A general mathematical formulation and an efficient numerical model are developed for the isothermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication of multilayered elastic solids. The analysis is limited to line contacts. A dry-contact solution for multilayered elastic solids is developed first in order to obtain the actual contact pressure and the contact area. The elastohydrodynamic lubrication formulation is based on solving the Reynolds equation coupled with the elasticity equations of multilayered elastic half-space. The effects of pressure inside the conjunction on the lubricant viscosity and density are considered in the mathematical formulation. The non-Newtonian behavior of the lubricant associated with a limiting shear strength is incorporated into the analysis. This mathematical model is nonlinear and the system approach is used for numerical solutions. Results, such as pressure and shear stress profiles, film shapes, and subsurface stress patterns to illustrate the effects of surface coating in elastohydrodynamically lubricated line contacts, are presented and discussed.
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