Radius of a Contact Area between two cylinders with parallel axes

Description

Contact mechanics is the study of the deformation of solids that touch each other at one or more points. Hertzian contact stress refers to the localized stresses that develop as two curved surfaces come in contact and deform slightly under the imposed loads. In contact between two cylinders with parallel axes, the radii of curvature are entirely absent from this relationship. The contact radius is related to the radii of the cylinders and the indentation depth.