MODELLING OF AN AMERICAN CHOPPER IN SOLIDWORKS

MODELLING OF AN AMERICAN CHOPPER

Objective: To model an American Chopper in SOLIDWORKS and Rendering it in Photo view 360 and SOLIDWORKS VISUALIZE.

Software used: SOLIDWORKS_2018 (Student Version) (Photo view 360 and SOLIDWORKS Visualize)

Introduction

An American Chopper is customized motorcycles which emerged in California in the late 1950s. Some of the characteristics features of American chopper are

1. Long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle
2. hardtail frames (frames without rear suspension)
3. very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars
4. lengthened or stretched frames
5. Larger than stock front wheels

In this project, an American chopper is modelled using SOLIDWORKS 2018 (Student version) using customized dimensions. The whole modelling process is divided into three processes,

1. Modelling of the following individual parts

1. Chain
2. Front fender
3. Rear fender
4. Transmission belt
5. Kickstand
6. Chain
7. Oil tank
8. Pedal
9. Front-wheel
10. Rear-wheel
11. Front fork
12. Chassis
13. Engine
14. Fuel tank

2. Assembling all the individual parts to form a complete model of the American chopper
3. Rendering the assembled model in PHOTOVIEW 360 and SOLIDWORKS VISUALIZE.

Description of the individual parts and procedure for modelling and assembling them is mentioned below.

Modelling of individual parts

1. CHAIN

• A chain drive is one of the ways to transmit power from one place to another. It is commonly used in bicycles and motorcycles for power transmission.
• The chains are made up of a number of rigid links which are hinged together by pin joints in order to provide the necessary flexibility for wrapping around the driving and driven wheels.
• These wheels have projecting teeth of special profile and fit into the corresponding recesses in the links of the chain as shown in the figure given below.
• The toothed wheels are known as sprocket wheels or simply sprockets. The sprockets and the chain are thus constrained to move together without slipping and ensure perfect velocity ratio.
• The chains are mostly used to transmit motion and power from one shaft to another when the centre distance between their shafts is short such as in bicycles, motorcycles, agricultural machinery, conveyors, rolling mills, road rollers etc.
• The chains may also be used for long centre distance of up to 8 metres. The chains are used for velocities up to 25 m / s and for power up to 110 kW. In some cases, higher power transmission is also possible.

Procedure for modelling chain in brief.

1. As the chain is made up of combining many links, the first step in modelling chains is to create the single link’s sketch as per given dimension and save it as a block.
2. Create the path in which these links have to be assembled for creating the whole chain.
3. Place one link at any point on the path created in the previous step and create a curve driven pattern of the link along the same path.
4. Connect the last two links by creating an additional link and apply suitable material for the chain.
5. Three-dimensional view of the chain is shown in the figure given below.

b. FRONT FENDER and FRONT FENDER

• Fender also called as a mudguard, is mainly used to prevent sand, mud, liquids etc. which is thrown into the air by the rotating wheel.
• It is usually made up of fibres, steel and similar materials.
• It is kept just above the wheels and fixed on the chassis/ front fork.
• In this model of American chopper, two types of fenders are used- Rear fender and Front fender.
• The rear fender is used above the rear wheel and fixed on the chassis.
• Rear fenders are usually bigger in size compared to front fender since rear wheels are usually bigger in size for the case of motorcycles.
• The front fender is used above the front wheel and is fixed on the front fork.

Procedure for modelling Rear fender in brief.

1. The first step for modelling the rear fender is to draw the cross-sectional sketch of the fender and revolve it to form an arc of required dimension.
2. Remove some portion on both sides of the fender for better appearance of the fender as shown in the figure given below.
3. Extra portions are removed by drawing a spline on the appropriate plane and splitting the fender into different portions.
4. Now provide fillet to all the sharp edges.
5. Now give the appropriate colour for the fender.
6. Three-dimensional view of the rear fender is shown in the figure given below.

Procedure for modelling Front fender in brief.

