Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge
Aim :
To calculate the wheel arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard.
Objective :
- Study about the different wheel arch gap standards.
- Draw the lines at the required angle and points for the European standard.
- Measure the distance at each angles and mention given model is pass or fail.
Theory :
Fender :
- Fender is a part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well (the fender underside).
- Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be damaged by contact with the road surface.
Two types of fender:
- full bumper type.
- half bumper type.
Wheel Arch:
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 :
Japan Regulations :
- The clearance "L" for tire, hub, cap and fender is to be measured within area K and create clearance check chart to validate.
- The value of L should be greater than 5mm at all points.
Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30° anticlockwise and 50° clockwise from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
European Regulations :
- The clearance "L" should be measured at defined sections SA, SB, SC, SD and SE and create clearance check chart to validate.
- At all the five sections the value of L should be greater than 10mm to qualify the European Regulations.
- Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30° anticlockwise and 50° clockwise from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
US Regulations :
- Clearance "L" is to be checked at all positions from -100° to 100° and create clearance check chart to validate.
- The value of L should be greater than 5mm to qualify the US regulations.
- Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30° anticlockwise and 50° clockwise from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
Calculations of wheel Arch area - European Regulations:
- For calculation of clearance between wheel Arch and wheel we have to create a sketch on the outer most face of the wheel or Tyre and the procedure as follows.
- From the given part file, we need to open in the NX cad and from the part file they give the fender and the wheel. So, now we need to check for the European regulations standard. Now we need to create the Datum plane at the outer most face of the wheel as shown in figure.
- After that in that plane we sketch the lines and the give the required angle from the reference of the European standard drawing by using the Rapid dimension.
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And using the text give the proper name to the lines and the dimensions are set as per the European standard as shown in the figure.
- Then we need to measure the distance from the outer most wheel to the outer most wheel arch for that we add the some ponits on the face and the angle line as shown in figure.
- And now using the analysis tab in the NX Cad in that click simple distance to measure the required distances as the European standard as shown in figure. from the SB line the clearence distance we measure is 43.52mm and the 50degree SC line the clearance distance is 38.30mm as shown in figure.
standards :
- "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree.
- "L" should be greater than 10mm
From the measuing for clearence are given below
1.for "a" values
SB = 43.52 mm
SC = 38.30 mm
2.for "L" values
SB-SB = +10.0 mm
SA-SA = + 9.96 mm
SC-SC = + 3.0 mm
SD-SD = + 0.93 mm
SE-SE = - 2.29 mm
| SECTION | L(>10MM) | RESULTS | A(>5MM) | RESULTS |
| SA-SA | 9.96 | FAIL | ||
| SB-SB | 10 | PASS | 43.52 | PASS |
| SC-SC | 3 | FAIL | 38.3 | PASS |
| SD-SD | 0.93 | FAIL | ||
| SE-SE | -2.29 | FAIL |
Conclusion :
From the above results we can conclude that the Fender does not pass the European Regulations as the minimum clearance between the fender arch wheel to the outer most wheel is 10 mm and this design does not meet the this minimum clearance so this fender design is fail for the European Regulation standard.