Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Objective:

To examine the given fender design to verify if the wheel arch of the fender meets the European Standards.

Explanation:

• Fender is a metal or plastic enclosure over the wheels of an automobile or other vehicle to protect against splashing mud, etc.
• Its primary purpose is to to prevent sand,mud,rocks, liquid,and other road spray from being throw into air by the rotating tire.
• Fenders are typically rigid and can be damaged by contact with the road surface. 
• A fender is the part of a car that protects and frames its wheels and keeps mud from splashing it.
• When vehicle is moving tire pick up stones and others and hurt them in all direction. Fenders are basically present to prevent any pedestrians' injuries and constrain these particles' motion.
• The wheel arch for every region is different ass every region has different regulations. Condition of road is one of the main factor in defining this regulations.

Types of fender:

There are two types of fenders, full bumper type, and half bumper type.

There are many factors that need to be considered during designing the fenders of the vehicle. One of them is the wheel arch area.

In a fender, the wheel arch is the semicircular part that is positioned above the wheel of the vehicle. While designing the fender care must be taken that the wheel arch of the fender meets the required standards.

Different standards of the wheel arch area requirements

Different countries follow different regulations based upon the country's road conditions, government regulations, geography, climate, and various other factors.

Therefore in our case, i.e. for the wheel arch area calculation, we will have a look at three different standards.

The main purpose of the wheel arch area regulation is that seeing the front fender and tire from the top, the tire must be inside the fender by a certain distance

1. Japanese Standards

Measure clearance L of the 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 5 mm in all the three positions (i.e., at A, B, C from fender curvature)

Wheel guard requirement: The value of 'a' shall be more than 5 mm at line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

2. European Standards

Measure Clearance L at sections SA-SA, SB-SB, SC-SC, SD-SD, SE-SE and produce CL check chart to validate.

In all five sections, the Clearance L value should be greater than 10 mm to satisfy the European regulations.

Wheel guard requirement: The value of 'a' shall be more than 5 mm at line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

3. American Standards

Make clearance check details on all positions from -100* to 100* and 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 line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

By considering the European Standards we will examine the given part:

We will examine the given fender design as per the European standards mentioned below

We will start by constructing the points of measurement for the wheel arch area.

Next, we will note down the clearance values

SA Measurement:

SB Measurement:

SC, SD and SE Measurement:

The below chart shows the Actual value of clearance between tire and wheel arch/wheel well

Conclusion:

AS per European regulation requirements the clearance at a given point should be a minimum of 10mm, more than 10mm can be accepted but at only one point there is a 10mm clearance and at the other point clearance value is less than 10mm so the car will not pass the standards. the design of the fender needs to modify Out of the 5 lengths the front fender failed to meet requirements in 4 naming SA, SC, SD, and SE, and meet the requirement in only one length SB. So, the styling team should adjust the curve of the Wheel Arch to meet the requirement