Custom Radius Tooling & Polyurethane Services

Custom radius tooling refers to molds and fixtures engineered to precise curved or contoured specifications for thermoforming plastic parts. Polyurethane is used as a low-cost tooling material for prototypes and pre-production parts, allowing engineers to test part fit and function quickly. Once the design is approved, the polyurethane tooling can be replaced with durable aluminum production molds.

Polyurethane tooling offers significantly lower upfront costs and faster lead times compared to aluminum. It is ideal for prototypes, design review samples, and pre-production runs where design changes may still occur. While aluminum tooling is preferred for high-volume production due to its durability, polyurethane allows engineers to validate designs at minimal risk before committing to production tooling investment.

A master pattern can typically be produced in just a few weeks depending on the complexity of the design. Once the master pattern is complete and mounted on a mold base, prototype parts can follow shortly after. Simple designs may be completed faster, while highly complex geometries or tight tolerances may require additional time for pattern machining and quality verification.

Polyurethane tooling is primarily recommended for prototype and pre-production parts due to its lower durability compared to aluminum. However, it can support limited short-run production where tooling costs need to be minimized. For sustained high-volume production, Hill Plastics transitions customers to aluminum tooling, which is cast from the same master pattern used during prototyping.

Hill Plastics' thermoforming process supports a wide range of materials including ABS, HDPE, PETG, High Temperature ABS, UV Resistant ASA/ABS, Polystyrene, KYDEX, and decorative foil laminated materials. The appropriate material is selected based on application requirements including impact resistance, chemical resistance, temperature exposure, UV stability, and dimensional tolerances.

Hill Plastics serves a broad range of industries including aerospace and aviation, telecommunications, medical devices, industrial OEM manufacturing, defense and military, marine, electronics, oil and gas, retail point-of-purchase display, and transportation. Their 45 years of experience near Dallas/DFW means they understand the specific performance, compliance, and material requirements common across these sectors.

Yes. The sales and engineering team—Brad Hill and Cody Hill—provides hands-on product design and material selection assistance. They work directly with your engineering and purchasing teams to evaluate product requirements, recommend tooling design approaches, and guide the process from initial concept through prototype approval and into production. This turnkey support minimizes design risk and speeds time to market.

Getting started is straightforward—contact Hill Plastics by phone at 972-436-9717 or email sales@hillplastics.com with your part drawings, material preferences, and production volume requirements. The engineering team will review your specifications and provide guidance on tooling options, lead times, and pricing. Hill Plastics supports customers from initial design review through finished part fulfillment.