Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

#Challenge 4                              Fender Design- Wheel Arch

Name: Sri Gokul P

Course: Automotive Sheet Metal Design using Siemens NX CAD / CATIA V5

Wheel Arch in Fender:

• The function of the wheel arch is to protect from mud, and stone and during accidents help pedestrians and consider wrap-around distance for head impact.
• It is found in the distance from the outermost tyre to the L-shaped brackets in the fender and helps to determine the range of SRL.
• Different countries have different standards and regulations for compliance with the wheel arch of fenders, which means the vehicle's use permit requires it to comply with those standards.

 

Thus, we can see that standards and regulations vary from country to country.

1. US regulation.
2. European regulation.
3. Japanese regulation.

US regulation:

• In US regulation, the clearance ‘L’ is to be checked at all positions from -100° to 100°. Degree divided into 10⁰ and draw a line.
• The value of L should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulations.
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ should be more than 5mm at line 30° forward and 50° rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

 

Japanese regulation:

• In Japanese regulation, the clearance ‘L’ for tire, hub, cap and fender is to be measured within area K and create a clearance check chart to validate.
• The value of L should be more excellent than 5mm at all positions.
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ should be more than 5mm at line 30° forward and 50° rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

European regulation:

• The Clearance ‘L’ should be measured at sections SA-SA, SB-SB, SC-SC, SD-SD and SE-SE and create a clearance check chart to validate
• In all the five sections the value of L should be greater than 10mm to satisfy the European Regulations.
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ should be more than 5mm at line 30° forward and 50° rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

 

Calculate the Wheel Arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard.

Methodology:

• create a datum plane at the outermost face of the wheel.
• create a sketch on the new datum plane.
• Draw a Horizontal and vertical line across the centre of the wheel and make it a reference line.
• Draw a perpendicular line SA has dropped at the centre of the wheel draw the line at 30⁰ in the 2^nd quadrant and name it as SB and same as SC but 50⁰ in the 1^st quadrant respectively.
• From horizontal reference make line 150 mm. this line is SE. Draw a line between SC and SE and name it SD.

Clearance 'L' at SA L=9.94

Clearance 'L' at SB L= 10.00

Clearance 'L' at SC L=0.112

Clearance 'L' at SD L=5.115

Clearance 'L' at SE L=10.853

Conclusion:

Section	L<10mm	Pass/Fail
SA-SA	L=9.94	Fail
SB-SB	L=10	Pass
SC-SC	L=0.11	Fail
SD-SD	L=5.115	Fail
SE-SE	L=10.853	Pass

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.