Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Fender is the sheet metal cover of wheel or the engine compartment. It is attached to the side frame of a car. Its main purpose is to prevent sand, stone particles or mud being thrown inside the engine compartment or outside to any pedastrian. Wheel arch is the semi circular plastic part that is attached to the fender, it also has similar applications. Design of an wheel arch should comply with the standards and regulation of the respective country. Because of different road conditions the gap between the wheel arch and the wheel has different values in different countries.

European standard for wheel arch design

For the European standards we first draw a horizontal line from the wheel centre. From the vertical line SA we then draw another line SB, 30° anti clockwise from SA. Another line SC, 50° clockwise from SA. this so far similar to the Japanese standard. Additionaly we have to take a point 150 mm above vertically in the wheel arch then joins the point and wheel centre by a line SE. We create a mid point between SE and SC, joins that too with the wheel centre by a line SD. Now all that points created in the wheel arch needs to have a 10 mm distance from the wheel surface.

Validation of the given part file

Here we have created the necessary drawings in the given .prt file to analyze the wheel arch design following european standards.

Distance of the five points from the tire surface.

Required Distance	Actual Distance	Result
10	10	Passed
10	9.94	Failed
10	- 0.112	Failed
10	- 2.844	Failed
10	-5.9018	Failed

So as we can see the only one point among the five satisfy the european standards rest fails to do so. But to qualify the the standard all five needs to have a distance of 10 mm so this wheel arch design is not fit for european road conditions.