1. The first step for modelling the front fender is to draw the sketch of the cross-sectional view of the fender and revolve it to form an arc of required dimension.
2. Remove some portion on both sides of the fender for better appearance of the fender as shown in the figure given below.
3. Extra portions are removed by drawing a spline on the appropriate plane and splitting the fender into different portions.
4. Now provide fillet to all the sharp edges.
5. Now provide appropriate colour for the fender.
6. Three-dimensional view of the front fender is shown in the figure given below.

c. TRANSMISSION BELT

The belts are used to transmit power from one shaft to another by means of pulleys which rotate at the same speed or at different speeds. In this chopper, transmission belt is used for transmitting power from crankshaft to sprocket. From sprocket power transmitted to wheels using chain.

Different types of belt used are,

• Flat belt.
• V- belt
• Circular belt or rope.

Common materials used for Belts are,

• Leather belts.
• Cotton or fabric belts.
• Rubber belt.
• Balata belts.

Procedure for modelling transmission belt in brief.

1. The first step for modelling the transmission belt is to draw the sketch of the cross-sectional view of the belt.
2. Extrude the sketch drawn in the previous step up to required dimensions.
3. Provide fillet to the sharp edges.
4. Apply material properties to the belt as per requirement.
5. Three-dimensional view of the transmission belt is shown in the figure given below.

d. OIL TANK

Oil tanks are basically storage tank used for storing oil which is used in the chopper. It is placed in between the engine and fuel tank. Capacity and shape of the tank may be different for different types of vehicles. Oil tanks are usually made up of steel.

Procedure for modelling oil tank in brief.

1. The first step for modelling the oil tank is to draw the sketch of the top view of the tank.
2. Extrude the sketch up to the required length.
3. Draw the sketch of the front view of the tank and extrude it up to the required length.
4. Combine both the solid by keeping a common portion between them.
5. Apply fillet to all the sharp edges.
6. Apply a suitable colour and material to the oil tank.
7. Three-dimensional view of the oil tank is shown in the figure given below.

e. PEDAL

• The pedal is a type of lever used for applying torque.
• This torque is used for brake application, gear changing, etc. in the case of motorcycles.
• In this chopper two pedals are used, one is for application of brake and another used for gear shifting.
• Pedals are usually made up of alloy metals.

Procedure for modelling pedal in brief.

1. The first step for modelling the pedal is to draw the sketch of the base of the pedal and extrude it up to required height.
2. Draw the sketch of the base of pedal rods on the surface of the base and extrude it.
3. Provide fillet to all the sharp edges.
4. Create projected rings on the rod of the pedal for increasing grip and to facilitate insertion of the rubber grip.
5. Apply suitable material to the pedal.
6. Three-dimensional view of the pedal is shown in the figure given below.

f. CHASSIS

• Chassis is a physical frame or structure of an automobile in which all the necessary components are assembled.
• There will be no relative motion on the chassis.
• Common materials used for making chassis of automobiles are carbon steel and aluminium alloy.
• There will be separate slots and provisions on the chassis for placing all the components.
• Cylindrical pipes or rods are usually used for making chassis.

Procedure for modelling chassis in brief.

1. Insert the image of the chopper and place it accordingly with appropriate transparency.
2. Draw the sketch of circular profile required for sweeping.
3. Using project curve option, draw a curve by sketching two curves in mid-plane and bottom-plane.
4. Sweep the circular profile through curve created in the previous step.
5. Draw the sketch of the back portion of chassis in right-plane and extrude it.
6. Provide fillet to all the required edges.
7. Draw a sketch of the cross-section of the chassis bar and sweep it through the curve, created using projection curve at all the required portions.
8. Using the split option removes all the extra material from the chassis.
9. Create a sketch of the bottom portion of the chassis and extrude it.
10. Create a sketch of side stand holder and extrude it.
11. Provide fillet to all the required edges.
12. Apply appropriate material to all the portions.
13. Three-dimensional view of the pedal is shown in the figure given below.

g. KICKSTAND

• Kickstand or commonly called as side stand used to balance the motorcycle when it is parked.
• The kickstand is basically a rod made of steel/ iron and it is placed on the chassis.
• It is usually in a curved shape.
• It can be rotated about 90^o.

Procedure for modelling kickstand in brief.

