Chapter 5
Laws Governing Surface Contact
5.1 Necessity of Surface Contact Laws
To apply knowledge obtained about the bit’s geometrical changes, it is necessary
to have a general understanding of the laws that govern surface contact. As
discussed in section 1.3 a primary reason for bit failure is the inability of the user
to overcome the axial cam-out force, which increases with bit wear. In this
chapter, the surface contact laws that link geometry to force transfer, will be
explained.
5.2 Fundamental Laws Governing Surface Contact
To apply the laws of surface contact, the interacting surfaces must be assumed
to be smooth and continuous. It is additionally assumed that the surface contact
occurs at a single point (Fig. 5.1) [Mabie & Reinholtz]. For the Phillips bit
application, symmetrical contact of each of the four wings is assumed (Fig. 5.2).
Point of
Contact
Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2
Single Point Contact between Surfaces Symmetrical Contact of Bit
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There are three laws governing surface contact [Shooter, West & Reinholtz]:
1) At the point of contact, both a common tangent and common normal exist
(See Fig. 5.3).
Tangent
Normal
Figure 5.3
Common Normal & Common Tangent Define Surface Contact
2) Assuming no friction, forces are transmitted only along the common normal
(See Fig. 5.4).
Tangent
Normal Force
Figure 5.4
Force Transmitted along Common Normal
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3) Any frictional forces that do occur will be along the common tangent
(See Fig. 5.5).
Tangent
Normal
Ffriction
Figure 5.5
Friction Force Occurs along Common Tangent
The design and analysis of almost all surface contact situations can be based on
the conditions stated above. One implication of these conditions, known as the
law of conjugate geometry states that relative motion can only occur along the
common tangent. No relative motion between the bodies can be in the direction
of the common normal [Shooter, West & Reinholtz].
Understanding these rules will allow the bit/screw system to be modeled in the
next section. In this initial study, friction will be neglected and only the forces
transmitted along the common normal will be considered.
5.3 Definition of Surfaces
Before the surface contact laws are applied to the mating of the bit and screw, it
should be clarified which bit surface is important, namely the surface at which
contact occurs. The surface that will be referred to in this chapter and the next
are the surfaces labeled A and B in Fig. 5.6. The surface marked A is a frontal
view and the surface B is a side view. These surfaces contact the screw when
the bit is used to drive a screw. Figure 5.7 is a sectional view of the bit. In Fig.
5.7 a section of the driving plane can be seen and is marked C. Throughout this
chapter and the next, the surface of the bit at which contact occurs will be
modeled as a line as it appears at B.
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C
A
B
Figure 5.6 Bit Profile Figure 5.7 Section of Bit
Note the bit model shown in this chapter has a slight taper with respect to the
long axis of the bit, as does the surface at B.
5.4 Geometrical Changes and Their Effects on Force Transfer
The wall of the screw that the bit contacts can be modeled as a planar surface
terminating at a corner with a small radius. Figure 5.8 displays a sectional view
of the bit screw interaction found in Phillip’s patent (2,046,837), filed July 3, 1934.
In the patent, the planar surface of the screw is labeled as 12 and the corner is
labeled as point C.
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Figure 5.8
Sectional View of Bit/Screw Operating Engagement
(after Phillips Patent # 2,046,837)
The contact occurs at the corner point (point C) of the screw and along the blade
of the bit. Since the corner on the screw has a small radius, it is hard to discern
a normal and tangent direction. Because the normal and tangent are common to
both surfaces, it is easy to show that the model proposed in Fig. 5.9 is accurate.
Please note that the model shows only of one of the four wings of the bit/screw
interaction, additionally only the surface of the bit that is in contact during the
driving of the screw in shown.
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Bit
Contact
Surface
Normal
Section
of Tangent
Screw
Figure 5.9
Common Normal & Tangent for Bit/Screw Interaction
All non-frictional force transmission will occur along the common normal. Figure
5.10 shows the force of the screw acting on the bit, F.
