Challenge 4 : Concept Modelling of Alloy Wheel

Building foundation curve network and surface creation for Alloy wheel

Objective

To create a proper curve network and further develop surfaces to create an alloy wheel of a car.

Introduction

Alloy wheels had been around in automobile industry since 1960s. Automobile wheels we witness today are either made from steel or alloys of Aluminium. Although steel, the most common material used in wheel production, is an alloy of iron and carbon, the term “alloy wheel” is usually reserved for non-ferrous alloys. Alloy wheels are known for its high strength to weight ratio, better heat conduction and appearance over steel wheels. Early alloy wheels were made from magnesium alloys. And post 1980s the magnesium alloy wheels were replaced by aluminium alloys for its better performance characteristics.

This project involves concept modelling of a alloy wheel. This project was designed in Autodesk Alias AutoStudio 2021.

Design methodology / approach

Description of features/tools used

Concepts Involved:

1. Importing model design canvas of the alloy wheel
2. Adding canvas to a layer
3. Tracing the curves using basic curve functions and utilities
4. Visualizing and manipulating curves structures to obtain proper surfaces.
5. Generating symmetries.

Features used:

1.Various pick options:

• Pick object

Used to pick and place objects from one place to another.

• Pick nothing

Used to unselect previously selected objects,components,curves etc..,

• Pick Curves

Used to specifically pick curves

• Pick blend points

Used to pick blend points in the workspace.

2.Some Transform options

• Move

Used to move around selected objects,curves etc..,

• Rotate

Used to rotate selected items about a point.

• Scale

Used to scale up/down the size of selected items.

• Snap

It's essentially not a transformation tool yet comes very handy. It's used to snap desired items to particular an object, a curve or a point.

3.Curves options

• cv, ep curves

Used to draw curved features.

• Blendcrv tools (new, edit)

Used to blend to lines/curves to form a single entity. Blends can be edit to achieve optimum accuracy.

• Keypoint curve box (Ellipse, arc, line, drag)

Contains tools like Ellipse, arc, line, drag which comes handy while drawing.

4.Features associated with layers and canvas.

• Attaching canvases to layers.
• Hiding and unhiding canvases using hide/unhide functionality in layers.
• Using symmetry and duplication to easily obtain symmetrical drawings.

5.Surface generation features

• Rail

This surface creation tool is used when there are generation and rail curves available. Depending upon the no. of generation, rail curves present, one can easily toggle among for more appropriate versions of rail tool and generate surfaces.

• Square

This is another surface generation tool that comes very handy. This tool can be used when surfaces are to be generated within 4 bounding curves.

• Skin

To build a surface bridging two curves

• Ffblend

This feature is primarily used to bridge surfaces.

6.Surface edit tools

• Project

Project tool can be used to project curves onto surfaces which can be later used for trimming purposes.

• Intersect

This tool is similar to project tool but used to project surfaces and objects.

• Trim

This option is used to trim away parts that are unnecessary. This tool can be used only after project/intersecting curves or bodies onto surfaces that are later trimmed/altered.

7.Object edit tools

• Align

This feature can be used to align curves/surfaces to form continuous flowing entities.

• Attach/detach

This feature is used for attaching/detaching two surfaces or curves.

• Extend

This feature is used to extend or lessen the cross sections of curves or surfaces.

• Qryed

This feature takes us back to the feature that’s been previously applied to the selected object.

Different views of the alloy wheel model

Conclusion

Working on this project gave insights of how to go about designing the car alloy wheels and shortcomings that are bound to occur at the later stages of surfacing. Interpreting 2D design blue prints and converting them to 3D curve structures gave understanding of different views and planes. Practised the basics concepts of continuities in curves and surfaces. Ventured through different features and approaches of design in Alias.