Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge
Aim
To Calculate the Wheel Arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standards.
Introduction
Wheel arch comes with some standard specifications. When viewed from the front or top side of the vehicle, if the tyre is protruding outside the fender, that would lead to more chipping while driving.
Taking these factors into consideration, the wheel/tyre has to be positioned inside the tyre.
Fender
The wheel arch area of the fender is usually designed as cover over the tyre along its perimeter to stop any stones or debris, 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.
Different countries have different wheel arch regulations in place the wheel arch of fenders must be compliant with the standards and regulations set by respective countries. and the wheel arch design has to comply with them to be deemed usable in that country.
The European rules requires a pre-determined clearance of minimum 10mm distance, which is to to be maintained b/w the fender and respective tyre at particular points.
Types of fenders
1)Full bumper type
2)Half bumper type
Wheel arch
The Wheel arch is the semicircular part that is positioned above the wheel of the vehicle.It is designed in such a way that it protects both the pedestrains adn the lower portion of the vehicle.
Fender wheel arch regulations
European regulations
Here,we are calculating the wheel arch gap for the european standards.
1)The clearance "L" should be measured at defined sections SA, SB, SC, SD and SE and create clearance check chart to validate.
2)At all the five sections the value of L should be greater than 10mm to qualify the European Regulations.
3)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.
Calculation,
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.
Standards are,
1)"a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree.
2)"L" should be greater than 10mm.
Obtaining the clearance 'L' at designated points,
1)Clearance at SA-SA
The 'L' value is 10mm
2)Clearance at SB-SB
The 'L' value is -10mm (minus sign denoted only for the direction)
3)Clearance at SC-SC
The 'L' value is 0.069688mm.
4)Clearance at SD-SD
The 'L' value is 0.0397mm.
5)Clearance at SE-SE
The 'L' value is 0.1935mm.
Results are tabulated as follows,
| SKETCH | VALUE | REPORT |
| SA-SA | 10mm | Pass |
| SB-SB | 10mm | Pass |
| SC-SC | 0.069688mm | Fail |
| SD-SD | 0.0397mm | Fail |
| SE-SE | 0.1935mm | Fail |
Conclusion,
From the above results it is said that it does not pass the european regulations, the minimum clearance value between the fender arch to the outer most wheel is 10mm and this design does not meet the minimum clearance value so,this fender design doesn't meet the european standards.