Mazak Helps Penske Racing to 1-2 Finish at Daytona 500 |
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Boosting horsepower for increased speed requires an engine that can breathe deeply. However, to do this requires technically advanced machining equipment and the talent to apply both the art and science to engine building. Both are evident at Penske Jasper Engines in Concord, NC. The results were evident in the winner's circle at the NASCAR Daytona 500. Powered by Penske Jasper Engines, Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel, Penske Racing, Dodge) and Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite, Penske Racing, Dodge) blew past Tony Stewart for a 1-2 Penske finish at the 50th Great American Race in early February. It was Roger Penske's first Daytona 500 win as an owner. "Anybody who is familiar with high performance engines knows that the key to making horsepower is having a properly designed cylinder head with ports that flow air and fuel very efficiently to produce a good burn pattern in the combustion chamber," said a Penske spokesperson. "Engine builders that change the stock ports on a cylinder head call it porting," the spokesperson said. "Porting a head refers to fine-tuning the shapes of the ports that direct airflow to and from the cylinders. To improve its porting process, a manufacturer of high-performance heads for racing engines will use a multi-tasking machining center that is capable of both milling and turning. "Often
racers use solid aluminum billets to machine custom heads. For motorcycles a Pro
Stock drag racing cylinder head starts out as a block that weighs 68 pounds.
After machining, they weigh only 12.5 to 13 pounds. For racing, both motorcycle
and auto racers try to eliminate as much extra weight as possible. But at the
same time the heads have to be durable. Wall thickness between the outside of
the head and the ports has to be constant for proper heat retention and cooling.
Ports also need the right surface finish that eliminates or reduces flow
turbulence and allows the air/fuel mixture and exhaust to move quickly through
them for more horsepower. Also creative undercutting in the ports is what
separates the champions from the average racer, and it takes a very advanced
machining center like a Mazak INTEGREX e-series machine to do this. |
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"To get these unique curves and finishes in a cylinder port, often requiring both art and science, they are sometimes done using a three-axis machining center and an add-on tilting table. Then finish work is done by hand to get them closer to the perfect airflow state. "But by using a multi-tasking machining center like Mazak's INTEGREX e-series, production can be significantly boosted while the unique shapes of the ports remain consistent with minimal hand operations and easily repeated by downloading a program." NASCAR Connection "But there's plenty," said Jerry Soots, machine shop supervisor for Penske Jasper Engines in Concord, NC. "Cylinder heads, ports, intake manifolds, camshaft timing and much more can be changed to give a racer that leading edge." All of which involves precision machining. Penske Jasper
Engines Builds Engines for Roger Penske's NASCAR Sprint Cup Teams (Kurt Busch,
Ryan Newman and Sam Hornish, Jr.) "Production runs of various components can run from 50 to 100 pieces. By making their own components, it allows the company to be much more flexible in designing an engine for various race conditions, including short tracks, super-speedways, and intermediate tracks of varying conditions. For example push rods link the rocker arm and camshaft, helping drive the valvetrain. Different tip lengths will affect intake and exhaust levels." "We purchased push rods at one time," Soots said. "Now we make them ourselves, which helps drive a lot of prototyping and R&D efforts." Other components made on Mazak equipment at Penske Jasper Engines include power steering reservoirs, power steering caps that vent air buildup, rocker stands, seal housings, oil pan dividers, and many more. Engine Porting
