Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

1.1 Aim:

To verify whether this Fender Wheel Arc Passes the European Standards or not.

2.1 Fender:

Fender is a shortening word of Defender, where it defends the engine compartment and styling surface of the car body from any objects that would fly off the wheels due to centrifugal force. Fenders are the shaped part of the car body work which allows the wheels to be acccessed or to be steered. In Car for the four wheels, there are two front fenders and two rear fenders.

A proper Fender Wheel should have an clearance value that is varies from region to region like japan, European and U.S Standards where the outer surface of the fender and the wheel should have an minimum distance.

3.1 Requirement:

Fenders are expected to protect the car wheel so, it must potrude further than the wheel. This maintaining distance is the clearance value and it is requied for producing high quality and safety cars. Also the area between the outermost Fender and Wheel should be more than 5mm.

3.1.1 Japan Requirement:

As per Japan's regulations there must be a minimum clearance distance of 5mm between the outer surface of wheel and fender. This clearance value will be checked at 3 points,

• At the vertical Line.
• At the location 50 degree rear to the vertical line.
• At the location 30 degree forward to vertical line.

3.1.2 U.S Requirement:

The clearance value should be greater than 5mm and this clearance value will be checked at all points from -100degree to 100degree.

3.1.3 European Requirement:

Here, the clearance value is 10 and above and it will be checked at 5 points.

• At the vertical Line.
• At the location 50 degree rear to the vertical line.
• At the location 30 degree forward to vertical line.
• At the fender outer curve where 150mm above from the Horizontal line.
• At the location where the single bisecting line passes between the 50 degree line and the 150mm line.

4.1 Procedure:

The wheel arc and the wheel were provided in the challenge section.

A datum plane was created in the outer most surface of the wheel. By choosing specific point, a sketch is initiated in the middle of the wheel on the datum plane which was created on the outermost surface of the wheel.

A vertical and Horizontal line were drawn. Line with 30degree and 50 degree to the vertical line were drawn. Outermost edge of the wheel arc was projected and point is created on the curve at 150mm from the horizontal line. A line was drawn connecting the origin and point at a distance of 150mm.

By using derived line command, a bisecting line was created between the 50 degree and the 150mm line.

Outer most wheel arc curve was projected and intersection points where created between lines and the curve.

Using 3D project curve these points were projected on the Wheel arc(Fender) and the distance were measured.

If the fender is exterior to the wheel then the clearance value is positive.

If the wheel is exterior to the fender then the clearance value is negative.

Sketch:

Section B:

Clearance Value = 10mm

Section A:

Clearance Value = 9.940mm

Section C:

Clearance Value = 0.113949mm

Section D:

Clearance Value = -2.8875mm

Section E:

Clearance Value = -5.9973mm

Area at 30degree and 50degree line

Area 1:

Clearance Value = 44.7577mm

Area 2:

Clearance Value = 38.3597mm

Table for the distance between Wheel arc and Wheel:

Section	Required Clearance Value	Measured Clearance Value	Pass/Fail
A	> or = 10mm	9.940mm	Fail
B	> or = 10mm	10mm	Pass
C	> or = 10mm	0.113949mm	Fail
D	> or = 10mm	-2.8875mm	Fail
E	> or = 10mm	-5.9973mm	Fail

Table for the Area between Wheel arc and Wheel:

Area	Required Clearance Value	Measured Clearance Value	Pass/Fail
1	> or = 5mm	44.7577mm	Pass
2	> or = 5mm	38.3597mm	Pass

5.1 Conclusion:

For European regulation the given wheel arc and wheel was unable to pass at Section A, C, D and E point. The fender data will be reported back to the styling team to make modifications in the fender design in such a way that the clearance value is greater than or equal to 10 mm at all the five points atleast.