Or as in the following image, one can use the colors to delineate the differing contours. The microindentation and microscratch tests are currently carried out for measuring the mechanical properties of composite materials at the NSF Center for Interfacial Engineering at the University of Minnesota. In this research, an explicit finite difference approach has been developed based on the continuum theories of large displacement, large deformation, elasto-plasticity and contact mechanics. This image shows a microindentation process of multilayered medium. The contact area, surface pileup and plastic zone can be accurately determined through the numerical simulation.
Some packages have the ability to smooth out the sharp corners of contour lines.
Instead of just drawing lines, such software pieces together smooth curves called splines. In the following image, the contours on the left are the basic contours, the contours on the right use splines. This information is available in alternative formats upon request by individuals with disabilities. The Supercomputing Institute does not collect personal information on visitors to our website.