Challenge 5 : Concept Modelling of Car Bumper

 Concept modelling of Car Bumper

Objective

To create a proper curve network and further develop surfaces to create the front and rear bumpers of Abarth 500

Introduction

A bumper is a structure integrated with the front and rear ends of a car, to absorb impact from minor collisions. Stiff metal bumpers appeared on automobiles as early as 1904 that had a mainly ornamental function. Numerous developments, improvements in materials and technologies, as well as greater focus on functionality for protecting vehicle components and improving safety have changed bumpers over the years.

This project involves concept modelling of front and rear bumpers of Abarth 500. This project was designed in Autodesk’s Alias AutoStudio 2021.

Design methodology / approach

Description of features/tools used

Concepts Involved:

1. Importing model design canvas of the bumpers
2. Adding canvases to a layers
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.

Images of Bumper Models:

Front Bumper

Rear Bumper

Conclusion

Working on this project gave insights of how to go about designing the car bumpers and how crucial is the bumper design is. 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