1. Open a new part design and draw an ellipse in the front plane with appropriate dimension.
2. In mid-plane, draw a curve for defining the shape of the kickstand.
3. In a plane perpendicular to the curve created in the previous step, draw another ellipse with appropriate dimensions.
4. Use loft boss/base option and loft between 2 ellipses through guideline (spline).
5. Create dome on both of the elliptical surface.
6. Create slot on one side of the kickstand for inserting it on the chassis.
7. In the smaller ellipse side, remove a portion of kicker stand to make a flat surface.
8. Provide fillet to sharp edges.
9. Change the appearance of the kickstand by applying a suitable material.
10. Three-dimensional view of the pedal is shown in the figure given below.

h. FRONT WHEEL

• Front-wheel consists of four parts- Rim, calliper, rotor and tyre.
  • Rim
• Rims are usually available in two forms- Spokes type and alloy type.

• Spokes type rims consist of a hub and round traction surface connected with many spokes.
• Alloy wheels are a single piece made by forging.
• Alloy wheels are made of an alloy of light metals, namely aluminium, nickel, magnesium, or a combination of these metals.
• Alloy wheels are lighter in weight.
• In this chopper, alloy wheels are used as rim and web comp structure is used for designing it.
  • Calliper
• Calliper is the part which contains the brake system used in a chopper.
• Disk brakes are used in this chopper.
• Calliper is placed on the rotor and is connected to the brake levers using cables.
• When the brake is applied, the disc pads inside the calliper presses the rotor and reduce its speed.
  • Rotor
• Rotor (commonly called as a disc) is a metallic circular plate placed on the rim.
• The rotor consists of holes which help to transfer the heat produced due to friction while braking.
  • Tyre
• A tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim.
• It transfers a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground.
• It provides traction on the surface travelled over.
• Materials used for manufacturing are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds.
• Tyre used in front-wheel is usually smaller in size compared to the rear wheel.
• Tyre has to be changed at a regular interval based on the wear occurred.

Procedure for modelling front wheel in brief.

1. Draw the cross-sectional view of the rim and revolve the sketch up to 360^o.
2. Draw the sketch of the block where spokes have to be placed and extrude it.
3. Draw a sketch of the web-shaped spokes in the block created in the last step and cut the unwanted portions.
4. Now in the same plane draw ribs connecting all the spokes and extrude it.
5. In mid-plane draw the curvature to remove excessive materials using revolve cut, from the rim created in the last step.
6. In right plane draw the sketch required for creating disk pad(rotor) and extrude it.
7. In the surface of the disk pad created in the last step and draw circular holes and cut it through the disc pad.
8. Remove some material from the disc pad by drawing a hole using lines and arcs.
9. Create an axle hole of appropriate diameter through rim and disc pad.
10. Provide fillet to the required edges.
11. In the front face of the disc draw the sketch of the calliper and extrude it
12. Provide chamfer to both sides of the calliper and fillet the sharper edges as per required dimension.
13. In the front plane draw the sketch of the side view of the wheel and revolve it fro getting the full model of the tyre.
14. Now create the sketch on the front plane for thread cutting on the surface of the tyre.
15. Using extrude cut option, create the thread cut on the surface of the tyre and copy that throughout the tyre surface using a circular pattern option.
16. Now change the appearance of all the parts as per requirement and save the file.
17. Three-dimensional view of the pedal is shown in the figure given below.

i. REAR WHEEL

• Front-wheel consists of four parts- Rim, calliper, rotor, Sprocket and tyre.
• Procedure for modelling Rim, calliper, rotor and tyre are same as that of the front wheel.
  • Rim
• Rims are usually available in two forms- Spokes type and alloy type.
• Spokes type rims consist of a hub and round traction surface connected with many spokes.
• Alloy wheels are a single piece made by forging.
• Alloy wheels are made of an alloy of light metals, namely aluminium, nickel, magnesium, or a combination of these metals.
• Alloy wheels are lighter in weight.
• In this chopper, alloy wheels are used as rim and web comp structure is used for designing it.
  • Calliper
• Calliper is the part which contains the brake system used in a chopper.
• Disk brakes are used in this chopper.
• Calliper is placed on the rotor and is connected to the brake levers using cables.
• When the brake is applied, the disc pads inside the calliper presses the rotor and reduce its speed.
  • Rotor
• Rotor (commonly called as a disc) is a metallic circular plate placed on the rim.
• The rotor consists of holes which help to transfer the heat produced due to friction while braking.
  • Tyre
• A tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim.
• It transfers a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground.
• It provides traction on the surface travelled over.
• Materials used for manufacturing are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds.
• Tyre used in rear-wheel is usually larger in size compared to the front wheel.
• Tyre has to be changed at a regular interval based on the wear occurred.
  • Sprocket
• A sprocket is a profiled wheel with teeth that mesh with a chain, track or other perforated or indented material.
• Sprockets are used in bicycles, motorcycles, cars, tracked vehicles etc.
• Cast iron is commonly used for making sprockets.
• Sprockets are fixed on the rear wheel using bolts and nuts.

