Description: The small-sliding, node-to-surface contact formulation now accounts for thicknesses of element-based shell and membrane surfaces by default. Surface thicknesses are also considered with the small-sliding, surface-to-surface contact formulation (as of Version 6.5) and with the new finite-sliding, surface-to-surface formulation (discussed in “Finite-sliding, surface-to-surface contact,” Section 11.2). Surface thicknesses are not accounted for with the finite-sliding, node-to-surface formulation. The user interface to avoid consideration of surface thicknesses in contact calculations (for cases in which thicknesses are considered by default) remains unchanged and is discussed in “Defining contact pairs in ABAQUS/Standard,” Section 29.2.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual. Figure 11–2 highlights the consideration of shell thickness in small-sliding contact.

Interaction module: 
   InteractionCreate: Surface-to-surface contact (Standard): Sliding formulation: Small sliding: 
  Constraint enforcement method: Node to surface