Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge
Wheel Arch
An arch-shaped cavity in the body of a vehicle, which houses a wheel. Fenders form an arch on the front side of the vehicle body around each of the wheel openings. Wheel Arch Liners (WAL) are now much more than just covers to protect the bodywork. Their acoustic and aerodynamic properties make them indispensable components in modern vehicles. Providing extended protection and enhancing the exterior style of the vehicle with a more rugged appearance, the wheel arch protection is manufactured from a high-quality, durable plastic with an Anthracite coloured finish. Easy to fit, they are ideal for protecting the wheel arches when driving off-road. Fender Wheel Arch is the sem-circular part positioned above the wheel of the vehicle.
Fender Safety:
The fender is a part of the car, it is also used as a protecting the side of the engine compartment.
Pedestrian safety is also considered while designing a wheel arch in a fender since the debris in the wheel shouldn't hit them in the motion of the car.
Fender is also reduced pedestrian injury when there is a pedestrian-vehicle crash and prevent the throwing up of debris nearby vehicles.
Types of the fender:
There are two types of the fender. they are:
Full Bumper.
Half Bumper.
Full Bumper of the fender:
The full bumper is mostly cover the wheel part almost 18% as shown in the below.
Half Bumper of the fender:
Half Bumper helps reduce the weight of the fender at the same time it proves the safety of pedestrian moving motion as shown in the figure.
Fender design considerations:
Drip Area.
Wheel Arch.
Baffle and ORVM mount area.
Frontal crash regulation and requirements.
Different fender regulation by different countries are as follow :
JAPAN REQUIREMENTS FOR FENDER WHEEL ARC:-
Measure clearance L of tire, hub, cap, and fender in three different positions within area K and produce a clearance check chart to validate.
Clearance must be greater than 5mm in all three positions.
Wheel guard requirement: the value shall be more than 5mm at a line 30*forward and 50*rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
US STANDARDS REGULATION FOR FENDER WHEEL ARC: -
Make clearance check details on all positions from -100* to 100* and make the clearance check table.
All values should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulation.
The value of ‘a’ shall be more than 5mm at line 30* forward and 50*rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel.
EUROPEAN REGULATION: -
Measure CL L at section SA-SA-SB-SB-SC-SC-SD-SD-SE-SE and produce a CL check chart to validate.
In all five sections, the CL L value should be greater than 10mm to satisfy European regulations.
Wheel guard requirement: the value of ‘a’ shall be more than 5mm at a line 30*forward and 50*rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
PROCEDURE:
According to European standards, the design fender and wheel arc should pass the wheel guard requirement procedures.
To start the test, first, create a plane with the face of the wheel Arc.
Then sketch using lines along with given dimensions as SA, SB, SC, SD, and SE.
After sketching the project the intersection points onto the fender face.
Then use the measure distance tool and calculate the clearance between sketch lines and wheel arc.
- The clearance between the SA PINK line and wheel arc is 9.9490mm also the line SA lies outside the fender so it is a negative value.
- The clearance between SB RED line and wheel arc is 10mm also the line SB lies inside the fender so it is a positive value.
- The clearance between the SC ORENGE line and wheel arc is 0.1139mm also the line SC lies outside the fender so it is a negative value.
- The clearance between the SD GREEN line and wheel arc is 2.8818mm also the line SD lies outside the fender so it is a negative value.
- The clearance between the SE BLUE line and wheel arc is 5.9973 also the line SE lies outside the fender so it is a negative value.
REGION REQUIRED CLEARANCE ACTUAL CLEARANCE RESULT
SA 10MM 9.9490MM FAIL
SB 10MM 10MM PASS
SC 10MM 0.1139MM FAIL
SD 10MM 2.8818MM FAIL
SE 10MM 5.9973MM FAIL
RESULT:
From the above results we can conclude that the fender does not pass the European regulations, as the minimum clearance L between the fender wheel arch and wheel for vehicle and pedestrian safety is 10mm and this design does not meet the requirement