Do high performance work teams in a manufacturing environment require
the manufacturing equipment to operate in a documented centerline
stable manner.
How effective can the team be if the equipment processes haven't been centerlined.

More details will help, such as your location, the product, some
references to "high performance work teams"
 I agree comparing teams, some with excellent equipment and some with
unpredictable or bad equipment is unfair. I should think it would be
rather rare that two teams have the same equipment, product, and other
requirements, so team comparison will have to weighted to be fair.
Perhaps management does not intend to be fair.
 Humans are not needed if the equipment works perfectly, so part of
"high performance" is trouble-shooting, making do, and getting
reasonable production inspite of poor machinery and bad luck.
 My guess is a breif documentation of machines being "center-line"
does not establish that they are equally likely to remain "cenerline" 
 Neil