying Contact Elements
If you analyze enough problems,
chances are good that sooner or
later youll run across one that
requires the use of contact
elements. Contact elements are
used to simulate how one or
more surfaces interact with each
other. For most analysts, our first exposure to contact
elements can be a little confusing because of the
variety of elements and the multitude of special
features that are available.
We have to determine which contact elements
are appropriate for our problem, resolve any
convergence problems that might arise during
solution, and check the results for reasonable and
accurate answers. Lets see if we can clear up some of
the mysteries that surround the use of contact
elements. Well begin by talking about the elements
themselves.
Node-to-Node Elements
In the early days of finite element analysis, there was
one type of contact element: the node-to-node variety.
The early versions of node-to-node contact elements
were CONTAC12 (2-D) and CONTAC52 (3-D). More
recently, CONTA178 (2-D and 3-D) was introduced to
encompass the capabilities of both of these elements
and also introduce some new features, such as
additional contact algorithms. Node-to-node contact
elements are simple and solve relatively quickly. Their
basic function is to monitor the movement of one node
with respect to another node. When the gap between
these nodes closes, the contact element allows load
to transfer from one node to the other. What does this
really mean and how does ANSYS know when the
nodes are touching?
Remember that an analysis is made up of one or
more load steps, and each load step has one or more
substeps. Within each substep there can be several
nested layers of equilibrium iterations. The precise
number and manner in which they are nested is
dependent on the solver, how many nonlinear features
are being used and several other things. Contact
analyses are nonlinear and therefore require their own
equilibrium iteration loop. At the end of each contact
equilibrium iteration, ANSYS checks to see if the
status of each contact element has changed. It also
calculates a convergence value (usually force
equilibrium) and compares it to the convergence
criteria. If the element status has not changed and the
convergence criteria has been met, ANSYS
determines that the solution for this iteration has
converged and moves on to the next outer iteration
loop, the next substep or the next load step, or stops
solving altogether if the analysis is now complete.
If at this point youre a little confused, dont
worry. The critical ideas to remember from this are
the following:
Contact analyses are nonlinear in nature
ANSYS performs a special equilibrium
iteration loop when doing a contact analysis
Contact elements have a status that
indicates if they are open, closed, sliding, etc.
ANSYS checks the element status and the
convergence criteria at the end of each
contact equilibrium iteration to determine if
equilibrium has been achieved
Part 1 of 2:
What they are, how they work and when to use them.
Tech File
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www.ansys.com ANSYS Solutions | Summer 2004
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Tech File
These characteristics are true for all types of contact
elements. While they may seem a little primitive when
compared with the newer contact elements, node-to-
node contact elements have a lot going for them.
Theyve been around long enough to have had their
bugs worked out many years ago, and their extensive
use over several decades means that there is a vast
experience base to draw upon when setting up and
debugging an analysis. CONTAC12 and CONTAC52
can have nodes that are either coincident or non-coin-
cident. While the majority of applications involve using
non-coincident nodes, coincident nodes can be use-
ful for certain analyses. If coincident nodes are used,
the orientation of the contact surface that exists
between the two nodes must be defined. The initial
condition gap or interference can be provided by the
user as being either positive (gap) or negative (interfer-
ence), or automatically calculated from the relative
positions of the nodes.
Node-to-node contact is also available in
COMBIN40. COMBIN40 is a rather unique element
because it also includes a spring-slider, a damper
(which works in parallel with the spring-slider) and
a mass at each node. Any of these features can be
used alone or simultaneously with any or all of the
other features.
While node-to-node contact elements are very
useful, there are some limitations that must be kept in
mind when using them. One limitation is that the
orientation of the gap is not updated when large
deflection analyses are performed. Another limitation
is that these elements do not account for moment
equilibrium. This does not present a problem when a
line drawn between the nodes is normal to the contact
surface because in this instance the moments are
zero, but care should be taken in each analysis to
recognize whether this is the case or not. If not, it is
important to consider what effect this might have on
the results. It is the responsibility of the analyst to
recognize whether this condition is present and
whether it introduces an unacceptable error that
invalidates the usefulness of the analysis.
Node-to-node elements can always be generated
manually, and, depending on the model, you can often
use the EINTF command to make them as well.
Node-to-Surface Elements
The next evolution in contact elements was the
introduction of node-to-surface contact elements,
such as CONTAC26 (2-D), CONTAC48 (2-D),
CONTAC49 (3-D), and the recent addition of
CONTA175 (2-D and 3-D). The major enhancement
offered by node-to-surface contact elements is that
they allow a node to contact anywhere along an edge
(in 2-D) or a surface (in 3-D). Rather than a node being
confined to contacting a specific node, a node can
contact the edge of a certain element. This has
significant benefits when objects translate or rotate
relative to each other. Node-to-surface contact
elements are capable of simulating large relative
movements with accuracy.
