The Signorini problem with Coulomb friction for a hyperelastic body under finite deformations

The quasi-static three-dimensional problem of elasticity theory for a hyperelastic body under finite deformations, loading by bulk and surface forces, partial fastening and unilateral contact with a rigid punch and in the presence of time-dependent anisotropic Coulomb friction is considered. The equivalent variational formulation contains a quasi-variational inequality. After time discretization and application of the iteration method, the problem arising with “specified” friction is reduced to a non-convex miniumum functional problem, which is studied by Ball's scheme. The operator in contact stress space is determined. It is shown that a threshold level of the coefficient of friction corresponds to each level of loading, below which there is at least one fixed point of the operator. If the solution at a certain instant of time is known, the iteration process converges to the solution of the problem at the next, fairly close instant of time.