SURFACE ENGINEERING DESIGN - MODELING SURFACE ENGINEERING SYSTEMS FORIMPROVED TRIBOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE

Rapid developments in surface engineering technologies have made avail able many surface engineering systems to combat diverse component degr adation problems and to meet the ever-increasing demands for combined properties in modern machinery operating under ever more severe condit ions. Designers thus have many surface engineering technologies to sel ect from in the design of components. Therefore, design methodology is urgently required for surface engineering to assist engineers in thei r design of components with the surface and substrate as a system. The present paper attempts to highlight recent developments in this area and to discuss the philosophy behind building such a design methodolog y through several case studies, including a real-rough surface contact model to simulate the elastic contact behaviour of multi-layer system s and a finite element model to predict the plastic deformation behavi our of the surface, subsurface and interfacial region. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science S.A. All rights reserved.