Speedy Design

Abstract

Engineers must make changes on the fly to keep race cars up to speed on the track. Westcoast, based in Anaheim, CA, designs and manufactures specialty components, mainly for the internal combustion engine industry. Engineers design the fixtures that hold the engine block in place during tooling in the same computer-aided design (CAD) program that they use for the block itself. Racing league rules prevent Nissan from changing key parts of the engine design, like the distance between the cylinders, but the company can vary other elements of the engine, such as deck height, oil passage diameters, and the main bearing journal diameters. By working out machining variables to ensure that production will go smoothly and quickly, Westcoast manufactures parts at the lowest cost possible, with no wasted production time. Westcoast is currently designing and manufacturing the most recent engine block upgrade, which will be ready for a spin around the track in May.