Press Release: Bringing CNC In-House: The Day Our Haas Mill Arrived at HCE
For years at HCE Performance, we’ve designed parts for cars we love—especially the Honda NSX and other enthusiast platforms. But like many small performance brands, most of our prototyping and production depended on outside machine shops. That works… until you want to move faster.
Design iteration in the automotive world often comes down to hours, not weeks. When you’re testing things like battery disconnect brackets, breather system components, wheel hardware, or custom mounting solutions, you want to tweak a design and cut a new prototype the same day.
So we finally made the leap.
We bought a Haas CNC 3 axis mill.
What followed was less like a typical equipment delivery and more like a slow-motion off-road recovery combined with a midnight mechanical ballet.
Step 1: Loading a 4,000+ Pound Machine on a Car Trailer
Industrial machine movers exist for a reason.
We did not hire them.
Instead, we rolled up with a car trailer, straps, wood blocks, and a healthy amount of cautious optimism.
A Haas mill is not exactly shaped for easy transport. It’s tall, extremely heavy, and very top-heavy. Once it’s on a trailer, gravity becomes the boss.
Using a forklift, we carefully set the machine onto the trailer deck. Every movement had to be deliberate. The goal wasn’t just getting it on the trailer—it was making sure it stayed there during the drive.
We strapped it down from every angle we could think of. Ratchet straps criss-crossed the machine like a spider web. A few extra wood blocks ensured it couldn’t slide or shift.
Once everything was tight, we stood back, looked at it for a minute, and asked the universal DIY logistics question:
“That’s not going anywhere… right?”
Close enough.
Step 2: The Dirt Road Problem
Getting the machine to our shop turned out to be the easy part.
Getting it into the shop was another story.
Our workshop sits up a narrow dirt road, which meant we couldn’t just pull forward and unload like a normal delivery. The only real option was to back the trailer up the road, slowly and carefully, while trying not to bounce a precision machine tool around like cargo in a rally truck.
Backing a trailer up a dirt road while carrying a multi-ton CNC machine focuses your attention very quickly.
Every rut, every bump, every correction on the steering wheel felt amplified.
Slow and steady won the race.
Eventually we made it to the workshop.
Step 3: Unloading as the Sun Went Down
By the time we were ready to unload, the sun was already dropping behind the hills.
The plan was simple:
- Lower the trailer ramps
- Carefully inch the mill backward
- Let gravity help—but not too much
The reality was a bit more tense.
A machine this heavy doesn’t just roll politely down a ramp. Once it starts moving, momentum becomes a serious consideration.
So we went inch by inch.
- A little movement.
-- Stop.
---- Check alignment.
----- Move again.
By this point the sky was turning dark, and we were working under a mix of shop lights, flashlights, and headlights from the truck.
Slowly—almost painfully slowly—the Haas mill rolled off the trailer and onto the ground.
Success.
But we were only halfway done. Exhausted we figured we would pick it up in the morning.
Step 4: Rolling It Into the Shop
Moving a CNC mill across a shop floor looks easy in YouTube videos.
In reality, it involves pipe rollers, pry bars, careful pushing, and constant adjustments.
We set the machine onto rollers and began guiding it toward the shop door.
Everything was going smoothly until we noticed something that made everyone pause:
The garage door clearance.
A Haas mill is tall.
Our shop door is… not that tall.
So we measured.
Then measured again.
It looked like it might fit—but only barely.
Step 5: The Moment of Truth
This was the slowest part of the entire operation.
As we rolled the machine toward the door, one person watched the wheels, one person steered the base, and another person watched the top of the machine like a hawk.
The clearance?
Maybe an inch or two.
Every small bump felt like it could become a very expensive mistake.
But inch by inch, the machine rolled forward… and forward… and forward.
And then it was through the door.
No scratches.
No dents.
No new skylight in the garage door.
Just a giant CNC mill sitting inside our shop.
Why This Matters for HCE
This machine represents a big step for us.
Having a Haas mill in-house means:
- Faster prototype development
- Tighter control over precision parts
- The ability to test ideas quickly
- More experimentation with new products
A lot of the parts we design—whether it’s NSX hardware, race components, or specialty mounting solutions—start as ideas that need to be tested in aluminum before they ever reach customers.
Now we can go from CAD to chips without waiting weeks.
Here's an example of one of our passion projects in the works: The R32 competition kill switch.
Midnight, Aluminum Chips, and New Ideas
By the time the Haas mill was finally sitting in place, leveled and connected to power, it was well past dark.
We were covered in dust from the dirt road, grease from moving equipment, and probably running on more adrenaline than caffeine.
But there’s something satisfying about looking at a machine like that sitting in your own shop.
It means new possibilities.
New prototypes.
New parts.
New ideas.
And at HCE Performance, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
If you want to know why we chose a Haas Mill then check out our post here.