Nikon's video measuring system secures continued success for Roush Yates Engines

"Since 2016, we have leveraged the assets of Nikon to have accurate, repeatable, and faster data so we can reduce development time and increase our speed to market."

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Through its partnership, Roush Yates Engines and Ford Performance have achieved over 440 combined victories and three NASCAR Cup Series championships since 2004. In the engine supplier's venture for continued success, it has turned to Nikon Metrology to help the company perfect both on-track and off-track products.

Roush Yates Engines chose Nikon’s iNEXIV VMA-4540 video measuring system in the hope that the system will provide a reliable process for inspecting parts. Included within this process, Nikon’s product will help the users understand how and why parts wear or fail. Overall, Roush Yates Engines hope that the VMS will enhance its measurement and inspection processes.

About Roush Yates Engines

Roush Yates Engines is a well-established engine provider in the North American auto racing circles. It will soon be celebrating its 20th anniversary in the business, with both Roush Yates Engines and Roush Performance having a large amount of success within the industry. However, the engine providers are probably most well-known for its partnership with Ford Motor Company. The partnership ensures that Roush Yates Engines is the sole supplier of engines for all of Ford’s NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series teams.

How Nikon's video measuring system elevates Roush Yates Engines inspection process

Before an engine is installed into a race car, engineers must disassemble, inspect, and then reassemble over 100,000 components. A process they do over 1,000 times a year. Close-tolerance inspection of engine components

is essential to ensure success. However, this type of inspection is also time-consuming. Additionally, accuracy, repeatability, reliability, and measurement speed are all considered highly important during the inspection process.

Nikon Metrology’s iNEXIV video measuring system was selected to provide the radii, taper, and other measurements, that will allow the user to collect quick, insightful data. The system also claims to increase accuracy and repeatability. While also reducing costs and speeding up the inspection process.

The VMA-4540 offers a variety of benefits and features that claim to make the system an invaluable dimensional measurement and inspection tool for OEMs within the automotive industry. When it comes to measuring parts with tapered shapes or complex radii, like pushrods, Nikon’s system saves Roush Yates Engines a lot of time. The iNEXIV system can conduct a measurement using contour equipment and a microscope, slashing the inspection time by 2/3, while also recording the data and taking pictures of the radii.

Nikon Metrology’s system can travel the length of the stage in around three seconds and also claims to provide fast and reliable inspections of large engine parts. For example, head gaskets and intake gaskets require an inspection to verify the minimum widths and bore sizes before they are installed in engines. Roush Yates Engines’ have found that the accuracy, repeatability, and reliability of the inspection process have improved by using Nikon’s system, with an 80% reduction in inspection times.

“Since 2016, we have leveraged the assets of Nikon to have accurate, repeatable, and faster data so we can reduce development time and increase our speed to market,” said Todd English, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Marketing with Roush Yates Engines. 

Key features of Nikon's video measuring system

  • High speed and improved accuracy.
  • Wide field of view.
  • Long 73.5mm working distance.
  • Reduced risk of contact between the objective lens and the inspected part.
  • Robust measuring range.
  • Variety of illumination methods.
  • Works as a touch probe or just a video measuring system.
  • The system can inspect, small, tall, smooth, and uneven surfaces. As well as surface mounts and parts composed of deep holes.

How Nikon's product has positive impacted the future of Roush Yates Engines

During 2020, the NASCAR season was forced to stop due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. When racing recommenced in the May of that year, teams were met with a variety of brand-new organisational demands. With practice and qualifying removed from weekend programmes, there was increased importance on engine packages being perfected at shops, so they were race ready straight away. An issue that Roush Yates Engines had to overcome.

While this may have been the most significant recent change, before the COVID pandemic NASCAR rules had already started to alter. Included within these changes was the ruling that teams had to use specific parts provided by NASCAR rather than developing their own. Focusing on this particular change, the iNEXIV system has positively impacted Roush Yates Engines’ response as the system allows for quick inspections of parts while also providing information on how the part will affect the airflow into the engine. This data can be given to engineers in minutes, allowing them to work quickly to calibrate and maximise the engine to achieve the best performance possible.

An example of how Nikon’s VMA system has quickened the inspection process for the engine supplier can be seen when measuring the diameter of small holes with a pin gauge. Before Roush Yates Engines adopted the iNEXIV, inspecting 100 pieces would have taken 20-30 minutes and then had to be checked by hand. Now, the process takes 12-14 minutes, with inspection occurring simultaneously. This has resulted in a 50% reduction in inspection time as well as a 97% reduction in labour time. The VMA system also records the measurement data of each hole.

By working with Nikon Metrology, Roush Yates Engines hoped to achieve quicker inspection times. Through its adoption of Nikon’s iNEXIV VMA-4540 video measuring machine, the engine suppliers have achieved that as well as greater accuracy and adaptability. The VMA system has helped the company achieve on-track and off-track success, with quicker inspection times in even the most challenging of measurement environments. 

“We’ve been able to find information quickly so our engineers can make better decisions and allow us to continue to develop and push these high-performance engines,” said English.