Procedure for modelling rear wheel in brief.

1. Draw the cross-sectional view of the rim and revolve the sketch up to 360^o.
2. In the front-plane draw the sketch of the block where spokes have to be placed and extrude it.
3. Draw the sketch of spokes in the block created in the last step and cut the unwanted portions.
4. In the same plane draw ribs connecting all the spokes and extrude it.
5. In mid-plane draw the curvature to remove excessive materials using revolve cut, from the rim created in the last step.
6. Create a circle in the right plane and cut it through the part for placing axle.
7. Create a sketch on front-plane for making axle and revolve it.
8. In right plane draw the sketch required for creating disk pad(rotor) and extrude it.
9. In the surface of the disk pad created in the last step and draw circular holes and cut it through the disc pad.
10. Remove some material from the disc pad by drawing a hole using lines and arcs.
11. Provide fillet to the required edges.
12. In the front face of the disc draw the sketch of the calliper and extrude it
13. Provide chamfer to both sides of the calliper and fillet the sharper edges as per required dimension.
14. On the outside face of the axle, draw a sketch for creating sprocket and extrude it.
15. On the outside face of the sprocket draw the sketch of the teeth and cut it from the sprocket and then make a circular patter throughout the sprocket.
16. Remove some material from the sprocket using a sketch on the outer surface of the sprocket.
17. In the front plane draw the sketch of the side view of the wheel and revolve it so as to get the full model of the tyre.
18. Create the sketch on the front plane for modelling thread cutting on the surface of the tyre.
19. Using extrude cut option create the thread cut on the surface of the tyre and copy that throughout the tyre surface using circular pattern option.
20. Change the appearance of all the parts by adding appropriate material and save the file.
21. Three-dimensional view of the rear wheel is shown in the figure given below.

j. FRONT FORK

• Front-fork connects front wheel and chassis using a triple clamp.
• It also incorporates a suspension system, steering system and front brake system.
• Handlebars, rearview mirror, speedometer systems, key system, etc. are assembled in the front fork.
• Front-wheel is connected to the fork using axle and nut.
• Chassis is connected to fork using ball racer systems.

Procedure for modelling rear wheel in brief.

1. Create a sketch of the fork tube in the front plane and revolve it.
2. Create a sketch of triple clamp on the larger face of the fork tube and extrude it.
3. Create a copy of the triple clamp 240 mm away from the first one.
4. Create an axle at the bottom side of the fork tube.
5. Create a steering stand on the upper face of the lower triple stand.
6. Create a sketch of a headlight and revolve it and move it to the appropriate position.
7. Create a cut portion on the headlight for good visualisation.
8. Create handlebar using curve projection and sweep options.
9. Create a sketch for making handlebar grip and revolve it.
10. Create a sketch for brake lever and extrude it.
11. Using project curve option, create a curve for making cables.
12. Mirror all the parts along an appropriate plane.
13. Combine the required parts.
14. Apply the material to all the individual parts separately and save the file.
15. Three-dimensional view of the front fork is shown in the figure given below.

k. ENGINE

• The engine is the heart of an automobile, which generates the required motion for the vehicle.
• Engine assembly consists of a cylinder, piston, crankshaft, gearbox, camshaft, pulley system, starter motion, carburettor, spark plug etc.
• Fins are provided on the surface of the cylinder and head for heat dissipation from the surface.
• The transmission belt is placed in between two pulleys.
• The chain is connected in between sprockets provided in the engine and rear wheel.
• Most of the parts in the engine are made using aluminium and its alloys.

