Bumper: description, device, types, purpose, repair, video, photo, prices

Story

Most sources mention 1930 as the year the bumper car was introduced. Henry Ford, owner of the Ford brand, ordered a U-shaped metal piece to be welded to the front of the car. This was the very first front bumper in the form in which you know it.

In 1989, Leopold Switak also installed such a buffer on a car that is now called Tatra. For a long time, vehicles did not have front or rear body kits at all, although some prudent drivers could install homemade buffer devices. More than eighty years later, that is, in 1971, in America everyone was required to install this important part of the car to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.

Along with the car bumper, the concept of safe impact speed appeared. It was initially set at 4 km/h, later raised to 8 km/h and indicated the speed at which the protective device neutralizes the impact and consequences of a collision for everyone in the car, as well as for the car itself. Now they use the first of these standards, which is considered less dangerous for pedestrians. Front and rear bumper reinforcements made from metal materials are placed in fiberglass, thermoplastic and other similar parts.

What is a bumper for?

The front bumper on a car is needed to protect against the consequences of a possible head-on collision of the car with other physical objects. For example, from a breakdown of the engine cooling system. In addition, now such parts have also begun to be used to raise the status of a car, that is, for its decoration and aerodynamic characteristics. In addition to the plastic protection itself, a bumper amplifier is used, which makes the decorative buffer one of the effective safety elements.

Now let’s figure out why plastic protection is mounted on the back of the car. The rear bumper is necessary as protection against a possible rear impact. For example, it will help when a car moving behind does not have time to brake and “drives” into the front car. The rear buffer softens the impact, which leads to damage to luggage, dents in the body and even casualties.

Steering

To move normally in a car, the driver needs to make turns, U-turns or detours, that is, deviate from straight-line movement, or simply control his car so that it does not drift to the side. For this purpose, its design provides steering control. This is one of the simplest mechanisms in a car. Let's look at the names of some of the elements below. The steering system consists of:

• steering wheel with steering column, this is the name of the ordinary shaft on which the steering wheel is rigidly mounted;

These devices consist of a steering system that is connected to the front wheels by steering and brakes.

• steering mechanism, consisting of a rack and pinion mounted on the steering column shaft, it converts the rotational movement of the steering wheel into translational movement of the rack in the horizontal plane;
• steering gear, which transmits the influence from the steering rack to the wheels to turn them, and includes side rods, a pendulum lever and wheel turning arms.

Modern cars use an additional element - power steering, which allows the driver to use less force to turn the steering wheel. It comes in the following types:

• mechanical;
• pneumatic booster;
• hydraulic;
• electric;
• combined electric hydraulic booster.

Types of bumpers and materials for their manufacture

A new front bumper installed on a car not only improves the safety of all road users, but also changes the appearance of the car. Car enthusiasts, independently or using the services of a service station, can install a buffer of one of the types listed below.

Types of plastic from which body kits are made:

1. Plastic. These integrated elastic fixtures are made from a one-piece plastic construction and are mounted on two or more brackets. Buffers made of various plastics provide excellent shock absorption, but are more likely to break than metal ones.
2. Carbon fiber. Carbon fiber body kits are rare and can be seen mainly on expensive supercars.
3. Fiberglass. A bumper made of good fiberglass looks great and lasts a long time. You can make it yourself if you have some skills, the necessary tools and enough fiberglass.
4. Metal. They are considered not very modern and functional, especially when installed without reinforcement. Nowadays, metal factory buffers are practically no longer made.
5. polypropylene, polyurethane.

Amplifiers increase the rigidity of the bumper, therefore they are used both for metal buffer products and to give strength to plastic parts.

Each body kit has markings that will help you understand what material it is made from. The following types of bumpers are distinguished:

• ABS (ABS/PC) - acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and its polymer alloys;
• PC - polycarbonate;
• PBT—polybutylene terephlorate;
• PP (PP/EPDM) - regular and ethylene diene polypropylene;
• PUR - polyurethane;
• PA - nylon or polyamide;
• PVC - polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
• GRP/SMC - fiberglass, thermosetting plastic;
• PE - polyethylene.

types of plastics in the automotive industry

In this article I want to talk about the main types of plastics used in the automotive industry. Nowadays, manufacturers are increasingly mixing different plastics, which complicates their selection when welding. Each plastic has its own marking, which is applied to the inside of the product, and looks, for example, like this >HDPE<.

