From 80 to 12 hours
For years, all of the cylinder head porting at RCR was done through a long, labor-intensive hand-grinding process. It took 40 hours to complete one cylinder head.

"It would take a total of two weeks to complete a pair of heads," Jones says. "This is not acceptable with the current racing schedule, not to mention any small bit of human error from port to port could decrease horsepower."

Raindrop Geomagic Studio digital duplication software, working in conjunction with other technologies, has helped create a process that delivers a perfect cylinder head much quicker than ever before. Geomagic Studio makes it possible for RCR engineers to take output from 3D data, capture the texture and shape of the cylinder heads, and transform this information into models that can be used over and over again, saving days in production time.

"Geomagic allows us to take the model from its digitized state and surface it," says Jones. "We can visualize it a lot quicker and it allows us to make alterations right there on the screen. Visualization is important because we can determine if there are any glitches in our data that will be machined in the CAM package."

The cylinder heads are first digitized with a CMM machine. The digitized data is then pulled into Geomagic Studio, converted to a polygonal model, then to a NURBS model, and exported into a watertight surface that can be manufactured within .0001-inch of the original model.

"In this business, you have to be very accurate with your surface," says Jones. "Any fraction off can mean the difference between winning and losing a race. Geomagic Studio is as accurate as I've ever seen."

RCR engineers use Parametric Technology Corp.'s Pro-NC software to complete the design process. The digital design model is then sent to the RCR manufacturing division, where an Okuma CNC machine produces the finished product. The entire process of porting two cylinder heads, which used to take 80 hours, now takes just 12.

Four Drivers, 180 Racers
"Everything is based on performance in this industry," Jones says. "Geomagic helps make optimum performance possible. The beauty of it is that we only have to make one model, then we can copy it. This saves us a tremendous amount of time in production."

At RCR, the quest for the checkered flag goes beyond the four drivers: No. 3 Dale Earnhardt and No. 31 Mike Skinner in the Winston Cup Series, No. 2 Kevin Harvick and No. 21 Mike Dillon in the Busch Series. The race starts on Monday, when the engines are back at the shop, ready to be pushed for more power.

"We have four drivers here, but we have 180 racers," Batycki says, referring to the entire RCR team. "Everybody who works here has that much passion for racing. And they all push to the limit to get us where we want to be on race day."