Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

The Wheel Arch analysis is one of the important step to be followed once the fender designing is completed. It is done mainly to ensure the safety of the pedestrians and also to reduce the damages caused to engine area. While the car is in motion the rotation of wheel causes the stones and other items in the road to be carried in and out of the tyre profile, thus the wheel arch reduces the chipping of the materials. It is a semi-circular shape profile comes as projection from fender surface. The projection distance varies from model to model based on standard and also considering the aesthetic nature.

The commonly followed standard for wheel arch is of three categories.

• Japanese Standard.
• European Standard.
• American Standard.

These standards are framed based upon the road conditions and norms that were followed in the countries.

Japanese Standard:

This standard is regulated by japanese government which is to followed for all the automotives which is being marketed with the japanese government. It can be understood easily with the help of below mentioned image:

As per the above shown image

1. First we need to measure of 30°, 50° from the center of the wheel and the line is matched with the outer profile of the fender.
2. The intersection point between the 30°, 50° and vertical line to be marked in the front view.
3. Then the intersection points are projected with the top view of the wheel and fender design.
4. The value of L as shown in image sholud be more than 5mm.

European Standard:

Similar to japanese standard the european goverment has regulated a seperate standard for the automotives that are being marketed within the europe.

As per the above shown image

1. The same procedure as of japanese standard is followed but addition to three points another two extra points are also taken into consideration.
2. For that 4th point a distance of 150 mm from the horizontal axis is measured for placing the intersection point.
3. The 5th point is taken as center point between the 50° line intersection point and 4th point.
4. These points are projected in the top view same as done in japanese standard but the value of L should be more than 10mm.

American Standard:

The automotive that are been markted within the america also has a seperate regulation framed by their government.

As per the above shown image

1. The procedure followed for marking the intersection point is same as the above two standards.
2. But the intersection points are taken for every 10° gap from -20° to 180°.
3. the value of L is to maintained more than 5mm.

If an automotive is being commonly marketed for all over the world, the manufacturer can follow any of the three standard with maintaining a minimum gap of 10mm for the L value.

Wheel Arch Analysis for the given model as per European Standard

As per the procedure instructed in European standard the intersection points are placed, which can been understood by the below shown image. The five points are been considered as A,B,C,D,E in clockiwise directon.

At point A the value of L is measured as 10mm.

At point B the value of L is measured as 9.9490mm.

At point C the value of L is measured as -0.1139mm.

At point D the value of L is measured as -2.8875mm.

At point E the value of L is measured as -5.9973mm.

Note: The -ve sign is mentioned because of the point projected is behind the curve of fender surface.

Apart from considering the five points we also need to measure the value at the point A and C with the outer curve of the tyre profile, which is to be maintained of about more than 5mm. The below image shows the value from the outer curve of tyre profile to the point A and D.

Conculison:

We can understand from the values of result thus the design used for the fender need to be improved to obtain the value of L as 10mm or above at all the five points as per europe standard.

The Wheel arch curve is having some irregularities which may be a reason for sign change in value. If the curve is been designed accordingly with proper design constarins the value of L can be obtained to meet the standard. Thus Wheel Arch profile design also plays a major consideration for desiging a fender.