F Normal
θ
Tangent
Figure 5.10
Force F Acting on the Bit
5.4.1 Geometric Explanation of Cam-Out
The Force F, shown in Fig. 5.10 intersects the horizontal plane, which is
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the screw, at an angle θ. In the plane
shown this force can be separated into two components, namely, Fhorizontal and
Fcam-out, shown in Fig. 5.11 and defined as follows:
Fhorizontal = F cosθ (1)
Fcam-out = F sinθ (2)
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F
Fcam-out
θ
Fhorizontal
Figure 5.11
Components of Force Vector
As the user applies a torque on the driver, the torque is transmitted to the screw;
in the same manner, the screw pushes back on the bit. The force pushing on the
bit creates the axial force (Fcam-out). Without forces to oppose Fcam-out the bit will
separate from the screw.
In addition to the forces F, Fhorizontal and Fcam-out, frictional force and force applied
by a user should be included in a model. Figure 5.12 shows all of the forces
acting in the case of incipient cam-out. Please note that only a small section of
the bit and screw surfaces at the point of contact is shown.
Fuser
F
θ Fcam-
Fhorizonta
Ffriction/vertical
θ Ffriction
Ffriction/horizonta
Figure 5.12 Complete Force Balance
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Forces of interest are Fcam-out, Fuser and Ffriction/vertical. Equation 3 defines the
incipient case.
Fuser = Fcam-out - Ffriction/Vertical (3)
The expression can be simplified since:
Fcam-out = Fsinθ (4)
Ffriction = µF (5)
Ffriction/vertical = µFcosθ (6)
Resulting in the expression:
Fuser = F(sinθ - µcosθ) (7)
To prevent cam-out, Fuser must be greater than F(sinθ - µcosθ). Increasing the
coefficient of friction (µ) of the bit screw contact, and decreasing the angle of the
normal (θ) with horizontal will decrease the cam-out effect.
If the counter force the user applies is not great enough to overcome the cam-out
force minus the frictional component, the bit will be forced from the recess
resulting in relative motion between the bit and screw. This relative motion will
result in the bit scoring against the screw. The end result is altered bit geometry.
5.4.2 The Connection between Wear and Cam-Out
As the bit wears and its geometry is altered, the surface contact relationship is
redefined. Figure 5.13 shows the initial contact geometry between the bit and
screw in the plane of a screw slot face. The force vector F1, having components
Fhorizontal1, and FCam-out1, acts in the direction of the common normal and is at an
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angle of θ1 with horizontal. Figure 5.14 shows the contact of bit and screw after
the bit is worn. As before F2, Fhorizontal2 ,and FCam-out2 represent the force vectors
acting of the bit; with F2 acting in the direction of the new common normal which
makes an angle of θ2 with the horizontal.
F2
F1
θ1 Fcam-out1 θ2 Fcam-out2
Fhorizontal1 Fhorizontal2
Figure 5.13 Figure 5.14
Initial Bit/Screw Engagement Worn-Profile Bit/Screw Engagement
In section 4.5 the wear patterns of the bit was discussed. In that section it was
concluded that the largest concentration of wear was at the tip of the bit. It was
additionally concluded that the wear pattern also distinctly decreased with
distance from the bit. If the bit has greater wear near the tip of the bit than away
from the tip, a change in the surface orientation is expected. This change is
illustrated in Fig. 5.15.
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Worn Bit
Surface
New Bit
Surface N2
A
N1
Figure 5.15 Geometric Change of Bit Surface
Figure 5.15 shows the contact surface of the new bit in dashed lines and the
worn bit in a solid line. As concluded, at the lower section of the bit marked B
more wear occurs that in the upper section marked A. This uneven wear results
in a change in the surface’s orientation near the contact point. It is additionally
seen that the new common normal, N2, will increase its intersection angle, θ2, with
the horizontal over the original common normal N1. It is therefore concluded that
for a given torque, due to the geometric changes associated with wear, the cam-
out force will increase with the life of the bit.
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