Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Aim :

• To Prepare a report explaining the different fender regulations
• Analyse the given data whether the Wheel Arc will pass the standards or not.
• There are many standards which normally varies place to place or region to region and theire road structure. Ex., U.S., Japanese, Europe

Fender Introduction :

• Fender is US English term for part of a automobile that frames a wheel well.
• Fender is situated above the wheel of the car to prevent from sand, rocks,liquid and road spray during rotation of tyre.Also reduces pedestrian vehicle collison and prevent throwing up of debris to nearby vehicles.
• Most of the passenger vehicles have 4 fender, 2 Front fender - 2 Rear fender. Usually the front fender is designed separately, the rear fender comes along with the body structure.

Types of fender :

1. Full bumper type : Conventional type used in this bumper. This fender covers the wheel almost eighty percent as shown in the below pic. Disadvantages - To manufacture it will need bigger section of raw material also the scrap after trimming operations will be more than another type of fender.

2.Half bumper type : As shown in the attached pic this type of bumper helps in reducing the weight of fender at thesame time it improves the safety of pedestrian moving.

Fender mounting areas:

1. Drip Area (Which is in direct contact with engine)

2. A pillar

3. Sill

4. Cowl (Wiper mounting area)

Fender Design Consideration:

1. Wheel Arc

2. Drip Area

3. Frontal crash regulations and requirements.

4. Baffle and ORVM (Outside rear view mirror) mount area.

Various standatd to design front fender:

1. Japanese Standard - According to japanese standard clearance length for the wheel arch will be 5mm or morethan 5mm.
2. U.S. Standard - According to U.S. standard clearance length for the wheel arch will be 5mm or morethan 5mm.
3. European standard - According to European standard clearance length for the wheel arch will be 10mm or morethan 10mm.

Let,s take European standard to measurement Wheel arch clearance.

• Wheel CTR is wheel center point.
• SA,SB,SC,SD,SE are the points on the wheel from where it is projected to the wheel arch to measure the distance.

Wheel Arch Measurement :

'L' Clearance Value at points SA,SB,SC,SD,SE :

SA point length measuement: 9.9490mm < 10mm

SB point length measuement: 10mm=10mm

SC point length measuement: 0.113949mm < 10mm

SD point length measuement: 2.8875mm < 10mm

SE point length measuement: 5.9973mm < 10mm

'L' CLEARANCE OBSERVATION TABLE :

Measuring the value of 'a' at line 30° forward from the central vertical axis of wheel :

Measuring the value of 'a' at line 50° rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel :

OBSERVATION TABLE FOR CLEARANCE 'a' :

Conclusion :

As per the above observations and measurements it was observed that the value 'L' at section SA,SC,SD,SE is lower than required clearance which is 10mm more than 10mm and therefore it does not satisfy European regulations, the clearance value 'a' was observed more than 5mm or required clearance at a line 30° forward and 50° rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel.

SUGGETIONS TO STYLING TEAM :

To look in to above observations table and make changes in fender accordingly & Resubmit the Fender design to Sheet Metal design engineer for recalculations of wheel arc.