2007 NHRA NATIONAL EVENT SCHEDULE
Listen to Trackside Interviews with Champions, Drivers and Crew Chiefs
Robert Hight
Hillary Will
Bob Vandergriff
Dave Connolly
Ed Iskenderian
Cory McClenathan
Robert Hight
Jim Yates
Tony Bartone
Hillary Will
Whit Bazemore
Byron Hines
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JE PISTONS By Lori Kelso
Our tour guide, Jeffery Ginter, Sales Manager for JE, who has been at the company for years, was incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of making pistons, rings and pins.
We move into the next building of approximately the same size which houses an additional 30 CNC machines which is the manufacturing cell for the critical pistons as well as the quality verification laboratory. These machines check tolerances to within millionths of an inch. Precision is everything in parts manufacturing and that is why this center features equipment such as Zeiss Prismo S-ACC CMM, Federal Formscan tester, Mahr-Federal form tester, Taylor Hobson Profilometer, Zeiss Metallograph, We’re talking white lab coats, climate control, the whole nine yards. You can rest assured that when you custom order your pistons from JE, that all your specs are met with the utmost certainty. The design area utilizes the Ricardo’s ring pack simulator code and the latest in non-liner FEA code.
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JE
Pistons 
It
was a cool and rainy day outside the JE Complex in Huntington Beach,
California, but the moment I walked through the door into the spacious lobby
I was greeted with warm smiles and handshakes from Kathy Flack, Promotional
Coordinator. I turned to meet her son, Jay, who was making this informal
entrance down the grand staircase that empties right into the main lobby
from the upper level of the building. Jay is the graphic designer for JE &
SRP). The walls were neatly covered with large photos of all types of
racing. As I noticed the majority of these were of drag racing I found
myself wanting to tour the “gallery” first—not the plant! Of course, when
they asked what I wanted to see first I said “the plant” and was grateful
that the door leading out to the operations areas was beyond the wall with
all the pictures on it!
We
stepped out into a 24,000 sq. ft. building, one of three in the complex JE
operates from. Here there were about 50 CNC Machines humming along keeping
time with the clock and counter, one on each end wall telling the operators
what orders were due on which day in which colored baskets.
He
explained to me what each CNC machine’s job was. They start with a block of
forged aluminum and place it in one of the quarter million dollar machines
that chooses its own tools per the operating program and cuts the round
shape of the familiar piston. Then it goes to another quarter million dollar
machine that utilizes a process called Ultra-Crown, a digital
three-dimensional piston crown machining process that will cut the domes off
the “top” of the piston. From there it goes into another big dollar machine
that will cut the ring grooves using Ultra-Groove, a machining process that
provides unprecedented flatness of ring grooves. And so it continues down
the line until all the components that make up a piston have been completed.
This is all accomplished in a super clean environment—no liquid on the floor
(CNC machines are notorious for leaking as they use water and oil to
lubricate cutting areas).
As
we exit from the rear of the building some of the employees are on break and
are playing games to relax. JE promotes a healthy atmosphere for their
employees and encourage them to have fun even if they are at work.
Out
back once again we step over to Building 3. The Distribution Center and
Warehouse was completed in October 2002, strengthening JE’s position as the
undisputed leader in the performance industry. JE Pistons opened its doors
for business in 1947 with one simple objective, to supply the racing
community with the highest quality pistons and components available in the
marketplace. Today, JE is the largest manufacturer custom forged racing
pistons in the world. Offering the shortest lead times and the most complete
line of shelf pistons, rings and pins available, over 6000 different part
numbers, all at 98% order fill rate, JE has the product you want when you
want it.
