Fender Design
FENDER DESIGN (NX)
What is fender:-
- Fender on a car are panel that extend from the bumper to the car's door.
- Primary purpose of fender is to avoid sand, mud, rock, water or any other particle to be thrown be the wheel.
- Fender avoids motion of the rocks which can be hit the pedestrains.
Fender can be of two types , full bumper type and half bumper type . Nowadays half bumper type fender is typically used . the cost of sheet metal blank is reduced as we can produce two half bumper type fender in single blank . This also leads to reduction of scrap.
There are 5 mounting regions on the fender , they are
- A- pillar mounting
- Body mounting
- Sill mounting
- Bumper mounting
- Drip mounting
DESIGN OF A-PILLAR MOUNTING
The A -pillar is the structural pillar that combines the body to the roof . this make the sides of the windshield rest . front fenders are fastened to the A -pillar to form a robust structure.
DESIGN OF BUMPER MOUNTING
A mounting area of the fender to bumper. Bumpers are usually made of plastic which covers the front of the car & protect it at time collisions. Emboss & holes are given to attach the fender to Bumper.
DESIGN OF SILL MOUNTING AREA :
Sill is the panel directly below the bottom of the door supporting the floor and may be used to combine the floor and the body . The bottom end of the fender is mounted on the sill body for reinforcement of the fender panel , thus the sill mounting position is designed with holes and emboss . M5 fasteners are used to fix the fenders on the sill body.
DESIGN OF BAFFLE MOUNTING AREA :
Baffle mounting or mudguard are clip fit type of mounting on the inner side of the fender arch over the Tyre. it protects the car engine compartment and pedestrians from causing injuries from chip out debris on the road when the car is in motion . they are mounted on the fender using a special type of locking clips which are made up of plastics .
DESIGN OF DRIP AREA MOUNTING :
- It is the important mounting unit of the fender . it is connected with the engine compartment , therefore the lot of design constraints are to be followed while designing the fender
- While designing the drip area we have to initially leave 200-300 mm for cowl top
- For placing the headlamp we have to leave at least 150 mm at the front while designing the fender
- Cowl top part consists pf wiper motor and its instruments
- Two darts are added on the longer side of the drip area in order to provide the stiffness and adds strength to the part . This helps the fender to not to vibrate and impact the forces outside of the fender during motion of the vehicle.
- Embossing are provided on the mounting to strengthen them during fastening.
Manufacturing process:
A car Fender bumper is made by a process called reaction injection molding (RIM), which basically consists of making a special polyurethane compound and introducing it into a large fender. RIM is a process that conserves raw materials and reduces costs. It is similar to injection molding except thermosetting polymers are used, which requires a curing reaction to occur within the mold. Common items made via RIM include automotive bumpers, air spoilers, and fenders.
CONCLUSION : Thus, all mounting areas for the fender designed from skin data and master section is done by following all design rules .