Simulation of the stress in the contact between wire and bracket

for two dental positions

El kouifat Mohammed Khalil a,*, Houcine Znikerb ,Bennaceur Ouakia,

a
Rabat National School Of Mines (ENSMR), BP: 753 Agdal-Rabat, Morocco.
b
Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Process Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofaïl University, ,
BP 133, Kenitra 14000, Morocco.

Abstract:

Objective.The contact between the wire and the gear under normal and tangential loading
generates areas of maximum stress which can give rise to micro-cracks. Therefore, dental
occlusion is affected.The aim of this work is to investigate the stress volume and in the
presence of stick and micro-slip area on the contact surface between wires and brackets, the
surface stress field will allow us to better limit the surface areas where micro-cracking is more
occurred. Indeed, and as the initiation of micro-cracks often appears on the contact surface or
just below it, the evaluation of the stress will facilitate the modelling or the application of the
micro-cracking models established on this subject.

Methods.In this research ,we have studied two most encountered cases of the contact between
the wire and the bracket, the first case where the wire is located in the middle of the
bracket(Classical friction), and the second case the inclined wire touches the extremes of the
Brackets (Critical contact angle). The work consists in simulating on mathcad14 the areas of
degradations for a normal loading in the two studied cases, we proposed an Hertzian loading
for the first case and a linear loading for the second case, and studied the effect of the load
additional during the tightening of wires applied by the orthodontist.

Results.The Results of the simulations showed that the concentration of the load is located
above the contact; it is of the order of 0.3P0.The maximum tangential load is obtained at the
interface between the stick-zone and the micro-slip zone and is oriented towards the most
stressed side. We note also that the stick zone is shifted towards the recessed side when the
additional load was applied.

Significance.The results indicated that the maximum stresses are greater in the case of critical
contact than in the classical contact.

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 1. Introduction

During the metallurgical examination of the contact zone between two surfaces, it was

often noticed that the morphology of these mainly depends on the loading mode imposed.

Referring to the various (fatigue induced by small deflection) simulation tests [4], it has

been noticed that under a given normal load P, the application of cyclic stress generates a

certain asymmetry of the facets characterizing the micro Sliding generated on both sides.

Other from the point of contact. Thus, if the load is high enough that micro sliding does not

occur, the area located on the side of the eccentric will be more stressed than that locate d

on the embedded side. Under these conditions, the alternating deformation will therefore

be weaker if not zero on the side of the embedding, and consequently the micro-sliding can

only occur on the side most stressed.

The examination of the contact zone during the (fatigue induced by small deflection) tests

or those observed during the fatigue tests clearly highlighted the existence of these

concentrated micro-slip zones on the side where the cyclic stress is imposed.

These last observations first led us to formulate theoretically and according to the

direction of loading the evolution of the different zones present in a contact zone in the

presence of a given additional load.

In order to evaluate the stress of volume and surfaces in the presence or not of an

additional loading, a simulation using Mathcad version 14 was carried out for two imposed

normal loads, a Hertzian loading modelling the contact between cylindrical wire of diameter

0.018 in and the bracket 0.022 in the slot (opening) (Example of an interface located tooth),

and a linear load for a contact where the wire is inclined to touch the extremities of the

bracket (modelling the case of a tooth located towards premolars or molars).

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 2. Materials and methods

2.1 Materials

We model the contact between a wire with a diameter 0.018" and the bracket with a slot

0.022" for the two most frequent cases. The simulation of the contact between the orthodontic

wire and the bracket is performed using Mathcad 14 software (Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b).

Fig. 1- Classical friction (a) and Critical Contact Angle (b)[8]

Since the wire has a circular section and the slot is rectangular, we model the contact

between a plane and a cylinder Fig.2.

3
 Fig. 2-Contact between wire and bracket (Cylinder/Plane)

2.2 Methods

The study consists in evaluating the stress of volumes, surfaces and more particularly the

maximum shear stress, as well as in the presence of an additional tangential load at the level

of the contact between the wire and the brackets for the case of the classic friction and the

critical contact angle is obtained in a partial slip condition; when the tangential load never

exceeds the product of the normal force P by the coefficient of friction (Q <µP).

The contact modelling for the two configurations mentioned above are shown in Fig.3.

(b)
(a)

Fig. 3- Modelling of the contact for a classical friction (a) and critical contact angle (b)

2.2.1 Volume stress

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 Equations (1, 2 and 3) theoretically demonstrated provide a basis for determining the state
of stress induced in a body under a given pressure p (x) and for a shear distribution q (x). For
an infinitesimal element dξ located on the contact surface, we show that the stresses
σ xx , σ yy , τ xy et τ xy max generated below the contact can be expressed by K.L.Johnson [5].

