Hexagon has joined 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Hendrick Motorsports as the official measurement hardware and software provider for the next decade. The common goal of the partnership is to take the racing team’s performance to the next level by using the latest scanning, measurement and digitization technologies from Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence business.
The 10-year agreement runs through 2032 and includes Hexagon’s presentation sponsorship of a 3,000-square-foot, advanced quality control laboratory on the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord, North Carolina. The technical partnership gives the all-time winning team at NASCAR’s top level the opportunity to enter competitive environments with added confidence as the team moves closer to their 300th Cup win and 500th NASCAR National Series engine win.
“A relentless focus on quality, accuracy and attention to the finest details is what wins races and championships in NASCAR,” said Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “In today’s environment, competition is very high and we need to maximize everything that we can control. Hexagon’s precision products give us peace of mind as we approach some notable milestones on race weekends. With this groundbreaking, decades-long commitment, we look forward to celebrating many exciting successes together in the future.”
The integration of a variety of Hexagon’s metrology technologies, new to Hendrick Motorsports, will allow the team to measure a greater volume of parts as they strive to meet tight race deadlines and production lead times. Performance upgrades are particularly challenging when the team is at the top of their game and the new technologies will help them make more informed decisions about what components and assemblies are ideal for the track. Tolerance differences as small as a few thousandths of an inch can affect or affect the peak performance of valvetrain components such as rocker arms, pushrods, and valve springs. The ability to collect metrics quickly and easily helps the team decide which combination of components will perform best.
“Partnering to provide technologies that help Hendrick Motorsports continue to develop race-proven performance innovations is an exciting opportunity and further strengthens the long-standing relationship we have,” said Hexagon Commercial Operations Manager Scott Grumbles. “By providing metrology solutions that offer greater flexibility, capacity and accuracy, the goal is to ensure Hendrick Motorsports has the tools it needs to confidently push the limits of performance and always cross the finish line first. “
New collaborative robotic inspection capabilities will help eliminate inspection bottlenecks by allowing the team to automate unattended measurements, freeing up more valuable manpower for other mission-critical tasks. The addition of three new Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) will provide greater inspection capacity while ensuring the organization has the technology needed to diversify both probing and non-contact measurement capabilities. Increased inspection flexibility will help to more efficiently and accurately scan part surfaces in their entirety and inspect challenging reflective materials such as carbon fiber. The new quality control lab at Hendrick Motorsports will also include handheld laser scanners that will simplify the measurement of components throughout the facility.
Hendrick Motorsports PR
