Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Aim

Check the wheel arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standards

Introduction

Wheel arch is the arch shaped part in the body of a car the wheels of the car will be housed inside this section. its main function are providing safety for pedestrians and other cars by providing a covering for the wheels and also protecting the car from gravels, muds and other sticky materials which are thrown over by the tyre when it move over them.

Wheel arch standards

Japanese Regulation Requirement

• Measure clearance L of tire, hub, cap and fender in three different positions within area K and produce clearance check chart to validate.
• clearance must be greater than 5 mm in all three positions.
• Wheel guard room requirements: The value of 'a' shall be more than 5mm at a line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of axis of wheel.

European Regulation Requirement

• Measure CL and L at sections SA-SA SB-SB SC-SC SD-SD SE-SE and produce CL and check chart to validate
• At all sections CL value should be higher than 10mm to satisfy the European regulations
• Wheel guard requirements: the value of 'a' should be 5mm at a line 30* forward and 50* rearward from central axis of axis of wheel

US Regulation Requirement

• make clearance check details on all positions from-100* to 100* and make the clearance check table
• All value should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulations
• The value of 'a' should be higher than 5mm at a line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of axis of wheel

Procedure

European standards are used for checking the feasibility of the fender here

Given file is opened in Catia and SA SB SC SD SE is marked based on the standards

Clearence value of L was measured and found to be as follows

Section	Required Clearence (mm)	Measured Clearence (mm)	Remarks
SA	10	9.948	fail
SB	10	10	pass
SC	10	0.114	fail
SD	10	2.879	fail
SE	10	5.976	fail

Conclusion

The value of SA SC SD SE is below 10mm which is the required value based on European standards. This given fender doesnt follow the standards. So, the styling team should modify the fender so that the value of L should be greater than or equal 10mm in the regions SA, SB, SC, SD and SE.