Procedure for modelling Engine in brief.

1. Insert the image of the chopper and place it accordingly with appropriate transparency.
2. In the front-plane draw the sketch of the bottom portion of the engine and extrude it.
3. In the front-plane draw the sketch of the lower portion of the engine and extrude it.
4. Draw the sketch of side-view of both the pulleys and sweep it.
5. Provide dome on the outer surface of the pulleys.
6. Provide holes on the outer surface of both pulleys and extrude it. Also using curve pattern distribute it along the curved surface.
7. Provide chamfer and fillet to required portions.
8. Create a new plane for drawing cylinder of the engine.
9. On the new plane draw the top view of the cylinder portion and extrude it.
10. Provide chamfer and fillet to all the required edges.
11. Draw the cross-section of the cooling fins and extrude it.
12. Using curve pattern distribute it along the curved surface and apply fillet to required edges.
13. Draw a cross-section of the spark plug and extrude it.
14. Provide fillet to all the required edges.
15. Draw the sketch of the bottom stand and extrude it.
16. Draw the sketch of the sprocket and extrude it, also create teeth on the extruded portion.
17. Draw the exhaust pipe curve using project curve option and sweep the circular portion drawn on the plane perpendicular to the curves.
18. Create the curve of the sparkplug cable and sweep the circular section along the curve for both the sparkplugs.
19. Save the file.
20. Three-dimensional view of the engine is shown in the figure given below.

l. FUEL TANK

• Fuel tanks are basically storage tank used for storing fuel which is used in the chopper.
• It is placed above the engine.
• Capacity and shape of the tank may be different for different types of vehicles.
• Fuel tanks are usually made up of steel.
• The seat is placed on the lower part of the fuel tank.

Procedure for the modelling fuel tank in brief.

1. Insert the image of the assembled image of the chopper and align it on the appropriate position.
2. Draw curves in required planes and project it using project curve feature.
3. After creating the path curve and side view extrude it using surface loft feature.
4. Using boundary surface feature close the open boundaries and mirror the developed surface along mid-plane.
5. Combine all the surface created using the knit surface feature.
6. Create a sketch of the seat and extrude it using surface extrude feature.
7. Provide fillet to all the required edges and knit the surfaces to make it a single part.
8. Apply material and provide colour to the component produced.
9. Add decals on the surface of the fuel tank for better appearance.
10. Three-dimensional view of the fuel tank is shown in the figure given below.

Assembly of Chopper

Aim: - To Assemble all the parts of Chopper

Steps followed

1. Following are the part of the Chopper
   1. Chassis
   2. Engine
   3. Pedal
   4. Kicker stand
   5. Transmission belt
   6. Oil tank
   7. Rear-wheel
   8. Rear fender
   9. Chain
   10. Gas tank
   11. Front fork
   12. Front-wheel
   13. Front fender.
2. Insert chassis of the chopper and fix it.
3. Insert the engine and place it over the chassis at appropriate position respective to chassis.
4. Modify the exhaust of the engine for removing intersection and save the file.
5. Insert pedal on the appropriate position in chassis.
6. Insert kickstand in the hole provided on the chassis and provide a rotation of about 10 degrees.
7. Insert transmission belt and place in between pulleys and change its dimension for removing intersections.
8. Place oil tank over the engine and align it with respect to chassis.
9. Place the rear wheel in the shaft provided on the chassis.
10. Insert rear fender and place over the rear wheel.
11. Insert chain and place it over the sprocket, also provide a slot on the chassis so as to remove the interference occurred while the chain.
12. Place gas tank over the engine on the chassis.
13. Insert front fork on the chassis.
14. Place front wheel on the shaft in the front fork.
15. Place front fender over the wheel.
16. Change appearance for required parts and save the file.

Rendering of the model of American chopper in SOLIDWORK visualize

SOLIDWORKS VISUALIZE is the software used for rendering any model created in the SolidWorks. In this HDR environment, lighting conditions, camera position, etc. can be changed for getting rendering images. Following are some of the rendered images of American Chopper in different environment and colours.