Q&A: Hexagon and Hendrick Motorsports open up about re-ignited partnership and metrology considerations

Earlier this year, Manufacturing Quality covered the news of Hexagon's metrology partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. The collaboration will see Hexagon supply Hendrick Motorsports with the latest scanning, measuring, and digitisation technologies as the team aims to reach its 300th Cup victory and 500th NASCAR national series engine win. 

Here, Roy Crump, Quality Control Supervisor at Hendrick Motorsports, Tad Merriman, Engine Engineering Manager and Quality Control Manager at Hendrick Motorsports, and Scott Grumbles, Commercial Operations Manager at Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Division, discuss the motivation behind the two companies re-igniting their partnership, specific inspection applications, and the impact of metrology within the motorsport sector. 

MQ: How did the Hendrick Motorsports partnership come about?

TM: This is the second partnership between Hexagon and Hendrick Motorsports, as we previously worked together in the mid-20-teens. The re-ignition of this partnership began with a desire to increase our commitment to quality on both the racing and contract manufacturing fronts. We sent personnel to the IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) trade show in September 2022 to engage with companies in the quality industry and reconnected with Hexagon. Since the previous partnership ended, much of the leadership for both companies had changed, so there was a brief period of introduction. However, there was a core group from both Hexagon and Hendrick Motorsports who understood the value of the partnership, which allowed this iteration to form quite quickly.

SG: After the previous partnership ended, Hexagon continued to work closely with many of the engineers and other users of our technologies at Hendrick, and even implemented new technology. While at IMTS in 2022, I met with a group from Hendrick, including Alex Stamper (Business Development Representative), Tad Merriman, and Megan Horn (Manager of Operational Excellence). With that level of commitment walking the trade show, it was apparent that Hendrick was serious about augmenting its metrology capabilities. Within a few weeks, we were sitting in the boardroom at Hendrick with top-level management from both companies. After that meeting, it was clear that the partnership would benefit both Hendrick and Hexagon.

MQ: What do you consider to be the most effective change you will bring to the Hendrick Motorsports operations?

RC: The biggest changes at Hendrick Motorsport will be a cultural change in how we QC (quality control) our parts, and how we use them. NASCAR has put us in such a tight box that we have to make sure all the parts we have are compliant to NASCAR rules. The technologies allow us to grade the quality of our parts so we can determine which parts can provide the biggest performance advantage on the track. Instead of just putting parts on the car, we now ask ourselves, “Is this the best part? Can we measure these parts and grade them based on the results of the measurements?” We want to quantify all parts, and the tools from Hexagon allow us to do that.

TM: This partnership will certainly provide Hendrick Motorsports with the technological abilities of Hexagon metrology equipment, but the key to taking full advantage of this relationship is access to people from Hexagon who have technical acumen. We truly believe that the people using the tools are what make us successful, and the ability to work with these individuals to improve our methods and processes is the real value of the relationship.

SG: Hexagon and Hendrick can speak engineer-to-engineer about new tools Hexagon is developing to accelerate inspection time and improve efficiencies even as we help Hendrick implement its new systems. Among those systems are an optical CMM (coordinate measuring machine) and a robotically loaded CMM for measuring smaller components, which helps free up valuable manpower for more useful tasks. The value to Hexagon is that our engineers and developers receive important feedback in terms of how we can improve both hardware and software to the benefit of Hendrick and other users.

MQ: Following Hexagon’s sponsorship of the new Quality Control Lab at the Hendrick Motorsports campus, what level of involvement will the company have with the facility?

TM: Hexagon is the presenting sponsor of the Hendrick Motorsports Centre for Quality Excellence and will have access to the facility to utilise as a working showroom for current and potential customers. Hexagon will also have access to our campus for tours and corporate events.

SG: Hexagon will continue to serve as a sounding board for measurement concepts and techniques. The adage that ‘two heads is better than one’ is magnified when these two groups collaborate.

MQ: Can you tell us about specific metrology applications Hexagon’s technology will be used for?

RC: Hexagon portable measuring arms are used for measuring the chassis and suspension components to input into our simulation tools. The arms and the AS1 (Absolute Scanner) scanners are used during the body hanging build process to maximise the aerodynamic performance of the car. The equipment is also used for reverse engineering parts to speed up the design process and improve the accuracy of the parts created by the design group.

During the setup process, the arms are used to measure suspension features on the car to validate their location to the desired location from the simulation tool. They also check for certain suspension parameters to make sure they are compliant with NASCAR’s rules.

In the final stages before the car is loaded, final body and underwing details are verified and adjusted to get the last pieces of aerodynamic performance for the race car.

Finally, we have a Leica tracker that we use to verify that our fixtures and plates correct and calibrated.

TM: Hendrick Motorsports has already taken delivery of a 7.10.7 SF CMM that will be utilised in the engine production facility for inspection of in-process pistons and other first articles from the internal CNC shop. This shop-floor machine is well suited for the work environment, where inspection can be performed near the point of use rather than being tucked away in a lab. This has allowed us to improve the parts flow through the shop as well as increase capacity within the existing QC lab by relocating this work.

MQ: With the partnership between Hexagon and Hendrick Motorsports lasting a decade, what does the future hold for the collaboration?

RC: For Hendrick Motorsports? More wins and championships! Realistically, the future holds tools that will help elevate the QC group to in turn help the race teams find performance. For Hexagon, I hope it holds a fantastic showroom that can be used to demonstrate use cases for the tools it provides.

TM: The duration of this partnership will allow both companies to build solid relationships between the SMEs (small to medium enterprises) on both sides. As we mentioned previously, the people are what make the difference and having those relationships for upwards of 10 years allows for a level of trust to develop that cannot be duplicated in a short period of time. Hendrick Motorsports has partners that have been in place for more than 20 years and the people you get to know over that time become more than just business associates. We also believe that these partnerships are two-way streets and that each participant can make the other better. We could not have the success that we have had without our partners, but we believe that we can make our partners better, as well.

SG: As collaboration takes place and information is exchanged, there’s opportunity for the development of improved hardware and software that will ultimately better serve Hendrick Motorsports. In line with this close relationship, the Hendrick Motorsports campus will also become a site at which new concepts can be demonstrated and where we can receive valuable feedback from Hendrick as a high-end user of our systems.

MQ: Can you share your insights on the importance of metrology (hardware and software) technologies in the motorsport sector?

RC: The tools allow us to quantify the quality and performance capability of parts, chassis, and aerodynamic properties of the race car. The tools are also important for helping improve the correlation between real-life and simulation tools.

TM: We delivered a presentation at HxGN Live this year about the evolution of measurement in motorsports, and one of the key points of that talk was how much effort is required to make very small gains in performance. As motorsports have evolved, the constraints we are required to work within have become significantly tighter, so the margins have become ever smaller. We coined the phrase “measuring for performance, not for conformance” to illustrate that we now use instruments such as the portable arms and CMMs to characterise the components of the race car not just for acceptance, but for tuning, as well. Having the ability to understand the features of our inventory and combine components in a favourable way is a distinct performance advantage and one that is only going to increase in significance over time.