A procedure is described for predicting the recommended insert thickness which will result in minimizing the thermal resistance of a pressed contact between fiat, non-wavy, surfaces. The analysis is based upon the assumption of ideal plastic asperity deformations occurring at the interfaces formed between randomly high rough surfaces and the insert material. Experimental measurements of the thermal resistances for aluminium-tin-aluminium and stainless steel-tin-stainless steel, mechanically loaded assemblies corroborate within experimental error the predictions from the theory, and hence validate the analysis.
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