for Power "Mazak's INTEGRX e-410H II excels in cylinder head porting," the spokesperson said. "It permits full five-axis milling and has a 12,000-RPM/30 HP advanced milling spindle that tilts up to 240 degrees. Not only does this provide unsurpassed flexibility for machining complex parts, both the B-and-C axis can be positioned in increments of 0.0001 degree for superior accuracy and finish." For tooling, a lollipop cutter accomplishes the milling and high-tolerance finishes deep inside the curving channels of a cylinder head port. In fact, "fine-tuning the interior shapes of the engine's curving channels that direct airflow to and from the cylinders can be done in a single setup," said Mazak's Jack Halenkamp. "Where other machines typically run this kind of work in the 60 to 80 inches-per-minute range, we programmed the machine at 120 inches per minute and ran it very successfully at 100% override. Where a cylinder head can take anywhere from four to seven hours, we were finish-machining them in just over two hours." Robin Cave, Mazak's national applications engineer, said, "The INTEGREX e-series design gives the machine's milling spindle the freedom to move like a machining center can move, with a box-shaped work zone permitting the same full field of travel at the machine's top or bottom. The INTEGREX e-series is essentially a machining center effective for turning." It's capable of cutting from various engagement angles along the inside of a complex channel. The 12,000-RPM spindle speeds permit a diamond-coated version of this tool improving machined finishes significantly compared to more conventional 6,000-RPM or 7,000-RPM machines. Also addressing simultaneous five-axis machining on the INTEGREX e-410H II is the new MAZATROL MATRIX CNC. Software and hardware advances in the MAZATROL MATRIX include powerful internal computing speed to support 16 million pulse-per-revolution encoders on each linear axis for high-accuracy, sub-micron resolution in both EIA/ISO programs and Mazak's MAZATROL conversational programming. Powering these advances is a new 64-bit twin-engine CPU that produces feedrates for machining complex surfaces two times faster than the previous CNC control, the company said. For more information contact: George Yamane Mazak Corporation P.O. Box 970 Florence, KY 41022-0970 859-342-1700 Fax: 859-342-9524 E-mail: gyamane@mazakcorp.com
Southwest Dana Scott Mazak Southwest Technology Center 770 North Belt East Houston, TX 77060 281-931-7770 Fax: 281-931-6191 E-mail: DScott@mazakcorp.com
LA, AR Richard Cahn Dixie Mill Machine Tools Co. 901 Tchoupitoulass Street New Orleans, LA 70152 504-525-6101 800-462-9519 Fax: 504-525-3089 E-mail: rcahn@bellsouth.net
OK Rick Engles Machinery Resources Inc. 5550 South 94th East Avenue Tulsa, OK 74145 918-622-6495 800-448-1878 Fax: 918-663-0923 E-mail: rengles@mritul.com
N. TX Bernie Lopez InterTech, Inc. 2100 North Hwy. 360 #2103 Grand Prairie, TX 75050 972-647-0707 Fax: 972-641-6191 E-mail: Bernie@intertechcncmachines.com
El Paso, TX Felipe Arvizo Magnum Precision Machines Inc. 12025 Rojas Dr. Suite A El Paso, TX 79936 915-856-7900 Fax: 915-857-4700 www.magnumprecisionmachines.com E-mail: farvizo@whc.net
NM Rick Edgar Magnum Precision Machines, Inc. 8448 Washington Place NE Albuquerque, NM 87113 505-345-8389 Fax: 505-344-7176 www.magnumprecisionmachines.com E-mail: redgar@magnumprecisionmachines.com
Southeast David Kennedy Mazak Southeast Technology Center 1075 Northbrook Parkway Suwanee, GA 30024 678-985-4800 Fax: 678-985-4801 E-mail: Dkennedy@mazakcorp.com
