Interaction between vibration and friction of Coulomb friction contact surfaces

Contact surfaces with dry Coulomb friction are present in many engineering structures. A two dimensional model of these systems in the form of a block-incline is proposed. Its behaviour under harmonic excitation is investigated using finite element method (FEM) with an explicit solver. It was found that the interaction between vibration and friction depends on the state of vibration amplitude and frequency of the harmonic excitation, and on the level of preloading force. The mode of interaction can be classified into three main regions: no change, the block moves up the incline and the block moves down the incline, with mixed modes in the border areas between these domains. The results found by the FEM simulation agree well with previous experimental findings