Fender Design

                                                                                                                        Report On Fender Design 

 Fender : A fender is the part of a car, truck  or other vehicles that frames or covers a wheel well. Its main purpose is to prevent debris, rocks, mud, liquids, sand, and other road debris from getting thrown in the air while the tyre rotate.

 

The “fender” typically refers to the front panel that covers the front wheels, and the “quarter panel” typically refers to the rear panel that covers the wheel that also includes the roof pillar. The “bumper” is the front and rear ends of a motor vehicle to absorb impact in a minor collision. 

Fender Mounting Area:   There are mainly five mounting positions of Front wheel fender which are mentioned below.

• Drip Area mount.
• Bumper Mount 
• Sill Mount 
• A-Pillar Mount
• Splash / Baffle Mount

Drip Area Mount:

The most important mounting of any front wheel fender is the Drip Area mount. This mount is positioned in such a way that we have suffiient space for A-Piller Mount (200mm) and 150mm space for headlight area. While designing the drip mount we  have to think of about many factors such as its height from top should be less than 40mm to avoid the spring-back effect, sufficient mounting length so that it can hold the engine compartment tightly, sufficient width for smooth opening and fitting operations, sufficient gap from engine (min 10mm) .

Bumper Mount: 

 The above marked area is nothing but bumper mount present in the front wheel fender. Through this mount front bumper of the car is joined. This mount plays a very vital role while accident as it helps to reduce and desipate the impact forces from bumper to outside the car .

Sill Mount : 

The Position of the sill mount is shown in the above picture. It is generally in the bottom of the fender.  

A-Pillar Mount:

 As the name suggest this mount helps to join fender with the A-Pillar of the car. The position of it is marked in the above oicture.

Baffle Mount:

 

 This is also one of the important mount that we have to remember while designing fender of any vehicle. It is generally drawn over the fender wheel arc area. This is connected with the fiver or plastic guard which prevent any unwanted debris to inter  enter the engine compartment. 

Manufacturing of fender : There are maninly two types of  front wheel fender :-

                                         a. Full Bumper Type 

                                         b. Half Bumper Type.

Now a days maximum OEM manufactures half bumper tye fender rather than full bumper type. As it reduces the amount of sheet metal used by almost 40-50% as compared to full bumper type as a result it helps to reduces the weight of the car and hence increases the performance of the car. The remaining half area is attached with bumper which generally made of plastic and the connection is made with the help of  bumper mount.

The manufacturing process includes the following steps that firstly, unfolding and shearing are carried out on a plate, wherein a proper cold roll specification is selected at first, a cold roll is unfolded, and then the unfolded cold roll is sheared to an iron plate of the corresponding size according to production material specifications; secondly, oil pressing and punching are carried out, wherein the iron plate is extended at first, then side shearing and punching are conducted on the iron plate, folding and shaping are carried out on the iron plate, and finally reshaping is carried out on the iron plate; thirdly, small first parts of the fender are machined, wherein first of all, the iron plate is punched to a needed outer contour blank, then the iron plate completing the outer contour blank is further shaped, and the iron plate is punched at last; fourthly, installation and welding of a metal plate are conducted.

 Design Parameters of Fender: Following are the important designing parameters of car front wheel fender:-

• Pedestrians Safety: While designing fender we should have to think of about pedestrian safety which means its should be such that it restrict the chiping of debries from tyre to any person on road. 
• Wheel Arc : The wheel arc curvature or design must follow the standard value which varies from country to country.

 As per above figure, the gap value of L should be more than 10mm so that it can pass all standard limit set by USA, JAPAN and Europe.

 As per above figure , the value of a should be more than 5mm for any region.

• Cost: Now a days , maximum OEMs has switched from full bumper type to Half Bumper Type as it reduces the amount of sheet metal used by 45% and hence reduces the cost. So our design should be cost centric also.

Report Prepared By: Vikash Rai (Mechanical Engineer)