Hillsdale Automotive is the solution for precision machined component and assembly design, engineering and manufacturing. We offer comprehensive and World Class services from design to production – and we’re the leader in precision machined components and assemblies.
Hillsdale Automotive provides a technical advantage in the design and development of your NVH solution. Supported by a technical center in Inkster, Michigan and a rubber development lab in Hillsdale, Michigan, Hillsdale Automotive conducts a complete range of product development and material formulation activities.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD): Hillsdale Automotive offers a vast array of computer-aided design tools to support our automotive customers. Our CAD systems include:
- Unigraphics
- SDRC / Ideas C3P
- CATIA V4 and V5
- Autodesk / AutoCAD
These systems are used for 3-D solid modeling, 2-D drafting and detailing, determining mass and inertia of solids, creating input files for Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
Design Analysis: Hillsdale Automotive leverages all our analytical capabilities in the design, simulation and validation of product design. We utilize such disciplines as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), dynamics simulation and various forms of modal analysis to conduct these exercises.
Design Software for NVH: Hillsdale's Damper Design Suite (DDS) consolidates all available damper design knowledge into one central location, incorporating customer input and the most sophisticated software available into an efficient design and analysis tool.
Rubber Development: Hillsdale is the first North American damper manufacturer to offer custom rubber compounding in addition to precision machining. Our customers benefit from having the rubber compound developed exactly for their product’s application – by engineers whose only specialty is rubber compounding for NVH functions.
Prototyping: Hillsdale Automotive conducts complete prototyping of all types of dampers, including torsional, slip yoke, mass and linear dampers. In addition, we prototype knuckles, flanges, shafts, yokes and other precision machined components.
Vehicle Packaging: Hillsdale collaborates with Automotive OEMs and Tier One suppliers to create component packaging solutions that are functional, light weight and cost-effective.
Hillsdale Automotive's product development is supported through its product and material testing capabilities. The Inkster Tech Center offers product validation testing as well as a metallurgical laboratory. The Hillsdale Rubber Laboratory offers complete compound development, prototyping and property testing.
Hillsdale Automotive makes our world class quality approach standard in all our facilities and all the manufacturing operations we undertake.
An Integrated, Metric Driven Production System: Our lean approach to manufacturing (the Hillsdale Production System) is based on continuous improvement in all areas, including:
- Standardized operations
- Workplace organization
- Visual management
- TPM
- One pc. Flow
Precision Machining From Worldwide Manufacturing Centers: We provide complex machining of a variety of automotive products and materials (i.e. castings and forgings-gray or nodule iron, aluminum, steel forgings, sheet metal, magnesium), as well as the following manufacturing systems:
Flexible CNC machining cells
- Robotic material handling and assembly
- Custom rubber compounding and manufacturing for NVH products
- Six Sigma methodologies
Hillsdale Automotive includes 7 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Mexico. For more information about these facilities, visit our Contact page.
World Class Quality Systems: At Hillsdale Automotive, we maintain the highest quality standards-from supplied materials to finished products. We employ continuous improvements through TQM/Kaizen and other programs.
The Hillsdale Quality System provides a roadmap for continuous improvement as we progress toward world-class performance levels.
APQP – Hillsdale Automotive launched an entirely new APQP process in 2002, incorporating global web access and program gate approvals. This process has allowed us to quickly and efficiently introduce new products – from design and prototype to production – in as short a time as 16 weeks.
Best Practices – Hillsdale Automotive mandates the application of design and validation best practices in design and manufacturing of dampers, knuckles and precision machined components. These best practices range from design (such as Hillsdale Engineering Specifications) to manufacturing best practices, which are maintained in a detailed online database.
Benchmarking – We continuously benchmark our design and manufacturing procedures, against our own previous efforts as well as competitors’ products. Each benchmarking effort is evaluated and approved by an internal committee, then the results are incorporated into our Best Practices database.
Hillsdale Automotive has earned quality certifications and awards from most of the world’s automakers, as well as many Tier One suppliers. In addition, all our facilities have earned TS-16949 and ISO 14001 certifications.
The following certifications are available for download
EPTEC, Mexico TS 16949 Certification
Traverse City, Michigan TS 16949 Certification
Jonesville, Michigan, TS 16949 Certification
Manchester, Tennessee, TS 16949 Certification
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, TS 16949 Certification
Vassar, Michigan, TS 16949 Certification
Damper Specialists: A world leader in the design, development, testing and manufacturing of dampers for engine and driveline application. Our damper capability includes:
- Torsional and linear dampers
- Single and dual mode
- Insertion, post-bonded insertion, molded
- Isolator / damper
- Dampers for gasoline or diesel engines
We produce five to six million dampers annually for IL 3/4/6, V6, V8, V10 and V16 engines.
For more information, contact:
Inquiry.Hillsdale@EaglePicher.com
Learn more about how dampers are designed, manufactured and utilized in our Dampers 101 Presentation
Knuckles: Vehicle size and weight, and varying road conditions, put great demand on vehicle chassis and suspension systems. Hillsdale Automotive's complex machining expertise is applied to production of such products as:
- Front & Rear Steering Knuckles
- Damper Forks
Driveline Products: Hillsdale Automotive provides quick and complete solutions to difficult NVH problems.
We offer the following products:
- Driveline Torsional Vibration Dampers
- Linear Dampers
- Companion Flanges
- Circle Flanges
- Yokes
- Aluminum Weld Yokes
- Steel Weld Yokes
- Driveshaft Support Brackets
Hillsdale Automotive also provides a full range of dampers for other vehicle applications.
Pump Components: From the conventional automatic to the sophisticated CVT, today's transmission systems require components built to the exacting standards Hillsdale Automotive demands everyday. We provide complete project management of design and high-volume manufacturing, including management of the entire supply chain. And we conduct extensive testing of transmission component systems.
Hillsdale Automotive offers these transmission components and assemblies:
- Complete Oil Pump Assemblies
- Pump Bodies
- Valve Bodies
- Pump Covers
- Extensions/Adapters
- Torque Converter Housings
- Transfer Case Dampers
- Shafts
- Carriers
- Supports
- Races
- Parking Pawls
- Sprocket Supports
- Output Yokes
- Flanges
For more information, contact:
Inquiry.Hillsdale@EaglePicher.com
For more information about Hillsdale Automotive, our products and capabilities, view the documents and presentations listed below:
IN DETAIL – An overview entitled Complete Damper Development.
Capabilities Brochure – An introduction to Hillsdale Automotive in our capabilities brochure.
