Fender Design

 FENDER DESIGN CHALLENGE 

Definition of a fender 

In a car, a fender (also known as a wing in some countries) is a component that is typically located above the wheels and covers the tires. The primary purpose of a fender is to protect the car body from mud, rocks, and other debris that may be thrown up by the rotating tires.

Fenders also help to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle by directing airflow around the wheels and reducing drag. They may also contribute to the overall style and appearance of the car.

In addition to their functional purposes, fenders are often used as a design element in car styling. Some cars have fenders that are sleek and streamlined, while others may have fenders that are more angular and aggressive in appearance. Fenders may be made from a variety of materials, including steel, aluminium, and plastic, and are usually painted to match the rest of the car's body.

Overall, fenders play an important role in protecting a car's body and enhancing its appearance, making them an essential component of any vehicle.

Uses of car Fenders

•  Car Fender limit the exposure of your car's body and engine to  external elements that are harmful.
•  Fender flares are attached to ensure that both the body and engine have minimal contact with corrosive                          elements
•   Car Fenders provides safety to the driver and the passengers at the time of accidents or collisions.
•   They are manufactured in a way to provide bend during front and side collisions.
•   Car Fenders are designed to avoid wind resistance and make your car more aerodynamic.
•   Car Fender enhance the overall look  and asthetics of your cars. 
•  manufacturing of the car  becomes easy due to joining of different parts .

There are two types of fender

1 Full bumber type

A full bumper type refers to a type of automotive bumper that extends across the full width of a vehicle's front or rear end. Full bumpers are typically made of rigid materials such as metal or high-strength plastic and are designed to provide protection to the vehicle in the event of a collision.

In contrast to partial bumpers, which only cover a portion of the front or rear of a vehicle, full bumpers provide comprehensive protection and can help prevent damage to the vehicle's body and critical components. Full bumpers are commonly found on larger vehicles.

The advantagers are as follows 

•       They are used to protect the vehicle from impacts with other vehicles or obstacles on the road.
•      Some full bumpers also include additional safety features such as impact-absorbing materials and sensors that                can detect collisions and activate safety systems such as airbags.

 The disadvantages are  as follows

•     The  full bumpers can add weight and reduce a vehicle's fuel efficiency

2 Half bumber type

A half bumper type in a car typically refers to a design where the front or rear bumper is split into two sections. The central part of the bumper is usually recessed or removed, giving the car a sporty or aggressive appearance.

This type of bumper is sometimes called a "splitter" or "splitter-style" bumper. It can be found on some performance-oriented cars.

The advantages are as follows 

•      This type of fenders  improve aerodynamics and reduce weight.
•      The design allows for better airflow to the engine, while also reducing the overall weight of the vehicle.

The disadvantages are as follows 

•              Offers  less protection in the event of a collision, as there is less material to absorb the impact 

Here in the challenge its given to design a fender with the following parameters according to master sketch.

Areas to be considered while designing a fender:

1. Drip area
2. Bumper mounting area
3. Sill mounting area
4. Body mounting area

DRIP AREA

The drip area is the connection of the fender with the engine compartment.

This  is the area through which the Fender is attached to engine housing through fasteners. There should be some consideration followed to design the drip area, from back side of the fender there should be 200mm clearence  for cowltap  mounting area and from the front there should be 150mm clearence for the head lamp housing unit.

Considering the above design constrains we have to design the drip area. Embosses are provided to increase strength, corners of the flanges are smoothen to ease of the production. Uniform wall thickness of 0.75mm.

• Design Consideration for drip area are150mm distance from front end of the fender and the gap is filled with headlamp200mm distance from rear end of the fender and the gap is filled with wiper motor assembly.
• Initially 3-degree angle and 9mm length is given while creating a drip area because the engine component should not be visible from outside.
• The depth of the drift should be between 40 to 60mm. If the depth exceeds from 60mm then forming is not feasible due to spring back and wrinkles.Embosses and ribs are given to drip area to give strength. Embosses are given and the edges are also blended.

A PILLAR AREA:

A Piller is on the cars either side of the front windshield which is the reason the windshield in the place.It is Mounted on the A Pillar by means of fasteners and these are covered by outer side view mirrors.

  Here, the proper embossing are provided along with holes for fasteners.

Law extension dimensions are 42mm length and 90 degree of angle.Offsetting the law extension face 5mm.Creating a sketch and law extension feature is used 6mm length and 95 degree of angle.Trim sheet to create a hole of 5mm diameter.Edge blend and face blend are 2mm.

SIL MOUNT AREA

The Sill Mounting area is in the bottom of the fender. It is mostely gets connected with the door region of the car. Here, proper embossing and holes for the fasteners are provided.      

  The ribs are provided to improve the strength.The sheet is extended to 15mm to make the sheet length 30mm.Giving relief by manual like creating a sketch and trim the sheet both sides.Emboss dimensions are depth 3.5mm and 15 degree of angle.Edge blend is 3mm.Trim sheet is used to create a 6mm hole on sheet.

BUMPER MOUNTING AREA

In this Mounting, the Fender connects with the bumper. The Bumper Mounting region must be rigid in order to withstand the force acting upon it during collision. So, the Mounting space can be larger.

Law extension length 20mm and 75 degree of angle.Skew to join the two surfaces.Dart angle 45 degrees, depth 4mm and radius 3.75mm. Create two darts in existing spaces as shown in figure 7.Trim sheet is used to create a hole of dia 5mm.For skew use 3mm edge blend and for dart and embosses 2mm edge blend.

BAFFLE AREA:

Creating holes for baffles mounting.

Trim sheet feature is used to create holes of 5mm.

Some Fender views from the design