Estimating conical indentation load by numerical slip-line field technique

Abstract

The present work describes the numerical generation of the slip-line field due to micro-indentation of a rigid conical wedge to a semi-infinite block. The work mainly compares the two shapes viz. linear and parabolic of the free surface of piled up material around the wedge. Previous studies in this area considered the shapes of the free surface material to be the linear one, but experimental investigations revealed that the shapes of the free surface are not exactly linear, but parabolic one when the semi-apex angle of the wedge is greater than 45°. The comparison of forces required for indentation, generated slip line fields, velocities of flow of material is made for linear and parabolic free surface profiles. The generation of the parabolic free surface profile is also verified by finite element method.