>PP< polypropylene is the most common plastic. Almost any product can be made from it (bumpers, fender liners, protection, tanks, etc.). Available with markings >PP-T40<, >PP-T20< (headlights, air filter housings), >PP-EPDM< >PP-PE< (bumpers, fender liners), etc. >PE< polyethylene - more common in French cars. They make the same products as from polypropylene. Almost all the fuel tanks are still there. >ABS< Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is the most fragile plastic, but holds its shape well. It melts easily and can be easily repaired. Products that are not subject to loads and are more of an aesthetic nature are usually made from it (radiator grilles, trim, parts of the dashboard, etc.) >PA66< Polyamide 66 - has higher strength properties and deformation heat resistance. It melts very poorly, which makes it difficult to repair. Typically, products are made from it that are subject to load, temperature, pressure (sidewalls of radiators, intake manifolds, handles, tanks, etc.). >POM< polyformaldehyde - has a high strength-to-elasticity ratio, and also has good resistance to fatigue, deformation and abrasion. It melts easily and can be easily repaired. When welding it has a pungent odor. It is usually used to make window lift mechanisms, parts of fuel pumps, etc. >ASA< acrylonitrile styrene acrylate is a weather-resistant analogue of ABS plastic. In repair, it differs from ABS in that it is very difficult to weld. >HDPE< Low-density polyethylene is a lightweight, elastic thermoplastic material.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage for any buffer that needs to be repaired is the possibility of thermal or other instrumental processing of the material.

Plastic bumpers have a low price. Silicone models are ergonomic, they have less rigidity and are easy to repair. Plastic with a high degree of rigidity can crack, its repair is more difficult and expensive. Therefore, it is better to choose silicone material than plastic.

Metal power buffers are reliable. Basically, such parts are installed on SUVs or by extreme driving enthusiasts. However, bulky body kits are not popular and are unreasonably heavy to install on a passenger car.

Main types

Before you understand what a car body is made of, you need to identify the main types of its design. Mass-produced passenger cars are produced in the following main types:

There are other types, but these three are the main and most common.

The sedan body type is the most popular. The serial sedan has four doors for passengers, an engine compartment and a luggage compartment. This type of body is the most optimal for transporting passengers and small luggage.

A hatchback is a car with two doors for passengers, an engine compartment and a luggage compartment not shared with the passenger compartment. This type has limitations on the cargo it can carry, and is also not very convenient for transporting passengers. However, this implementation has its advantages. Cars in this type of body have a lower weight and size, which has a positive effect on its efficiency in relation to fuel consumption.

Bumper device

The new bumpers are designed as follows: the main part is attached to the car frame using special brackets; between them there is a beam and an additional stiffening element in the form of an insert of a cellular structure, forming an energy-absorbing element.

• the front or rear buffer itself. more often - with rounded corners extending onto the sides of the car body;
• fasteners and guides;
• strengthener of bumper;
• the mesh protects against solid debris getting between the body kit and the radiator, which will subsequently penetrate into the engine;
• front and rear bumper spoiler. An element that helps improve the aerodynamic properties of a car;
• lip, body kit or bumper skirt. Additional aerodynamic element of the machine;
• the splitter redistributes the air that blows over the speeding car;
• deflector or boot. Refers to the protection of the lower part of the car;
• front bumper tow hook plug;
• overlays. Installed for additional protection of the device, mainly on the rear bumper;
• parking sensors A device that gives signals to the driver as the buffer approaches an obstacle.

Fasteners for the safety buffer can be brackets or other special parts designed to fix the device. Not all of the above components are present in every vehicle buffer. For example, the mesh is not always installed, and the bumper trim may also be missing.

Front and rear bumpers are an essential part of a car. They have aesthetic and aerodynamic properties. However, their most important function is driving safety during minor collisions of the car with other cars or obstacles.

Bumper as an element of style and beauty of a car

Many car enthusiasts strive to ensure that their car attracts as much attention as possible. Tuning studios offer a wide range of services to transform your car into an individual project that will not go unnoticed by other road users on public roads.

An integral part of car tuning is replacing the standard car bumper with a more extravagant and sophisticated bumper. The functions of a car bumper are not only to protect the car, but also to fit harmoniously into the overall style of the car.

When choosing a new bumper, you should take into account many nuances that may subsequently affect the car’s behavior on the road. One of these nuances, for example, is that the bent edges of the bumpers serve as spoilers, increasing downforce and preventing the birth of a vortex behind the stern. There are bumpers combined with front spoilers. The functions of such unique bumpers are very important. They allow air to flow upward and forward into the radiator vents and brake discs. By lowering the pressure, the spoiler presses the car to the road, thereby improving handling.

