Good Day fellow SW users,

I hope you are all doing well...I have a quick question.

I intend to use 1" OD mild steel tube as a shaft in a 1" bore pillow block bearing unit. I am using SolidWorks Simulation to calculate the maximum stress on the steel tube shaft, BUT...I need to first determine what is the contact surface area between the steel tube shaft and the inside of the pillow block bearing unit. Knowing this I can calculate the pressure exerted on the steel tube.

Does anyone know of a way or a formula to find this? Shigley's Mechanical Eng. Design has a formula for Cylindrical Contact but if I use that formula with 100% contact it doesn't work out...or I'm just using it wrongly...

Also, does anyone know if SolidWorks can calculate the contact surface area for me?

I look forward to your favourble responses,

Thank you,

David