From the track to the shop, success in the motorsports industry requires continuous development and reliable precision.

While the on-track battles are waged between drivers, it's the behind-the-scenes competition between parts manufacturers and builders that often determines who wins on any given weekend. In this business, settling for status quo is a surefire strategy to lose performance and races, which eventually leads to losing customers and profit.

"A pitfall of many shops with increasing revenue is to ignore reinvesting into the business," said Nick Jenkins of Rottler Manufacturing, Kent, Washington. "It's rare to find a business that is static, which means if you aren't growing, you may be falling behind."

To get ahead of the competition, hiring knowledgeable and reliable personnel is always the most important step. But to stay ahead of your competitors and empower your employees, business owners need to be savvy about investing in the right shop equipment, at the right time.

"A shop should look at new equipment when the owner, employee, or inefficient machinery is the bottleneck," said Tim Whitley of T&S Machines and Tools, Gainesville, Texas. "If the company's most knowledgeable person's time in the building is spent doing repetitive machining tasks rather than growing the business or handling complex artisan work, you have a capacity crisis."

The balancing act is determining the ideal combination of personnel and equipment to maximize development and production--without overextending on expenses. However, sticking with outdated equipment to 'save money' can create significant inefficiencies and lost business.

"Key indicators signaling the need to expand one's business may include a consistent three- to four-week or greater backlog, skilled-labor shortages that cannot be solved by hiring, and the inability to meet customer demand due to outdated machinery," said Tom Dustman of Sunnen Products Company, St. Louis, Missouri. "Other factors include maintenance costs on existing machines exceeding 50%–60% of replacement value, or when current technology cannot meet the precision or cycle time demanded by modern engines."

As skilled-labor shortages continue to create bottlenecks on shop floors, owners are increasingly turning toward automation for a solution. According to John Cowher of Centroid CNC in Howard, Pennsylvania, many companies have turned automation into a gold mine for their business.

"Let the equipment do the job," said Cowher. "If it's CNC or automated, you can let those machines work while you do other things. It can be at times like a printing press for money if you have repeat work, like pallets of heads or superchargers to port, and the programming is done."

Understandably, smaller parts manufacturers may balk at the initial price tag of new high-tech machines. However, if that investment helps elevate your business in terms of both performance and profit, it's worth taking a closer look.

"If your current process relies on 30 years of tribal knowledge to get a block machined properly, you are at a growth ceiling that only automation can break," said Whitley.

Once it's clear that your business potential has outgrown your machinery, a critical business decision is at hand—investing in the right machine.

Choosing the Right Machine

Take a stroll down Machinery Row at the PRI Show and you'll see dozens of examples of high-tech machines that are fully operational, wired, and performing live demos on actual race parts. These top-of-the-line machines—ranging from five-axis CNC machines to automated honing systems and seat-and-guide machines—are all engineered to deliver tighter tolerances, quicker turnaround, and hands-off automation that redefines what's possible on your shop floor.

The challenge is to figure out which one is right for your business and your market.

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