This chapter presents a computational framework for modelling wear in the finite element method (FEM) using the commercial software package Abaqus. Abaqus/Standard provides the possibility to model wear based on the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) adaptive meshing using the user subroutine UMESHMOTION.
Initially, a friction model must be adopted to lay the foundation for the mechanical interactions; consequently, the adaptive mesh domain must be carefully defined based on the problem under consideration. The implementation of wear in a finite element (FE) framework requires the definition of a wear coefficient that is ideally obtained from tribological tests and a wear equation specifically tailored to adapt to the tribological system being modelled.
The chapter details the steps required to create a functioning wear simulation model. Moreover, it includes some practical aspects to be taken into consideration in modelling systems and interpreting the results.