TN Don Roberts Pinnacle Machine Tools, Inc. 855-D W. College Street Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-904-7786 Fax: 615-904-7783 www.pinnaclemachinetoolsinc.com E-mail: Roberts@pinnclemachine.net
AL Jerry Edwards Pinnacle Machine Tool Inc. 12036 Hwy 231/431 Suite C Meridianville, AL 35759 256-828-2600 Fax: 256-828-8805 www.pinnaclemachinetoolsinc.com E-mail: Edwards@pinnaclemachine.net
SC, NC, VA Rick Smith MachineTech, Inc. 8100-I Arrowridge Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28273 704-665-6301 Fax: 704-665-6351 E-mail: rick@machinetechcnc.com
GA Tim Kramer Premier Engineering Co. 1635 Lakes Pkwy. Ste. U Lawrenceville, GA 30043-5897 678-442-8382 Fax: 678-442-9363 E-mail: tim@premierengineering.com
MS Richard Cahn Dixie Mill Machine Tools Co. 901 Tchoupitoulass Street New Orleans, LA 70152 504-525-6101 Fax: 504-525-3089 E-mail: rcachn@bellsouth.net
FL John Grabenau Premier Machinery Inc. 990 Sunshine Lane Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 407-786-2000 Fax: 407-786-2001 E-mail: premier@premierequipment.com
Northeast Steve Wilkins Mazak Northeast Technology Center 700 Old County Cir. Windsor Locks, CT 06096 860-292-4400 Fax: 860-654-0752 E-mail: SWilkins@mazakcorp.com
DE, E. PA, MD Jim Rutan Mazak Sales & Technical Center 1866 Colonial Village Ln. #110 Lancaster, PA 17601 717-392-7770 Fax: 717-392-1869 E-mail: JRutan@mazakcorp.com
E. NY and NJ Greg Kaufman Mazak Sales & Technical Center Valley Cottage, NY 845-267-2121 Fax: 845-267-2156 E-mail: boss302@frontiernet.net
W. NY Bill Miller A.W. Miller Technical Sales East Aurora, NY 716-652-8282 Fax: 716-655-4915 E-mail: bmiller@awmiller.com
W. PA Shane Kozloff A.W. Miller Technical Sales 3 Tara Drive PO Box 220 Harmony, PA 16037 724-453-1690 Fax: 724-453-1695 E-mail: skozloff@awmiller.com
Midwest Bill Bettis Mazak Midwest Technology Center 300 East Commerce Drive Schaumburg, IL 60173 847-885-8311 Fax: 847-885-9565 E-mail: bbettis@mazakcorp.com
ND, SD, MN Mike Nagel Northwest Machine Technologies, Inc. 13025 George Weber Dr, Ste 3 Rogers, MN 55374 763-493-3660 Fax: 763-493-3677 E-mail: mnagel@nwmtec.com
NE, West IA Duane Ohlrich Industrial Systems & Supply Inc. 2962 33rd Ave PO Box 621 Columbus, NE 68601 402-564-4445 Fax: 402-563-4171 E-mail: ohlrich@industrial-systems-supply.com
East IA Bill Bettis Mazak Midwest Technology Center 300 East Commerce Drive Schaumburg, IL 60173 847-885-8311 Fax: 847-885-9565 E-mail: bbettis@mazakcorp.com
MO, S. IL Bill Summers Municipal Tool & Machinery Co. 2465 Rock Island Blvd. Maryland Heights, MO 63043 314-994-9905 Fax: 314-994-0410 E-mail: Bsummers@municipaltool.com
KS Paul Domurat Concept Technical Sales, Inc. 6240 W. 135th St. Overland Park, KS 66223 913-647-5366 Fax: 913-647-5355 E-mail: pdomurat@concepttechsales.com
WI Mike Cekanor Machinery Systems North 3280 Gateway Rd Brookfield, WI 53045 262-781-4850 Fax: 262-781-6489 E-mail: mikec@machsys.com
IL, N.W. IN Ron Mager Machinery Systems Inc. 614 East State Parkway Schaumburg, IL 60173 847-882-8085 Fax: 847-882-2894 E-mail: ronm@machsys.com
E. MI Jim Addy Addy Machinery Co. 36055 Groesbeck Highway PO Box 159 Fraser, MI 48026 586-741-3000 Fax: 586-741-3015 E-mail: jim@addymachinery.com
W. MI Peter Addy Addy Machinery Co. 800-AddyNOW E-mail: peter@addymachinery.com
Mazak North Central Headquarters Greg Papke Mazak Corp. 8025 Production Drive Florence, KY 41042 859-342-1700 Fax: 859-342-1300 E-mail: GPapke@mazakcorp.com
IN, KY Jim Shelton Shelton Machinery, Inc. 9900 North by Northeast Blvd. Fisher, IN 46037 317-845-5588 Fax: 317-845-5925 E-mail: jshelton@sheltonmachinery.com
S. OH Ray Calvin Mazak Southern Ohio Sales and Technical Center 2016 Springboro West Dayton, OH 45439 937-853-0700 Fax: 936-853-0020 E-mail: rcalvin@mazakcorp.com
N. OH Frank Gibbons Numerequip 4810 Briar Road Cleveland, OH 44135 216-265-0400 Fax: 216-265-0407 E-mail: fgibbons@numerequip.com
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