| Hilton Tool – Maintaining Quality while Maximizing Agility |
 Ask Tony VanDeWalker, President of Hilton Tool out of Clackamas, Oregon, what separates his company from many of the other shops out there, and he’ll tell you that the quality and efficiency that the company has achieved since opening up in 1982 is exactly what has kept them going through these recent economic times. Ask him what the secret behind that quality and efficiency is and he’ll plainly tell you that you’re only as good as the equipment you work with and the people operating it.
Hilton Tool’s specialty has long been their mastery of Injection Molding, Tool and Die, and Die Cast Molds, however the team up there in the Pacific Northwest has been just as successful in perfecting the art of High Speed Milling, Production Wire work, and High Tolerance Machining. The Hilton facility now features everything from Surface Grinders to EDM Machines and everything in between and is easily considered one of the tops in the region for the type of work they produce. While many shops are ready and willing to take your file and fumble through the task of producing your part, Hilton boasts an in-house engineering team that is one of the best in the business and has allowed them to work with their customer’s files and design teams so that parts are not only turned around quickly, but correctly the first time, everytime. This type of one-on-one consultation and teamwork around every project that comes through the door is what has had clients coming back year after year for nearly three decades now. With many production facilities struggling to stay afloat during the current economic period, VanDeWalker recognized an opportunity to attract some of the best individuals in the industry. Hilton took quick advantage of the influx of qualified engineers and machine operators now available and built an all-star squad in Clackamas. While VanDeWalker focused on building the Wire, Sinker, and Production side of the business, partner Mitch Furrow continued to manage the Tool and Die side. North South Machinery’s Chris Gendusa worked closely with VanDeWalker on helping to support Hilton’s development of high quality Wire EDM work in particular. It quickly became apparent that the quality that Hilton was known for would require a machine capable of delivering such. Enter a couple of Mitsubishi’s finest: the model FX10 Wire, as well as FA20S Wire EDM. Well known in the industry for not only being unbelievably reliable, but also incredibly precise, Mitsubishi and Hilton Tool seemed a perfect fit in terms of overall approach to the business of machining. To get in touch with the team over at Hilton Tool, please visit their website at www.hiltontool.com or contact them via telephone at 503.657.9312. For more information on the equipment that helps make Hilton Tool great, please contact North South Machinery’s Chris Gendusa at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |