Hertzian Contact Stress Calculator

Maximum Contact Pressure (σ):

Applied normal load (F):

Contact radius (a):

How This Is Calculated

$$ \sigma_{max} = \frac{ 3 F }{ 2 \pi a^2 } $$ where:

σ = Maximum Contact Pressure (Pa)

F = Applied normal load (N)

a = Contact radius (m)

Assumptions

The material has perfectly smooth surfaces.
The material behaves according to Hooke's Law, i.e. it is linearly elastic.
The contact are is assumed to be small relative to the overall dimensions of the contacting bodies.
The applied load is purely normal to the surfaces in contact.
The material is homogeneous.

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