2
σ xx = ¿ (1)
πy
2
σ yy = ¿ (2)
πy
2
τ xy = ¿ (3)
πy

2.2.2 Surface stress without additional loading

First, we recall that in the presence of a micro-sliding zone, the pressure and stress
distributions on the surface (Fig. 4) are given by:

Stck zone Micro-slip zone

Fig. 4-Micro-slip zone (a) and Stick zone (b)

x a
- For :

p(x) Normal load distribution

- For  a  x  a1 and a 1  x  a :

5
q ( x)  q ' ( x)  p ( x) (5)

x  a1
- For :

a1
q ( x)  q ' ( x)  q ' ' ( x)  p ( x)   p1 ( x )
a (6)

Where a1 represents the limit of the stick area and p1(x) is the normal load for the a1 such as:

Q
a1  a 1 
P (7)

Q and P respectively represent the tangential force and the normal force applied to the
contact.

2.2.3 Formulations of the Surface stress with additional

loading

Thus, by taking as a starting point the model established by D. Nowell and DA Hills [6]
one can consider the two-dimensional problem of a simple contact between a cylinder and a
half-plane as schematized in Fig.5a and Fig.5b.
If under the effect of the stresses, σ1 and σ2 applied on both sides of the contact (Fig. 6 b),
the limits c1 and c2 of the stick zone move by the same value e, these will no longer be
symmetrical relative to the center of the contact and we can write the additional tangential
load as:
|σ 1−σ 2|=σ 0 (8)

c1  a1  e (9)

c 2  a1  e (10)

Where -a1 and a1 represent the limits of this zone in the absence of the additional loading as
shown in Fig.6 b).

The distribution of the contact pressure on the contact zone is given by:

6
p(x) x a
For (11)

2P
p0 
Where p0 is given by: a (12)

In this case, the distribution of the shear stresses generated on the contact surface is such
that:
q ( x)  q ' ( x)  p ( x) for  a  x  c 2 and c1  x  a (13)

q( x )  q' ( x )  q' ' ( x ) for c 2  x  c1 (14)

Where q’’(x) is to be determined in this particular case and  represents the coefficient of
friction.

Fig. 5-Cylinder-half-plane contact whether or not there is additional loading.

The evaluation of the function q’’(x) is solved by N.I. Muskhelishvilli et al. [7] and is in
the following form:

( x  c 2 )(c1  x ) c1 (p0 / a ) (0 / 4)

q,, ( x )  
 
c 2 ( c 2 )( c1 ) (  x )
d
(15)

7
And will require the consistency of the integral between c 1 and, c2 namely:
c1 (p t / a ) ( / 4)
c2 0 0
( t c2 )(c1  t )
dt  0
(16)

On the other hand, the evaluation of equation (16) comes down to:

0a
c1  c 2 
2p0 (17)

We are, thereafter, led to establish another equation taking into account the total tangential
load applied to the contact imprint (-a, a). Thus, we have:
a c1
a c2 q (x)dx
,,
Q q( x )dx  P 

2
 c c 
 P  P 1 2 
Q  2a  (18)

Q
c1  c 2  2a 1 
Is: P (19)

From equations (15) and (17) we find the result formulated for this proposal by D. Nowell
and D.A. Hills, namely:
0a Q
c1   a 1
4p 0 P (20)

0a Q
c2   a 1
4p 0 P (21)

3. Results and discussions

By applying these formulations for the case of contact between an orthodontic wire and
bracket in the first configuration of classical friction for the distribution of volume stress
below contact with geometric considerations and the stresses often imposed in the dental
clinic.

8
 In this application, we choose a charge which is maximum in the middle and which tends
towards zero at the edges of the contact, the load, which makes it possible to model this
distribution is the normal Hertzian charge expressed in the form

√ ( ) (22)
2
x
p(x )= p0 1−
a

Where a is the half-width of the contact and p 0, the maximum load in the middle of the
2P
contacts given by: p0= (23)
πa

An example of this Herz distribution is given in Fig.6.

Fig. 6- Action of a normal and tangential load distributed on an infinite half-plane, case
of the Hertzian load.

 Stresses of volume : Hertzien load

σ xx σ yy τ
For this configuration we have plotted the contours of the volume stresses of , , xy

p 0 p0 p 0
τ xy max
and in the plane (x, y) for a coefficient of friction of 0.3, a half-width of 0.25 mm, with
p0
a normal load of 5N / mm.(Fig.7,8 and 9)

9
 σ xx
Fig. 7-Iso-stresses ∈the case of hertzien loading for µ=0.3.
P0

σ yy
Fig. 8- Iso-stresses ∈the caseof hertzien loading for µ=0.3
P0

10
 τ xy
Fig. 9 -Iso-stresses ∈the case of hertzien loading for µ=0.3
P0

σ xx , σ yy τ xy
We have simulated on Mathcad the iso-stresses of volumes , and in this first case of
P0 P 0 P0
a Hertzian loading with a coefficient of friction of 0.3 for a width of 0.5 mm.

