Computers, Materials & Continua CMC, vol.64, no.1, pp.97-144, 2020 CMC. doi:10.32604/cmc.2020.09862 www.techscience.com/journal/cmc Aspects of Fretting Fatigue Finite Element Modelling Kyvia Pereira 1 , Libardo V. Vanegas-Useche 2 and Magd Abdel Wahab 3, 4, * Abstract: Fretting fatigue is a type of failure that may affect various mechanical components, such as bolted or dovetail joints, press-fitted shafts, couplings, and ropes. Due to its importance, many researchers have carried out experimental tests and analytical and numerical modelling, so that the phenomena that govern the failure process can be understood or appropriately modelled. Consequently, the performance of systems subjected to fretting fatigue can be predicted and improved. This paper discusses different aspects related to the finite element modelling of fretting fatigue. It presents common experimental configurations and the analytical solutions for cylindrical contact. Then, it discusses aspects of fretting fatigue crack initiation, such as crack location, orientation, and length, as well as stress averaging approaches. Then, it deals with the propagation stage; crack face interaction, orientation criteria, and crack growth rate are discussed. Lastly, additional aspects of recent research on fretting fatigue are reviewed: out-of-phase loading, cohesive zone modelling, wear effects, heterogeneity, and crystal orientation. Fretting fatigue is a phenomenon not well understood, and much more research is needed so that its understanding is increased and proper criteria and laws may be available for different cases. Keywords: Fretting fatigue, FEM, modelling, crack initiation, crack growth. 1 Introduction Fretting is a phenomenon that happens when two surfaces in contact are subjected to oscillatory relative sliding of small amplitude, generally in the range [5, 100] µm [Ding, Leen and McColl (2004)], but it can be smaller. It is observed in many mechanical systems, e.g., press-fitted shafts, dovetail joints, and bearings, or more generally in service conditions where components may be susceptible to vibration, causing alternating sliding movement between the contacting surfaces. Fretting is an important issue, as it may reduce considerably the lifetime of a part by fatigue, wear, or both. Fretting may have a major influence on the contacting bodies, leading to catastrophic failure. 1 Soete Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Zwijnaarde, B-9052, Belgium. 2 Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Pereira, 660003, Colombia. 3 Division of Computational Mechanics, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. 4 Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. * Corresponding Author: Magd Abdel Wahab. Email: magd.abdelwahab@tdtu.edu.vn. Received: 22 January 2020; Accepted: 15 April 2020.