Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

FENDER DESIGN - WHEEL ARCH CALCULATION:

• OBJECTIVE:
  • Calculate the Wheel Arc area of European Standard and prove whether the car will pass the standards or Not.
• INTRODUCTION:
  • The wheel arch is an arch-shaped cavity in the body of a vehicle, which houses a wheel. It has two important functions. It serves for the safety of pedestrians and other cars because the wheel is situated in the body of a vehicle. The second function is to protect the car from the sticky materials, such as mud, may adhere to the smooth outer tire surface, while smooth loose objects, such as stones, can become temporarily embedded in the tread grooves as the tire rolls over the ground. These materials can be ejected from the surface of the tire at high velocity as the tire imparts kinetic energy to the attached objects. For a vehicle moving forward, the top of the tire is rotating upward and forward and can throw objects into the air at other vehicles or pedestrians in front of the vehicle.
  • 
• TYPES OF WHEEL ARCH REGULATIONS:
  • JAPAN REGULATIONS:
    • Measure clearance L of tire ,hub, cap & fender in three different positions within area K and produce clearance check chart to validate.
    • Clearance must be greater than 5 mm in all the three positions.
    • Wheel guard reqmt: The value of a shall be more than 5 mim at a line 30" forward and 50 rearward from the central vertical axis of axis of wheel.
    • 
  • EUROPEAN REGULATIONS:
    • Measure CL L at sections SA-SA SB-SB SC-SC SD-SD SE-SE and produce CL check chart to validate.
    • At all five sections the CL L value should be greater than 10 mm to satisfy the European regulations.
    • Wheel guard regmt: The value of 'a shall be more than 5 mm at a line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of axis of wheel.
    • 
  • US REGULATIONS:
    • Make clearance check details on all positions from -100* to 100* & make the clearance check table.
    • All values should be greater than 5 mm to satisfy the regulations. The value of 'a' shall be more than 5 mm at a line 30* forward and 50*.
    • rearward from the central vertical axis of axis of wheel.
    • 
• ANALYSIS:
  • There are different regulations in this regard based on different regions. This analysis has been done according to European Regulations.
  • The part file was opened using NX CAD and the points were plotted on the wheel arch after taking the required measurements from the wheel centre.
  • 
  • 
  • The clearance value 'L' was measured and found to be as follows:

  • Section	Required Clearance (mm)	Measured Clearance ‘L’ (mm)	Remarks
    SB	10	10	Pass
    SA	10	9.95	Fail
    SC	10	0.12	Fail
    SD	10	2.88	Fail
    SE	10	5.98	Fail

  • From the above observations the positions SA SC SD SE are less than 10mm which is necessary to pass the European standards. Hence, the frontfender wheel arch does not pass the European standard.

• SUGGESTIONS TO STYLING TEAM:
  • The styling team is required to modify the styling surface of the fender such that the clearance "L" at sections SA, SC, SD and SE is equal to ar greater than 10 mm by increasing the curvature at those sections towards outside.