What is a car bumper and what is its history?
Car bumper, as its name suggests, is a kind of protection for the car; Protection against possible blows. In fact, the car bumper is supposed to prevent the transfer of blows to important internal components to some extent. Each car has a bumper at the back and one at the front, which are responsible for protecting it on both sides. The first bumper was used on cars in 1897. But the use of this part in the body of cars became quite common since 1927 and since then the bumper has become an inseparable part of cars. The first mass-produced cars that entered the market with bumpers were the Ford A series. Of course, the bumper cannot protect the car 100%. But it can largely repel the initial pressure and power of the blows. Another use of the car bumper can be seen as beautifying the appearance of the car. To the extent that the different design of the bumper in different cars is of great interest and its form is always considered as one of the main components of the body in the analysis of the car's appearance design. Due to the special impact of the bumper on the appearance of the car, the designers pay special attention to its form and model.
⏬ Types of car bumpers ⏬
Car bumper is divided into three different types based on this:
Fiberglass bumper
Plastic bumper
Plated bumper
It should be added that in the past, the bumper was placed on the car as a separate part of the body, but in today's designs, the bumper is designed and made integrally with the body. Also, currently, composite shields are the most commonly used shields, which we see in two types, polymer-based and metal-based. Metal shields are also used only in some off-road or military vehicles. Of course, some types of sensors and radars are used in some modern cars, which can help to increase the efficiency of the bumper and protect the car's body and technical components as much as possible.
⏬ The main parts of the car bumper ⏬
This part actually includes the outer part of the shield. What we see from the bumper on a car is the front of the bumper. The forehead, which is the upper part and the outer covering of the bumper, has a direct effect on enhancing the appearance of the car and does not play a role in the impact section. The forehead can be made of plastic or metal. Luxury and expensive cars usually use chrome or steel fronts.
This part is the lower part of the forehead that absorbs blows. In this way, usually the kinetic energy entered into the car in various collisions is absorbed and rejected by this part. 3. Transverse beam
The bumper absorber may not be able to completely prevent the transfer of impact to the body and may not have the necessary ability to completely repel the energy of the collision. At this stage, the transverse beam comes into play. The transverse beam is placed between the bumper and the body and acts as a support for the absorber. The transverse beam is usually made of hollow sections of the profile and helps the absorber to perform its task. The transverse beam is a kind of ossification of the car bumper and its health is of particular importance. The bumper is connected to the car with the help of brackets, which are special connections. Brackets are usually shields.