Tilco Machine Works

What Tilco Machine Works does

Tilco Machine Works is a precision machining job shop headquartered in Houston, Texas, founded in 1998 by Domitilo "Tilo" Silva Jr. The company provides CNC and conventional machining services—including lathe and mill work, deep boring up to 55 inches, threading (ACME, S.A., API, 8rd), cold rolling, and EDM—using a fleet of CNC equipment from HWACHEON, DAEWOO/DOOSAN, HAAS, HYUNDAI-WIA, and SAMSUNG, programmed with GibbsCam 2013 and designed in SolidEdge. Through its Spline Tool Services (STS) division, Tilco specializes in ID spline cutting for internal spline geometries (square, radius bottom, dovetail, angled slots) with tooth counts ranging from 2 to 24, serving drilling jars, downhole motor parts, and valve actuation components.

The company's customer base is concentrated in the Oil & Gas and Valve industries, with disclosed relationships ranging from large OEMs and offshore oil companies to small and mid-size oilfield service companies. Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-priced work spanning one-off prototype/R&D jobs, emergency same-day turnaround for critical offshore drilling parts, and high-volume production runs of commodity valve components delivered under JIT manufacturing mode. All inbound customer engagement occurs through a website "Request a Quote" form and direct phone contact—no reseller, distributor, or digital marketing channels are used.

Tilco holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (achieved October 2016) maintained through a registrar partnership with Audit 3, LLC, and operates a 100% inspection process using ZEISS DURAMAX and FARO EDGE Portable CMM equipment. The company also offers turnkey services covering pre/post-machining operations including coating, chrome plating, grinding, welding, flame hardening, and QPQ. It remains founder-owned, privately held, and operates from a single facility with no disclosed external investment, acquisitions, or geographic expansion.

Name

Tilco Machine Works

Legal name

Tilco Machine Works Inc.

Website

https://tilcomachine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tilco Machine Works is a Houston-based precision CNC machining job shop serving Oil & Gas and Valve OEMs with lathe, mill, deep boring, and specialized ID spline cutting services via its STS division, operating since 1998 with ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Machining Services

NAICS

Machine Shops (332710), Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (3327)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

Keywords

• Precision CNC machining
• ID spline cutting
• Oil and gas machining
• Valve component manufacturing
• Prototype machining services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Precision Machining Services: Job shop providing CNC and conventional machining services including lathes, mills, boring, and drilling. Services are project-based, one-time work for custom parts and components.
2. Production Runs: High-volume production manufacturing cells for commodity valve components and other mass-produced parts with JIT manufacturing mode.
3. Prototype / R&D Jobs: Prototype manufacturing for new product development, from drafting table to machine shop floor, handling multiple different parts with complex requirements.
4. Spline Tool Services: Specialized ID spline cutting services through STS division for torque transfer features in customer parts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Tilco Machine Works is a precision machining job shop providing CNC and conventional machining services — including lathes, mills, EDM, boring, and threading — for Oil & Gas and Valve industry customers. Through its Spline Tool Services (STS) division, it specializes in internal (ID) spline cutting for drilling jars, downhole motor parts, and valve actuation components. It also handles prototype/R&D jobs and high-volume production runs with JIT manufacturing and 100% inspection.

Product overview

Tilco Machine Works is a precision machining job shop offering a comprehensive suite of manufacturing services. The company provides conventional machining (lathe, mill, horizontal boring mill) and CNC machining (lathes and mills), along with specialized capabilities including OD/ID spline work, automatic saw cutting, production runs, prototype/R&D jobs, various threading services (ACME, S.A., API, 8rd), deep boring capability (55" reach), and cold rolling/working threads. The company works with various materials including carbon steel, stainless steel, exotics, and super duplexes. Pre/post machining operations include coating, chrome, grinding, welding, flame hardening, and QPQ. The company operates Spline Tool Services (STS), a division specializing in ID spline cutting for drilling jars, downhole motor parts, and valve actuation. Tilco serves the Oil & Gas, Valve industries, and oilfield service companies, offering 100% inspection, turnkey capabilities, and experience with large eccentric parts as well as small pieces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spline Tool Services (STS): A division of Tilco specializing in ID spline cutting for internal spline needs, serving drilling jars, downhole motor parts, and valve actuation applications.

Products and services

• Precision CNC and Conventional Machining Services
• Spline Tool Services (STS) — ID Spline Cutting
• Prototype and R&D Machining
• High-Volume Production Runs (JIT Manufacturing Cells)
• Deep Boring Machining Services
• Cold Rolling / Cold Working Threads

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day turnaround on critical offshore drilling parts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Audit 3, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2020Tilco Machine Works partnered with Audit 3, LLC to manage audits and certification of their ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. This partnership enables Tilco to maintain their quality certification through professional audit services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Precision Castparts Corp. Berks Hathaway-owned industrial components manufacturer with significant exposure to forged and machined parts for aerospace and energy. Represents the scale ceiling in the precision components value chain that Tilco's niche work feeds into.
• Dynacast: Global manufacturer of precision die-cast and machined metal components across automotive, industrial, and consumer end markets. Overlaps with Tilco's contract precision component offering but at a vastly larger scale and with broader geographies.
• Forum Energy Technologies: Houston-based oilfield equipment and precision components manufacturer serving drilling, completions, and production end markets. Shared geographic and customer base with Tilco and an adjacent presence in downhole machined components.

Direct peers

• Precision Resource: US precision metal stamping and machined components manufacturer serving automotive, industrial, and oilfield end markets. Comparable multi-process precision component model with similar OEM customer profile and quality certification posture.
• Precinmac: US-based precision machining and assembly group serving aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and industrial customers with multi-axis CNC capabilities. Closely comparable contract-manufacturing model with similar customer quality, certifications, and broad material expertise.
• Cox Manufacturing Company: Long-running US job shop specializing in CNC screw machine products, turned parts, and precision components for industrial customers. Comparable in scale, service breadth, and emphasis on tight-tolerance machining for OEM customers.
• Boker's, Inc. US manufacturer of small precision metal stampings, washers, and machined components for OEM customers. Comparable small-footprint, broad-material, tight-tolerance job shop model with similar sales motion and customer types.
• Phillips Corporation: US precision machining and tooling solutions provider serving aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial customers. Directly comparable contract-manufacturing model with comparable CNC fleet, certifications, and engineering services.

Regional players

• Houston Dynamic Inc. Houston-based precision machining and fabrication shop serving industrial, oil & gas, and aerospace customers with CNC milling and turning. Closest geographic peer to Tilco with overlapping equipment capabilities and customer overlap in the Gulf Coast energy supply chain.

Others

• Kennametal Inc. Global manufacturer of metal cutting tools, tooling systems, and wear-resistant components serving aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial customers. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — Kennametal supplies the tooling Tilco consumes and competes with Tilco-adjacent component manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tilco Machine Works