Also, when purchasing a new bumper, you should pay great attention to the manufacturer and, most importantly, to the material from which the bumper is made. Not only the aerodynamic characteristics of the car, but also the safety of pedestrians depend on the material.

MAIN PURPOSE OF A CAR BUMPER

The car bumper should not only withstand impact, but also fit harmoniously into the design. This became possible thanks to modern synthetic materials. As a rule, the bent edges of the bumpers serve as spoilers, increasing downforce and preventing the birth of a vortex behind the stern.

Gradually, the bumper turns into a gentle creature that itself needs protection.
Rubberized strips are glued onto them, and the bottom is protected with replaceable black skirts. And all the same, repairs of such beauty are sometimes more expensive than body work. Therefore, parking devices are increasingly being installed on cars, teaching drivers to engage in contactless parking. Everything is heading towards the point where we will say: “Goodbye, bumper!” Its place will be taken by the Front-end - a module that combines shock-absorbing elements, lighting equipment, parts of the cooling system and air conditioning system. “Frontends” will make life easier for car manufacturers: instead of a dozen parts, a ready-made unit comes that only needs to be installed on the car. The advantages are obvious - installation takes less time, assembly accuracy increases

The evolution of the car bumper: from iron to plastic

The original purpose of a car bumper is to absorb the energy generated during a collision at low speeds. If we look at early cars, we won’t see any bumpers - there were few cars, and they drove very slowly.

How it all began

However, there were manufacturers who were ahead of their time. On some Packard models, bumpers were available as optional equipment as early as the 1920s. Well, one of the first production cars with a bumper in the “base” was the Ford Model A.

Its bumpers were made of two thin metal plates connected by jumpers and elastic brackets, which spring back and retain their shape upon a slight impact. Although bumpers later became an important, integral part of the design, at first they looked almost the same on cars of all brands.

Pictured: Ford Model A 1927

Pictured: Duesenberg Model J 1929

It soon became clear that the capabilities of such bumpers were not enough and they needed to be strengthened. Thin strips of steel were replaced by massive cross beams, and now in the event of an accident, energy absorption was achieved not through the spring effect, but by crushing the metal.

In addition to improving the utilitarian qualities, steps were taken to change the unpretentious appearance of the structure in the form of transforming the jumpers into solid, massive chrome “fangs” and the invention of a monolithic bumper.

Purpose of the bumper absorber

Modern cars are designed in accordance with strict safety rules, developed literally in blood. According to these rules, a vehicle must be designed to absorb impact energy during a collision and minimize risks to the driver, passengers and pedestrians. This is achieved by using components that convert kinetic energy into deformation energy, that is, they act as a cushion that softens the blow and its consequences. These components include both body parts and special parts - front and rear bumpers.

Bumpers have long ceased to be simple iron beams rigidly mounted on the body. Today, cars, SUVs and many minibuses use composite bumpers, which in the simplest case consist of three parts:

– Rigid steel beam – bumper reinforcement; – Absorber, or energy absorber (the name comes from the word “absorption” - absorption); – Plastic lining (in fact, we call it a “bumper”; some manufacturers call it a bumper trim).

The absorber (energy absorber) in the bumper is responsible for safety; the lining partially takes on this role. The function of the absorber is simple: upon impact, it deforms or breaks (depending on the force of the impact), as a result of which it absorbs energy and reduces the negative consequences. Moreover, the absorber is necessary not so much for the safety of the car as for the safety of the pedestrian - the presence of this part greatly reduces the likelihood of fractures and serious leg injuries.

The properties of the absorber are achieved by the features of its design and the materials used for its manufacture. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

Car body

The basis of any car is its body, which is the body of the car that houses the driver, passengers and cargo. It is in the body that all other elements of the car are located. One of its main purposes is to protect the people and cargo in it from the influence of the external environment.

Usually the body is mounted on a frame, but there are also cars with a frameless design, and then the body simultaneously performs the functions of a frame. The car body structure is:

• single-volume, when the engine, passenger and cargo compartments are located in one volume (an example would be minivans or vans);
• two-volume, in which the engine compartment is provided, and places for passengers and cargo are combined in one volume (station wagons, hatchbacks, crossovers and SUVs);
• three-volume, where there are separate compartments for each part of the car body - cargo, passenger and engine (pick-ups, sedans and coupes).

