Fender Design Challenge

Design of the Automotive Front Fender

Aim:

To design the automotive fender with the given skin data provided by styling team.

Objective:

• To design the Drip mounting Area with the given Master Section.
• To design the Bumper Mounting area, Sill area, A-pillar Mounting and Splash Mountings.

Fender:

Fender is the US English word and the part of the automobile that frames the wheel well. The primary purpose of the fender to prevent the sand, mud, rocks, liquids and other road spray are being thrown into air by rotating tire. While the vehicle is moving, the tire picks up stones and other foreign materials and hurl them in all directions. Fenders are usually present to prevent any injuries to pedestrians as well as to the vehicle.

Types of Fender:

Full Bumper Type Fender:

The fender covers the entire wheel of the vehicle and it is a traditional one. These are no longer in use since it adds more weight to vehicle.

Half Bumper Type Fender:

These type of fenders are used mostly in recent days. It reduces the cost of the blank. With one blank, the two half bumper type fender will be manufactured and in case of full bumper type, it will be one. It also reduces the weight of the vehicle.

Mountings:

The front fender is manufactured as a separated part and then it is mounted to the car body. For that, the front fender will have 5 mountings. These mountings will vary from one OEM to other OEM.

1. Drip area mounting
2. A- pillar mounting
3. Sill mounting
4. Body mounting
5. Cowl area mounting

Drip Area Mounting:

It is the important mounting in the fender that is attached to the engine compartment of the car. Fender drip area is mounted to engine compartment by weld-nuts. The edge of the mounting should be 10 mm away from any component of the engine.

The above shows the given Master Section as reference.

• The height of the drip area mounting should not be less than 40mm as maximum productivity is achieved. If it exceeds, then the rigidity beads is to be provided. Also forming is not feasible if depth is increased to 60mm due to the springing back and wrinkling.
• It should at a distance of 150 mm from the front side and at a distance of 200mm from the rear side. Ribs should be provided in order to increase the strength of the mounting part.
• The 3⁰ draft and distance of 8 mm is given to prevent the fender fixation bolt to be seen from the outside and improve appearance of the parting gap between the hood and Front fender.
• Welding surface of the drip area will be of 35mm to 40mm and should be a flat.

A-Pillar Mounting:

The mounting is designed in such a way that it will get attached with the A- pillar of the vehicle

Body Mounting:

The body mounting is created for the body side on the fender.

Sill Mounting:

The sill mounting is at bottom of the fender should be created such that it is firmly fixed with Sill area of the vehicle.

Cowl Area:

The Cowl Area mounting is at top of the fender that carry the Wiper mechanism.

The below shown surface is class-A surface which we got from styling team to prepare the fender and its mountings:

Drip area:

Bumper Mounting:

Splash Mounting:

Sill Mounting:

A-Pillar Mounting:

Conclusion:

The fender of the automobile and its mountings are designed with given master section.