Because CONTA175 includes all the capabilities
of the other node-to-surface contact elements and
has other features that these elements do not have,
CONTA175 will replace the other node-to-surface
elements in future versions of ANSYS. Beginning in
ANSYS 8.1, CONTAC26, CONTAC48 and CONTAC49
will be undocumented, and they will eventually be
removed from ANSYS.
There are several ways to generate node-to-
surface contact elements. They can be made
manually, but this becomes impractical when making
more than a few elements. GCGEN and ESURF are
commands that are frequently used to generate
node-to-surface contact elements, with GCGEN being
the easiest and quickest way to make CONTAC48 and
CONTAC49 node to surface contact elements, while
ESURF is used to make CONTA175 node to surface
elements. To use GCGEN, you make two components,
one that contains the nodes from one of the contact
surfaces, and another that contains the elements from
the other contact surfaces, and then use GCGEN to
automatically generate node-to-surface contact ele-
ments between every node and every element that are
in these components. To use ESURF, you select the
elements that the CONTA175 elements will be
attached to and their nodes that are on the surface
you wish to place the contact elements onto, making
sure that you have the proper element attributes active
(TYPE, REAL and MAT), and then issue the ESURF
command.
Last but not least, the Contact Wizard can be
used to generate node-to-surface contact elements
and is usually the easiest and quickest way of making
them.
www.ansys.com ANSYS Solutions | Summer 2004
By John Crawford
Consulting Analyst
Demystifying Contact Elements
My last column talked about the
different types of contact elements
available in the ANSYS product:
node-to-node, node-to surface and
surface-to-surface. Each type has
unique qualities, and, depending on
the analysis, you may find one type of
contact element better suited to the problem at hand than
another. Now that the types of available contact elements
have been introduced, lets talk about how best to use them.
Simulating Real-World Contact
An important idea to keep in mind is that, unlike most other
elements, contact elements do not have an analogous entity
in the real world. A solid element represents solid material,
but what does a contact element represent? Contact
elements don represent a unique physical object, they
represent a physical phenomenon: contact. In the real
world, contact exists everywhere. But in the finite element
world, contact is only present if we specifically create it
with contact elements.
To use contact elements effectively, you have to under-
stand the differences between how nature works and how
finite element analysis is used to simulate physical phenom-
ena. It is common practice in finite element analysis to make
simplifying assumptions. You can think of the real world as
having all analysis options turned on all the time. But in
finite element analysis, these options are activated one by
one. When doing a contact analysis, you have to make sure
that all the options are used that are appropriate for the
problem. This can be more difficult than it sounds because
we sometimes fail to recognize some of the small but signif-
icant factors that are part of the problem.
You need to consider how loads and other boundary
conditions are applied in the real world and use this insight
when setting up a contact analysis. For example, suppose
you want to simulate lowering a block onto a table and then
applying a vertical load to the block that pushes it into the
table. In the real world, you would pick up the block and use
your eyes to guide your hands as they move the block clos-
er to the table. You control the position and the orientation of
the block as it is lowered. And as the block approaches the
table, you might decrease its speed a bit until the block
makes contact with the table. You would then push down on
the block with the desired force, deforming the block and
the table beneath it.
The finite element load steps that mimic this scenario
would be the application of a series of displacements to the
block that control its position and orientation in space as it
moves closer to the table. After each solution, results would
be checked to see if the block has made contact. You loop
through a series of analyses and post-processing sessions,
and as the block gets closer to the table you might decrease
the displacement increments until it gently touches the
table. Once the block comes into contact with the table, the
vertical displacement is removed and replaced with the
desired force.
Friction might also be included in the simulation
because it will stabilize the model, especially if you removed
the lateral displacements that are holding the block from
sliding off the table. If friction were ignored, there would be a
tendency for numerical errors in the solution to apply a small
lateral load to the block that could cause it to slide across
the table if it were not restrained. This would probably result
in an error message that would say Maximum degree of
freedom limit exceeded, which means that the block is
unrestrained and is either spinning wildly or flying through
space (well, finite element space, anyway).
While you may not consciously think of it, the presence
of friction in the real world stabilizes the problem and keeps
the block from sliding off the table. The finite element model
might benefit from this stabilizing action as well. An addi-
tional benefit of using friction in finite element analysis is that
it will provide a more accurate simulation of the interface
between the block and the table, which may be something
of interest in the problem.
One complexity of introducing friction is that it makes
the problem path dependent, which means that the order
in which the loads are applied has an effect on the final
results. Problems that are path dependent (which include
contact with friction, plasticity, creep and others) need to
have the load history applied in a way that corresponds to
the manner in which the loads are applied in the real world.