Depending on the nature of the load, the body can have three types:

Most modern passenger cars have a supporting structure that absorbs all the loads acting on the car. The general structure of a passenger car body includes the following basic elements:

• spars, which are load-bearing beams in the form of a rectangular profile pipe, they are front, rear and roof spars;

Body load-bearing system. This system allows you to reduce the weight of the vehicle, lower the center of gravity, and therefore increase driving stability.

• pillars - structural elements that support the roof (front, rear and middle);
• beams and cross members, which are located at the roof, side members, under the engine mounts, and each row of seats, there is also a front cross member and a radiator cross member;
• thresholds and floors;
• wheel arches.

Types and design of modern absorbers

As already mentioned, the absorber converts kinetic energy into deformation energy, which minimizes the consequences of a collision. At the same time, rather contradictory requirements are placed on the absorber: it must resist low-energy impacts well, but deform and absorb energy during a more severe collision. These requirements are met by the use of special materials and design solutions.

Currently, three types of absorbers are used:

– Solid foam plastic (made of medium-density polystyrene foam); – Solid plastic; – Absorbers with crumbly fillers (glass beads).

Foam absorbers are the simplest and most effective; today they are widely used in cars of all price categories. This material is easy to process; an energy absorber of any complex shape can be made from it. The foam has sufficient rigidity so as not to break during weak collisions, while it is elastic and “springy.” But with strong impacts, such an absorber breaks and acts as an effective damper. True, polystyrene foam is quite fragile, so it can break without any accident.

Plastic absorbers are more durable and reliable; they have a cellular structure, due to which damping properties are achieved. Plastic is more resistant to weak impacts, so this energy absorber will not break from a slight collision with an obstacle or when driving on a bad road.

The most complex and expensive are absorbers with filler. Typically, glass beads are used as filler, which absorb impact energy well. Such absorbers are not very common today; they are usually used on expensive cars.

Absorbers of all types have a fundamentally identical design. They are made in the form of a beam of one or another section (most often a channel or I-beam), has stiffening ribs, as well as a number of mounting and technological holes. The energy absorber is rigidly mounted on the bumper reinforcement. There is usually a small gap between the bumper lining and the absorber, allowing the lining to deform during mild impacts.

You will be surprised how technologically advanced these simple holes in the car body are.

If you've ever been to a car scrap yard or removed a rear bumper from a car, you've definitely seen them. In the lower part of the body, at the rear, there are slots hidden from prying eyes, covered with rubber blinds. Why are they there? Ventilation? I thought so too when I was a kid, but in fact their feature set is a little more interesting and sophisticated. After all, these are pressure relief valves.

Yes, you usually don't notice these exhaust vents (also called pressure relief valves) because they are hidden under the plastic bumper cover on the outside and the trunk trim on the inside.

These valves can be found on literally every car. Technological holes are located in almost the same places. Their design is simple:

Plastic housing with partitions

Elastic rubber plugs - valves - are hung on the partitions

The latter open when the pressure inside the cabin increases compared to what is outside. But as soon as it becomes equal, the curtains immediately close under their own weight.

Accordingly, one of the reasons for the existence of these “holes” is to relieve pressure when closing the doors. Increased pressure can cause discomfort for passengers and the driver, and it will be more difficult to slam the door, requiring several attempts with great effort. Moreover, the difference in pressure, even if small, will negatively affect windows and seals. From time to time, air may begin to pass through the sealed cracks with an unpleasant squeak from the inside to the outside. In general, not critical, but unpleasant things.

These holes also have a second function, which you most likely already guessed - ventilation. Due to the valves hidden under the rear bumper, the windows from the inside will fog up faster, the operation of forced ventilation and air conditioning will be more efficient (if the pressure in the car interior was slightly higher than the outside pressure, the fans would not be able to blow air through the entire cabin and the rear passengers would suffocate from the heat and high humidity ). The circulation of fresh air will also improve, and draft will appear from the windshield to the trunk itself.

This way, passengers will receive a steady flow of air into the cabin without having to open the windows or turn on the air conditioning.

Here's how Chrysler described the importance of valve installation in a 1965 patent:

Yes, these modest valves are on the body of your car. And you most likely haven't heard of them. And by the way, you can see for yourself how important they are.

Source

Issues of operation and replacement of absorbers

Absorbers do not require compliance with any special operating rules and do not require maintenance. However, this part should be checked periodically to ensure its integrity (especially if the car has a foam energy absorber). If the absorber is damaged for one reason or another (usually this occurs during a collision), then it must be replaced. This operation is performed in accordance with the operating, repair and maintenance instructions for the specific vehicle.