Stresses in hard coating due to a rigid spherical indenter on a layered elastic half-space

The axisymmetrical contact problem of elasticity connected with an indentation of a rigid spherical indenter in an elastic semi-space covered by an elastic layer is considered. Stress tensor components in interior points of the non-homogeneous half-space by numerical calculation of some integrals was obtained. Detailed analysis of the maximal tensile stress distributions and Huber-von Mises reduced stress distributions produced by contact pressure is presented. The dependence between these stresses and the ratio between the layer thickness and contact area width is explored. The obtained results for stresses are compared with results obtained for half-space loaded by the Hertz pressure. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.