Contract Tool Manufacturing Services

Hill Plastics manufactures custom tools in the USA from our 20,000+ square foot facility in Lewisville, Texas, near Dallas/DFW. Since 1977, we've produced precision molds, CNC-machined trim fixtures, drill fixtures, and production tooling for aerospace, telecommunications, medical, and industrial OEM clients nationwide. Our American-made tooling combines advanced CNC equipment with 45 years of engineering expertise to deliver quality, cost-effective solutions from prototype through high-volume production.

We use multiple tooling materials based on your production requirements and budget. For prototypes and pre-production validation, we offer low-cost wood (Perfect Plank, Mahogany), polyurethane, and Renshape tooling board CNC-milled to specifications. For production runs, we fabricate aluminum castings that provide durability and dimensional stability for thousands of parts. Our engineering team helps you select the right material considering factors like production volume, part complexity, expected tool life, and cost constraints.

Prototype tooling can often be completed in just a few weeks depending on design complexity. We CNC-mill master patterns from wood or polyurethane to your print specifications, mount them on mold bases, and produce sample parts for design review and fit/function testing. This rapid prototyping approach allows you to validate designs quickly before investing in production-grade aluminum molds. Adjustments to wood patterns are easily made if changes are needed after prototype evaluation.

We start with CAD design using SolidWorks, then CNC-machine a low-cost wood or polyurethane master pattern to your specifications. After forming prototype parts for your review and approval, we use the approved master pattern in our aluminum casting process to create the production mold. This proven workflow minimizes risk and cost—you validate design fit and function with inexpensive prototype tooling before committing to production-grade aluminum molds designed for high-volume manufacturing runs.

Our facility houses two 5'x10' CNC trimming centers plus advanced automated CNC router equipment for precision tooling fabrication. We produce custom trim fixtures, drill fixtures, threaded insert tooling, and machined production parts to exact drawing specifications. Our CNC capabilities support both primary and secondary operations with repeatable accuracy, clean edge finishing, and the ability to handle complex geometries. All CNC operations are guided by SolidWorks CAD files ensuring dimensional precision.

Absolutely. Our sales and engineering team—Brad Hill and Cody Hill—provide expert guidance on proper tool design and material selection throughout your project. We evaluate your application requirements including production volume, part complexity, cost targets, impact resistance, durability needs, and environmental factors to recommend optimal tooling strategies. We'll review your CAD files, suggest design modifications for manufacturability, and ensure your tooling approach aligns with both technical specifications and budget constraints from concept through production.

We manufacture custom tooling for aerospace and aviation, telecommunications, medical devices and healthcare, industrial equipment and OEM manufacturers, defense and military, point-of-purchase and retail display, marine, electronics and electrical equipment, oil and gas, and transportation and logistics sectors. Our 45 years of experience across diverse industries gives us unique insight into application-specific tooling requirements, quality standards, and production challenges. We've earned the confidence of engineers and purchasing agents through quality work and competitive pricing.

Yes, design modifications are easily accommodated during prototyping when using our low-cost wood or polyurethane tooling. After reviewing prototype parts for fit, function, and appearance, any necessary changes can be quickly machined into the master pattern without significant cost or delay. This flexibility is a key advantage of our prototyping process—you can refine your design iteratively before finalizing production tooling. Once approved, the modified master pattern becomes the basis for your production-grade aluminum molds.