August 5, 2025

Precision meets passion: How HEIDENHAIN powers custom automotive builds

For those who live to build, restore, and race, there’s an unspoken truth that echoes through every machine shop and garage: precision is performance.

Whether you’re rebuilding a big-block V8, fabricating a one-off turbo setup, or machining parts for a car destined for the track, precision makes the difference. Not just in how a part fits—but in how it performs under pressure, how long it lasts, and how confidently you can move on to the next step. That’s why more and more builders—especially those focused on hot rods, racing platforms, and vintage restorations—are integrating HEIDENHAIN technology into their workflow.

Best known for its role in industries like aerospace, electronics, and medical manufacturing, HEIDENHAIN brings that same elite level of performance to the custom automotive world. And while its name might be more familiar in R&D labs or high-production shops, what’s exciting is how accessible this precision has become for race teams, fabricators, and small-batch part makers.

Precision CNC controls for custom components

Driving this shift are HEIDENHAIN’s industry-leading TNC controls—especially the TNC7 and TNC 640. Trusted in high-end machining environments, these controls are ideal for intricate parts like custom cylinder heads, billet manifolds, and precision transmission housings.

Built for complexity and speed, these systems feature:

  • Adaptive feed rate control
  • Intelligent toolpath optimization
  • Fluid 5-axis motion and machine kinematics

For shops using advanced mills or machining centers, that means confidently tackling steep walls, deep pockets, and tight curves with repeatable, high-tolerance results. Especially in short-run or mixed-part environments, consistency is a competitive advantage—and HEIDENHAIN delivers.

Feedback systems that drive accuracy

Behind every high-quality part is motion control you can count on. The HEIDENHAIN LC series linear encoders provide position feedback at the nanometer scale, ensuring high-tolerance machining for critical components like camshafts, crankshafts, and injectors.

Rotary applications benefit from RCN and ECI/EQI encoders, built to withstand speed, heat, and vibration. Whether you’re running an engine dyno, tuning on a test bench, or building a one-off race part, HEIDENHAIN encoders give you precise, reliable data where it matters most.

Touch probing that keeps work on track

In custom fabrication, setups change constantly—and errors can derail a build. That’s why in-process probing is essential. HEIDENHAIN’s TS 460 touch probe system verifies part location, orientation, and critical features directly on the machine. No need for external metrology between cuts. This real-time feedback helps teams:

  • Minimize waste
  • Maintain tight tolerances
  • Stay agile and efficient in the shop

For high-mix, low-volume work—like custom brackets or one-off housings—this saves time and protects quality.

Bringing legacy equipment into the modern era

Legacy machines still have a place in today’s shop. Through ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS, HEIDENHAIN helps bridge the gap between classic tools and modern precision.

With products like digital readouts (DROs) and the MILLPWRG2 CNC control system, older mills and lathes gain new capabilities—without giving up their reliability or feel.

Real builders. Real results.

In Sarasota, Florida, retired high-tech executive Bill Hutchison and master tool-and-die maker Len Milheim are proving what’s possible. Working out of a garage shop, they’re using a 2-axis Bridgeport equipped with an ACU-RITE MILLPWRG2 to craft custom components for hot rods and classic trucks.

Their projects include:

  • A machined adapter to fit a 1949 Studebaker 4-speed to its original engine block
  • A billet aluminum dash bezel for a 1948 International KB6 car hauler
  • A custom-machined steering column horn button
  • Custom rear axle knuckles to adapt a 1996 Corvette IRS to a 1955 pickup

Parts like these are too complex—and often too expensive—to outsource. By machining in-house, they’re not only saving money, they’re building better.

“I’ve built hot rods for years, but I’m a blacksmith compared to Len the jeweler,” says Hutchison. “Len is making it possible to create one-of-a-kind components I never thought I could afford. The tools in ACU-RITE’s MILLPWRG2 turn us loose to build anything we can imagine.”

Precision that powers every great build

HEIDENHAIN isn’t a flashy brand stamped on a finished part—but its influence is everywhere: In the tight fit of a piston. The perfect symmetry of an intake runner. The flawless finish of a machined surface that performs under pressure.

For builders who obsess over every measurement, and racers who push every part to the limit, HEIDENHAIN delivers the tools to create without compromise.

Build Bold. Machine with Confidence.

Ready to take your builds further?

Explore HEIDENHAIN and ACU-RITE SOLUTIONS and see how precision engineering can power your next project.