This paper presents two triaxial finite element (FE) models: a “full model” and a “quarter model”, representing the contact between the specimen’s rough surface and the ideally smooth and flat surface of the punch. Models have a contact zone that represents the topography of the real surface and has elastoplastic properties close to those of the real contact. The contact zone was entirely modelled on the basis of roughness measurements performed on a real milled specimen made of 5083 aluminium alloy. The development of the FE models, the stages in their refinement and the interlinking of the contact zone with the material of the specimen are described. The results of the computed deformations occurring during the specimen contact loading with the punch were compared with the experimental results. The possible causes of the observed deviations of the computer simulation results from the experimental ones were discussed. The models were used to analyse the effect of the specimen’s material properties, i.e. Young’s modulus, yield strength, compressive strength and material hardening, on the deformations in the contact. On this basis a procedure for predicting the parameters describing the contact characteristic in cases of changes in the properties of the subsurface zone is proposed

This paper presents a survey of works, selected from the period of the last twenty years, on deformations in the contact between rough surfaces. All the selected works use FEM. They deal with the modelling of individual contact asperities or the use of experiment to verify contact models. First, research directions connected with the modelling of single asperities, whose shape is usually approximated with that of a hemisphere or a half cylinder, are presented. Section 3 discusses research directions concerning models which include the layer under asperities, and models for small contact surfaces (about 1 mm2). Section 4 reviews directions in contact modelling which takes into account neighbouring asperities and laterally loaded asperities. Section 5 discusses directions in the development of models and experiments used or suitable for verifying models. Finally, conclusions concerning accurate contact deformation modelling are presented.

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