Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Fendor

Wheel Arch is the semi-circular part of the fender positioned above the wheel of the vehicle. The design of the wheel arch of the fender should be such that it must shield wheels and protect both passengers compartment and pedestarians from the projection of watr, mud and stones.The wheel arch area of the fender is usually designed as a cover or shield over the tyre along its perimeter to stop any debris or stones , dirt, sand,snow, etc, from getting thrown into the vehicle or the BIW area as well as outside the vehicle and onto other vehicles or pedestarians on the road.For the vehicle to has its permit in different countries,the wheel arch of fenders must be compliant with the standards and regulations set by respective countries.

Types of Fender

There are mainly two type of fenders.

1.Full bumped type

2.Half bumper type

The half bumper type fender are mainly used because of it is small in size so then it can reduces the scrap area.It can produce 2 fender at a time in a blank sheet, hence we can reduces the cost of the fender

Wheel Arch:

It is a curved part of the fender positioned right above the wheel. The wheel Arch is designed such that it protects both the pedestrian and car cabin from mud, water rocks and other road spray. Different countries have different wheel arch regulations in place, and the wheel arch design has to comply with them to be deemed usable in that country.

For avoiding design alterations of the same vehicle to get the different regulations parameters are taken into consideration for design purpose

Fender wheel arch regulations

1. Japanese Regulations

• The value of L should be greater than 5mm at all positions.
• Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

2.European Regulations

• The clearance "L" should be measured at sections SA-SA, SB-SB, SC-SC, SD-SD and SE-SE and create clearance check chart to validate.
• At all the five sections the value of L should be greater than 10mm to satisfy the European Regulations.
• Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

3.US Regulations

• Clearance "L" is to be checked at all positions from -100degree to 100degree and create clearance check chart to validate.
• The value of L should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulations.
• Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree rearwards from the central vertical axis of the whee

Calculation of wheel Arch area-Europran Regulation

• Value of "a" at AA section

a=43.52mm

• Value of "a" at BB section

a=26.58mm

• Value of "a" at CC section

a=38.64mm

• Value of "a" at DD section

a=43.04mm

• Value of "a" at EE section

a=47.51mm

• Value of "L" at AA section

L=9.99mm

• Value of "L" at BB section

L=9.39mm

• Value of "L" at CC section

L=3.82mm.

• Value of "L" at DD section

L=2.82mm

• Value of "L" at EE section

L=1.81mm

• "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree.
• "L" should be greater than 10mm

SECTION	L(>10MM)	RESULT	a(>5MM)	RESULT
AA	+9.99	PASS	43.52	PASS
BB	+9.39	PASS	26.58	PASS
CC	+3.82	FAIL	38.64	PASS
DD	+2.82	FAIL	43.04	PASS
EE	+1.81	FAIL	47.01	PASS

Hence it is proved that the fender doesn't meet the European regulation as minimum clearance between fender arch wheel to the outer most wheel is 10 mm and does not meet the this minimum clearance so this fender design is fail for the European Regulation standard.The design should be reverted back to the class A designer telling him to modify the design and increase the gap there.