Note that σ xx , is approximately equal to P0 and is located around 0.2 mm in depth.

σ yy , τ xy
For the max value is about 0.8 is located at 0.18.On the other hand reaches the
P0 P0
maximum value of 0.3.

µ=0 µ=0,3
(a) (b)
Depth (mm)

Depth (mm)

Contact Zone (mm) Contact Zone (mm)

11
 τ xy max
Fig. 10 - Maximum shear iso-stresses ∈the case of hertzien loading for µ=0 (a) and
P0
µ=0.3 (b)
τ xy max
For , we present in the Fig.10 the maximum shear stress int which is equal :
P0

τ xy max =√ ¿ ¿ ¿

Note that in the absence of the tangential load the maximum shear iso-stresses are centered in
the middle and at a depth of 0.2.

On the other hand in the presence of a tangential loading the maximum load is shifted towards
the with dimensions most socilicity of value of 0,3.

 Surface stress : Hertzien load

To be able to highlight these degradation modes generated under the effect of the
tangential load in the presence of an additional load on the wire in contact with the bracket we
use the Mathcad program has been developed with the experimental data adopted during the
wire bracket contact [reference], namely:

• Half-width of the contact is: a=0.25 mm

• Load per unit of total tangential length is: Q=1.2 N
• Pressure per unit of the arbitrary normal length of: P0=12.7N
• A coefficient of friction of: µ=0.3
• An additional tangential load of: σ0=7,316 MPa

12
 Fig. 11- The distribution of the tangential load along the contact for the case of a
coefficient of friction of µ = 0.3 for σ0 = 0 MPa (a) and σ0 = 7.316 MPa (b).

For the case where the wire is inclined (critical contact angle), we have proposed a
loading or the load is maximum at the edges of the half contact widths and decreases when the
contact area decreases while moving away from the edge. The normal load is in form taking
into account the low forces applied with no concavity and convexity. This type of distribution
is given in Fig. 12.
x
p(x )= p0 (1+ ) (24)
a

Fig. 12-Distribution of a linear load

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 σ xx σ yy τ τ xy max
We have also plotted the contours of the volume stresses of , , and
xy
for this
p 0 p0 p 0 p0
linear normal load with the same conditions described above.

Contact zone (mm)

σ xx
Fig. 13-Iso-stresses ∈the case of linear loading for µ=0.3
P0

σ yy
Fig. 14-Iso-stresses ∈the caseof linear loading for µ=0.3
P0

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 Contact zone (mm)

τ xy
Fig. 15 - Iso-stresses ∈the case of linear loading for µ=0.3
P0

σ xx
We have simulated on Mathcad, the Iso-stresses of volumes , in the first case of a linear
P0
σ xx
loading with a coefficient of friction of 0.3 for a width of 0.5 mm .Note that max reaches
P0
the value 1.6 P0.

σ yy
For the maximum value is 1.4 and located around 0.1 mm in depth.
P0

τ xy
Shear stress reaches the max value of 0.6 is located at the edges of the contact 0.25 mm.
P0

µ=0 µ=0,3
(a) (b)
Depth (mm)

Depth (mm)

Contact Zone (mm) Contact Zone (mm)

15
 τ xymax
Fig. 16-Iso-stresses ¿ the case of linear loading for µ=0 (a) and µ=0.3 (b)
P0

On the maximum shear load in the absence of tangential loading, we note that the value is 0.5

is concentrated at the edge 0.25 mm.

On the other hand, in the presence of friction, the value reaches 0.7.

This explains the pronounced degradation that is often observed at the edge of the bracket.

4. Conclusion:

In this study, we carried out a simulation on MATHCAD14 to better understand the

concentration of the maximum shear load for the case of a hertzian load, which models the
case of classical friction, and a linear load allowing to model the real case of a critical contact
Angle.
The simulations showed that the concentration of the load is located above the contact; it
is of the order of 0.3P0.
We have also simulated the contact between the wire and bracket in MATHCAD14 using
the JOHNSON formulations for the case of a linear and Hertzian loading with an additional

16
tangential load, we clearly see that the maximum tangential load is obtained at the interface
between the stick zone and the micro-slip zone and is oriented towards the most stressed side.
We also note that the stick zone is shifted towards the recessed side when the additional load
was applied and for comparison between the two configurations studied, we found that the
maximum shear stress is greater in the case of the critical angle contact.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors report no declaration of interest.

Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank researchers of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Rabat for their
explanations and the information that provided us and their technical assistance in this area
for the development of this study.

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