Most contact analyses require a series of load steps to
set up the initial conditions, guide the components toward
each other in a gradual and controlled manner, and then
apply any additional external loads. While there will always
be cases in which it will be appropriate to simplify the load
history to a single load step, it is useful to think of contact
analyses as requiring multiple load steps and then remove
unnecessary load steps when you can prove to yourself that
Part 2 of 2:
How best to use them in solving real-world problems
35
www.ansys.com ANSYS Solutions | Fall 2004
Tech File

Dont Oversimplify Load History
The most common mistake in using contact elements is
inappropriate simplification of the load history. It is useful to
set up your contact analyses using the following steps.
1. Thoroughly understand the real problem. Understand
how the components are assembled, how each compo-
nent is held in its initial position, how friction stabilizes
the system, how the operating loads are applied, etc.
2. Tabulate a series of load steps that mimic the progres-
sive application of these loads
3. Simplify load steps as appropriate.
4. Use the tricks of the trade to help the finite element
solution yield a reasonable answer. These tricks include
using soft spring elements to loosely tie the compo-
nents together, varying the contact element stiffness,
load steps, initial conditions, etc.
5. Review the results for reasonability and accuracy.
6. Tune the model to give you an accurate answer. Tun-
ing means varying mesh density, contact element stiff-
ness, coefficient of friction, element options, etc.
Remember that the real world is always transient and has
friction, plasticity, large angle geometry and all other analysis
options active. Your finite element model will probably not
include all of these characteristics. Make sure that you
understand the impact of the simplifications you make.
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Tech File
www.ansys.com ANSYS Solutions | Fall 2004
it is appropriate to do so. Perhaps the most important idea
to keep in mind when doing a contact analysis is to think of
the load history the real-world problem experiences, convert
these loads into finite element analogous load steps, and
then simplify the analysis by reducing the number of load
steps when it is reasonable to do so.
Stiffness: How Much is Enough?
Because contact elements are elements, they must pos-
sess stiffness, and the amount of stiffness that is appropriate
is problem-dependent. If contact element stiffness is too
low, the results will not accurately represent the true behav-
ior of the system. If contact element stiffness is too great, the
solution may oscillate (which is often referred to as chatter,
and convergence will be difficult or impossible. During
solution, the ANSYS product calculates a force convergence
value and compares it with the criteria. You can monitor this
in the output window as shown in the example below.
LINE SEARCH PARAMETER = 0.5000E-01 SCALED MAX DOF INC = 0.1121E-02
FORCE CONVERGENCE VALUE = 0.4042E+6 CRITERION= 499.3
When convergence is reached for this iteration, you will see
something like the following.
LINE SEARCH PARAMETER = 1.000 SCALED MAX DOF INC = -0.1087E-04
FORCE CONVERGENCE VALUE = 23.07 CRITERION= 520.0 <<< CONVERGED
>>> SOLUTION CONVERGED AFTER EQUILIBRIUM ITERATION 9
The ANSYS product also plots the calculated conver-
gence value and the convergence criteria in the graphics
window as it progresses through the solution. This lets you
monitor the convergence history and possibly detect any
problems that might occur.
While no foolproof method exists for calculating the
optimal value of contact element stiffness for all problems,
the ANSYS product calculates default values that work quite
well for most problems. It is common practice to begin an
analysis with the default value for stiffness and then adjust it
up or down as needed. If the problem converges to a solu-
tion without any difficulty, try increasing the contact element
stiffness and see how it affects the results you are looking
for from the analysis.
Tricks of the Trade
As more experience is gained in using contact elements,
you will develop tricks and techniques to help use them
more efficiently. One age-old trick is to use soft springs like
COMBIN14 to tie various components together and keep
them from flying apart when computational instabilities
introduce chatter. Another trick is to begin a contact analy-
sis with a relatively soft contact stiffness that allows for quick
convergence, and then increase the stiffness to achieve a
solution that is accurate enough for your needs. This tech-
nique is applicable when friction effects are not included in
the problem, but can lead to inaccuracies in the final result
when friction or other nonlinear behaviors (such as plasticity)
are present. Increasing the number of load steps and sub-
steps is sometimes helpful in achieving convergence, espe-
cially when using node-to-surface and surface-to-surface
contact elements.
The ANSYS product has a wide selection of contact
elements, each of which are appropriate for certain applica-
tions. When in doubt, surface-to-surface contact elements
are a good starting point, especially for fine meshes and
complicated geometries. Node-to-node contact elements
are very useful for instances in which the mesh is relatively
coarse and sliding motion is minimal. Node-to-surface ele-
ments are useful when modeling point-to-surface phenome-
na, such as a corner of an object contacting a surface or the
tip of a beam sliding across a surface.
While using contact elements can be a little intimidating
at first, if you are careful in how problems are set up, youll
find that they are relatively easy to use and offer an insight
that you cant get any other way.

Part one of this article, which appeared in the last issue of ANSYS
Solutions, discussed some of the basics of contact elements, includ-
ing what they are, how they work and when to use them.