Originally Posted by Mike Fuller (Post 594632)

I find this thread very interesting because during my career as a machine shop supervisor for a fortune 500 company we had a CMM in the shop. It did not have a laser attachment but used a probe. I attend classes for the purpose of learning the software and hardware concerning this piece of equipment for two weeks. My best operator attended classes for about four weeks and was very good at using this for a number of purposes.

In 1991 when the company purchased this machine it cost $56,000.00.It was a Browne & Sharpe 7-10-7. Smaller ones were cheaper but still not significantly. I don't know what a CMM with a laser attachment that had the ability to perform a 3D scan on a cylinder head would cost today. I feel comfortable saying that if NHRA were to start doing this at national events it would be best to contract someone to do this because of the complexity of this procedure. Being able to compare the scanned data to the CAD file of a know stock head would take a talented and well trained professional.

I am not saying this can or cannot be done at Indy but, it will be interesting to see what is going to happen.

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas (Post 594654)

OK - So it's a Thursday night and I'm bored - so I may as well jump in the water and see if I'm bitten by some computer 'sharks' . As Ken said earlier we really don't know what this digitizing will bring - sadness ? Expense ? Level the playing field ? fights with officials ? low car counts ? And God knows what else but no one has spoke about what good could come out of the so called 'New Sheriff' and associates that are coming to the big Indy teardown.Most of us have 'bitched and moaned' about the lack of policing and teardowns in recent years and now that 'they' are willing to do something about it many don't like it - can't have it both ways boys and girls .At least it's a start - give 'em a chance …….

Originally Posted by Scott Loge (Post 594671)

I’m still hung up on
Bring tools and parts to do a tear down,
Really! Was this an option?
We went from open trailer , pick up trucks with gaskets stacked behind seats to
70 plus foot rigs and dual deckers but u don’t have a gasket set or tools to tear it down?!?!
And aren’t the parts on the car supposed to go back on the car where they came from?
Indy should be fun!

Originally Posted by Scott Loge (Post 594671)

I’m still hung up on
Bring tools and parts to do a tear down,
Really! Was this an option?
We went from open trailer , pick up trucks with gaskets stacked behind seats to
70 plus foot rigs and dual deckers but u don’t have a gasket set or tools to tear it down?!?!
And aren’t the parts on the car supposed to go back on the car where they came from?
Indy should be fun!

Originally Posted by Tom Broome (Post 594630)

Let's imagine what we can accomplish by digitizing a bunch of "stock" heads !

NHRA can now qualify the extent of these variables and use that information to discern the competitors pushing the boundaries of the rules.
I would anticipate that currently there is not a big enough database to qualify ,or disqualify, most OEM castings. There are probably some castings that are modified outside the range of credulity, those racers should be the ones to fear inspection.